It is our believe that everybody deserves the same treatment and opportunities in life regardless of their challenges. Unfortunately for many people in care these rights and opportunities are simply not being met. A lot of the time these needs are not being met due to physical needs, individuals not being able to access the community, lack in funding or lack in choice. It is well known that when individuals present behaviours that challenge that there will always be a trigger. Unfortunately, we may not always know what the trigger may be. It has been well documented that massage has a positive affect on individuals who present challenging behaviours and has shown a pattern of lesser indecencies for longer periods of times whiles also showing individuals have a higher tolerance to what normally would trigger.

A soothing massage can offer relief from sore muscles, fatigue and reduce anxiety after a seizure.

Regular massage therapy sessions can help with getting a good night sleep. Increasing the quality of sleep can prevent future seizures and can help speed up the recovery time.

Touch is a basic need, in much the same way as breathing is a basic physical need.

“When the need for touch remains unsatisfied, abnormal behaviour will result” (montague A 1986)

The absence of touch can have profound effects on behaviour. Massage is an appropriate, valued way of incorporating touch into a personal life. Massage has a long and health promoting history.

Regular massage sessions can help an individual with a learning disability to form positive relationships and can help to build trust. Massage can be used prior or following a stressful event to help ease stress and anxiety, promote sleep, help release emotional tension and help with pain and movement. Massage therapy sessions can help with the progression of communication during a session and can help them more confident with decision making, clients are given opportunities to make choices about their treatment. Massage can produce a number of physiological effects such as increased release of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine and decreased cortisol. The natural chemicals released during relaxation can help an individual feel calm and happy.

Regular massage therapy sessions can help individuals on the autism spectrum by encouraging the acceptance of positive touch. Most people who are on the autism spectrum will have the need for less or more sensory input. Often it is believed that people with Autism cannot accept touch of any kind. In many cases individuals with autism need more sensory input and so deep pressure massage is a positive way for these needs to be met.

Massage therapy can reduce anxiety and stress that may be caused by not receiving or interpreting sensory messages in the brain correctly. Deep touch massage supports individuals to focus on the one sense of touch, which can eliminate any sensory overload. Massage can be a positive way for an individual to receive more sensory input. This may prevent an individual seeking this sensory input by behaviours that challenge.