Smoke signals., February 15, 2008, Page 9, Image 9

Smoke Signals 9
FEBRUARY 15, 2008
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Spirit Mountain Community Fund dollars aid research into alleviating effects of autism
Editor's note: This is the second in a monthly series of stories in
2008 by Smoke Signals that will showcase the real-life effects of
Spirit Mountain Community Fund donations. Since its inception in
1997, the Community Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Confeder
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde, has donated more than $40 million to
groups in 11 western Oregon counties. These stories focus on the
good work those generous Tribal dollars do within nearby commu
nities and the effect they have on people and programs.
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Bryar Eames is 6 years old.
Until he started kindergarten
last year, his parents did not have
a clue that something might be
amiss. Then, his kindergarten
teacher reported that he exhibited
some of the hallmarks of autism.
"He was comfortable at home,"
says his mother, Shelli Eames, dur
ing a recent Qigong (pronounced
chee-gong) massage session for her
son at the Qigong Sensory Training
Institute in Salem.
The institute houses the work
of Dr. Louisa M. T. Silva, who has
a master's of public health, in Sa
lem. She is a visiting professor at
the Teaching Research Institute
of Western Oregon University
in Monmouth and a specialist in
Chinese medicine.
"He didn't fit the norm (for an au
tistic child)," Shelli says. As a moth
er, Shelli earned a bachelor's degree
in child and family studies, and has
studied autism as part of those stud
ies, so it wasn't like the signs were
there and she missed them.
Still, Bryar did have the emotional
meltdowns characteristic of autism,
along with other characteristics,
including weak muscles and poor
motor skills. Beyond that, like most
children with autism, he was not
predisposed to enjoy being touched.
"All the children have sensory
problems," Silva says. "Many don't
feel pain when they cut themselves
or bang their heads against the
wall. For others, even light touch
seems painful."
The discomfort with touch is what
makes the disease so discourag
ing to parents. It often rules out
hugging and pats on the back that
most of us enjoy both giving and
receiving, and that often serve as
an important link for appreciating
social interactions.
"Parents are pretty down about
this," Silva says. "In the press, they
learn that autism might be genetic,
that the condition is lifelong."
Children are usually diagnosed
in the first three years of life as
they fail to develop language and
social skills, and exhibit severe
sensory and behavioral difficulties,
according to the Autism Society of
America Web site.
Autism is a complex developmen
tal disability that comes without a
known cause and proceeds without
a known cure. It ia a difficult dis
ease that is often painful for pa
tients and exhausting for parents.
Enter Qigong, one leg of the
three-legged stool that has made
up Chinese medicine for centuries.
Qigong includes a set of techniques
that aims to clear "energy chan
nels" in the body. Its history dates
back 5,000 years, Silva says.
Three thousand years ago, the
Chinese added acupuncture to their
medical offerings. Acupuncture
uses the same energy channels;
only acupuncture inserts small nee
dles at appropriate places within
the channels.
And from time immemorial,
the Chinese have used herbs for
healing.
Qigong has been used to strength
en the body against cancer and
osteoporosis, and to help improve
strength and longevity, Silva says.
Today, Silva's research, funded
by the Spirit Mountain Community
Fund, is helping to ease the trauma
of autism felt by the Eames family,
among many in the area.
The Spirit Mountain Community
Fund has taken on support of this
small, promising therapy and has
funded two $30,000 studies that are
showing the way to make life better
for both patients and parents.
The first study showed that pro
fessional Qigong Sensory Training
works. That is, it reduces "sensory
and system impairments," and, at
the same time, it enables patients
to "fill in" missing motor and living
skills, and improve their language,
social and cognitive skills, according
to the Community Fund report.
"Statistical analyses showed that
many of the desired changes were
significant," said a Community
Fund report.
The second study showed that the
techniques can be taught so that
professionals, such as early inter
vention specialists, physical thera
pists and occupational therapists,
can use the therapy successfully,
and parents can as well.
Unlike many therapies that are
themselves toxic, Qigong Sensory
Training uses massage.
Because autistic children resist
touching and other sensory infor
mation, it can take time for a young
person with autism to accept the
massage therapy, but in Salem
recently young Bryar had made his
peace as massage and occupational
therapist Linda Poling lightly
worked over his arms and hands,
his back and legs.
He was patient, if seemingly a
little oblivious to the purpose of
the massage, and engaged with the
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Photo by Ron Karten
Therapist Linda Poling massages 6-year-old Bryar Eames during a recent
Qigong Sensory Training session in Salem. The therapy, funded by Spirit
Mountain Community Fund, is making inroads with helping autistic children
develop. In background, Bryar's mother, Shelli (sitting) and Dr. Louisa M.T.
Silva watch the massage session.
camera as it recorded him again
and again.
The results have been remark
able, according to Silva and Shelli,
going beyond improvements in
muscle control and strength. Bryar
also has become a less picky eater
and a better writer.
"When he started," Shelli says,
"his poop was bright green."
"That indicated toxins in the
body," says therapist Poling.
"At first, we thought it was what
he was eating, maybe too many
fruit snacks," says Shelli.
Right after starting the Qigong
massage, however, Bryar's consti
pation cleared.
Continuing success reflects two
Community Fund projects that
have gone well.
"It actually works," says Shelli,
who also massages Bryar in the
evenings at bedtime. "Seeing is
believing."
"Parents want to be involved in
their child's treatment," says Silva,
"and this is a powerful tool."
"Many parents come to us in a state
of exhaustion without much hope for
the future of their child. Very little
hope is offered with autism."
This research is "the first of its
kind in the western world," says Sil
va. "I don't know if Spirit Mountain
knows what they've unleashed."
"He's actually making a face with
pictures," Shelli says. "He's writing
like a 4-year-old, but that's OK with
me five months ago, he wasn't
writing at all."
Signs of progress include Bryar's
ability now to sit in a chair and to
squat. "He was weak all over. He's
not weak anymore," Shelli says.
The Qigong also helped in "the
finger dexterity area," Shelli says.
"I want to go home," says Bryar.
Silva moved forward with the study
because, as a public health physician,
she was looking for "the most effec
tive, least invasive, least expensive
method to address this problem."
"Autistic kids have parents and
early intervention programs to
work with," Silva says, "so we're
using the two best resources that
every (autistic) child has."
Although children with autism
do not often play "pretend," Bryar
has started.
Asked about the Qigong, he says
that he wants to go to Hawaii and
see "the hula dancers, coconuts, go
on a plane," and he's got the pre
tend plane in his hand and together
they fly out of the massage room for
new adventures. D