Holding therapy
Holding therapy is a practice described and recommended in the book Holding Time, by Martha Welch. It consists of
forced holding by a therapist or parent until the child stops resisting or until a fixed time period has elapsed;
sometimes the child is not released until there is eye contact. Although this technique was initially intended for
autistic adults, it has also been used for autistic children, teenagers and younger children with “attachment
disorders,” and infants with “residual birth trauma.”
Holding Therapy had its beginnings in the late 1970s when child psychiatrist Dr. Martha Welch began using it as
treatment for children with ASD. She later published a book titled Holding Time.
Holding Therapy stems from the idea that a primary problem in children with ASD is the lack of a bond between
parent and child. During Holding Therapy, the parent hugs the child, even if the child fights the therapy, for
extensive periods of time. The contact is usually made face to face in either a sitting or lying position. During
this time, the parent also tries to make and maintain eye contact with the child and speak to the child about
feelings. It is the parent’s duty to stay calm throughout the session and to comfort the child when he or she stops
struggling. This time together in close physical contact is thought to create a parent-child bond. Further, there
is some discussion about whether or not the holding triggers the part of the brain in which the child senses the
boundaries of his or her own body.
As with most alternative treatments, Holding Therapy has its supporters and its opponents. Those who support the
treatment claim to have seen incredible improvements in children undergoing Holding Therapy. But, those who oppose
the treatment say it borders on abuse. Many believe that forced holding is not only no ‘therapy,’ it is a form of
abuse because many, if not most people with autism have tactile defensiveness and/or tactile hypersensitivity. This
claim is grounded in the fact that so many children with autism have sensory integration problems and experience
touch as painful, and many others with autism become extremely agitated by forcible restraint.
Holding Therapy
Alternative autism treatments
Autism Treatment and Intervention
Autism Checklist
Autism Books
|