White Plains - Westchester Yoga: Children with Special Needs
Yoga for Children with
Special Needs
We teach programs
children with special needs (such as
severe ADHD,
ADD, Autism, etc.) due to interest shown
by the White Plains community and a basic motivation to help. The intent is to use yogic techniques
to benefit children with special needs. We have sought input from the fields of psychology,
education, medicine, neurobiology, etc, seeking advice from individuals with crossover expertise in
such fields along with meditation to more precisely target benefits for children in this
population.
The main focus is to evoke a balanced mental state, through games/activities, either quiet or
energetic, which substantially reduces stress. Some children may need to let off excess energy
while others may need to do an activity that quiets the mind. We keep class sizes small so that we
can target the needs of the children and address them in a creative and appropriate manner.
Children in such a balanced state are better able to face challenges and overcome obstacles. The
ability to build new neural pathways is then enhanced.
Once a foundation of balance is set for practice, we focus on the development of skills. For
example, various games are used and yoga asana is practiced. Some of the benefits are increased
sensory awareness and integration, increased muscle tone and coordination, impulse control, ability
to follow a sequence of instructions, and many more. We believe that children receive profound
benefit from the practice of yoga. Ultimately, self confidence is significantly improved as
children find they are better able to accomplish more than they thought possible. The increased
confidence can lead to lower stress in a learning environment, which then increase capacity
further, resulting in a virtuous cycle. Children are supported and encouraged, and given plenty of
praise and positive reinforcement.
Social development is often limited for children with certain conditions, such as autism, but to
the degree possible it is promoted through interaction with other children in class.
We also make an effort to provide visual supports to aid children in learning: pictures of yoga
poses and story books can often help children who benefit from a visual learning approach. Music is
also used in the class. The modalities of Yoga and Aikido are both available and
can complement each other, depending upon the interests and abilities of the
child.
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