Sensory Intergration

[Brian Borawiec]

We are inquiring about Hypnosis, any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Jessica]

Hey Brian,

Thanks for your question. There was an earlier thread on hypnosis--I will get that link for you. Here is some info from that thread:

I read a few studies on this in graduate school, will try to get those to you, but in the meantime:

What is Pediatric Hypnotherapy?

As currently practiced, hypnotherapy most often involves teaching a child how to self-
hypnotize in order to control bad habits, physical symptoms, and other conditions. The child
learns to use relaxation techniques and mental images—similar to a daydream or fantasy—
to enter an “altered mental state” (in other words, to induce hypnosis).
Once in this altered state, the therapist makes suggestions aimed at producing the desired
change in behavior, anxiety level, or symptom intensity. These may range from recalling
times of feeling happy and well in a child with chronic pain, to thinking of the body as a
“computer” that the child can “program” with his or her mind.
The child may also receive specific teaching about their problem as a means of helping them
learn to exercise control over their body. For example, a child with nocturnal enuresis (bed-
wetting) may be taught the basic anatomy and function of the bladder. Ultimately, the child
is able to induce self-hypnosis when needed to achieve the desired changes.

What is the history of using hypnosis with children?
Hypnosis of children was first described in 1779 by Mesmer, who reportedly used
hypnotherapy to treat a child with visual problems. Historically, hypnotherapy was rarely
practiced with children, because people thought that children could not be hypnotized. In the
1970's, however, observations suggested that children were easier to hypnotize than adults,
and that hypnosis could be used in the treatment of behavioral and physical problems in
children

What are some uses of hypnotherapy in children?
Hypnotherapy has been used to treat hundreds of behavior disorders, chronic diseases, and
pain and discomfort. Here's a partial list:
Behavior problems

* Habit/tic disorders including thumb-sucking 2 , trichotillomania (hair-pulling)
Tourette's Syndrome. (Evidence is currently limited to several small studies and case
reports (reports of successful therapy in a few individuals, without comparison to
another therapy).
* Nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting). (Evidence includes case reports as well as one clinical
trial, in which hypnotherapy was shown to be more effective than medication.)
* Sleep terrors, nightmares, and other sleep disturbances. (Evidence is limited to case
reports.)
* Swallowing problems, food aversions, and choking (not related to anatomic problems or
disease. (Evidence is limited to case reports.)
* Anxiety and stress.

Chronic Conditions

* Asthma. (Case reports suggest that hypnotherapy may reduce episodes of wheezing or
shortness of breath, and may decrease reliance on asthma medications.)
* Cystic Fibrosis (CF. (A study in adults and children with CF suggests that
hypnotherapy can reduce symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, anxiety, and other
problems commonly faced by these patients.)
* Control of pain, treatment and medical procedure discomfort and other symptoms:
Chronic pain in cancer patients. (Initial results from small studies showing that
hypnotherapy can be used to manage chronic pain in children with cancer; larger studies
are likely underway.)

[Jessica]

Here is the rest of the thread with everyone's replys:
http://www.softsensoryworld.com/forum/topics/2036760:Topic:3073