Marie Picard, RMT

It is important to note that my first exposure to Autism Spectrum Disorder came fairly early, when my younger brother was diagnosed at the age of 3 (I was 10). I witnessed my parents struggle through very difficult moments. My brother was non-verbal and would engage in self-harming behaviours when he became overwhelmed. I also witnessed the incredibly positive effect a supportive family can have on a child growing up with ASD. My brother had 4 older siblings looking out for him and helping our parents to the extent that we could as children. If you had asked me in my pre-teen years what I wanted to do as a career, I would've responded that I wanted to work with children on the spectrum. More than 2 decades later, my brother is a happy productive adult. He still struggles with speech and some anxiety, but he can get his point across in 2 languages and can stand to be around his 9 nieces and nephews, all at the same time. He impresses us everyday.

 

As for me, I became a health practitioner in 2012 after completing Aromatherapy and Reflexology certificate programs through the Canadian Institute of Natural Health and Healing. I soon wanted to focus on more mainstream science based therapies, so I returned to school in 2015 to complete an intensive massage therapy diploma program at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy.

 

While I was in school, my daughter was going through her own assessments which ended with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (level 1) and Major Depressive Disorder. Despite having plenty of other things to study, I started reading books, articles, science journals, anything I could find related to Autism in order to further understand and support my daughter's needs. A year later, we covered a small portion of a chapter on Autism in my neurology class. Without going into too much detail, I saw that our training was nowhere near adequate or accurate enough to be used in our future practices. I argued with my teacher, emailed the college's administration and even contacted the regulatory college for Ontario's Registered Massage Therapists with no result. It was clear that there was a gap in information and a lack of interest on the part of those in charge to affect any changes on the subject.

 

A few months after her diagnosis, my daughter received a custom sensory diet (daily routine) to help with her many sensory issues. As the Occupational Therapist was performing a comprehensive neurological assessment, I realized that I was following along everything she was doing, it was all related to things I was learning in school. This encouraged me to look further into the physiology and neurological functioning of Autism. I came to the conclusion that massage therapy could have a positive impact on the Autism community and add to the list of affective therapies by treating symptoms of anxiety, motor and sensory dysfunctions. 

 

Now that I've been a practicing RMT for several years, I'm ready to embark on this new journey to bring Autism awareness to the world of massage therapy by developing treatment guidelines so that we can use our skills as healthcare providers to treat anxiety and neurological problems related to Autism Spectrum Disorder. I hope that you and your family would allow me the privilege of having you come along this journey with me.

 

*The latest update is that I recently received an ASD diagnosis myself. More women are finding answers later in life and maybe, the diagnosis differentiation between boys and girls can be remedied soon. 

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