​​Let massage therapy touch your life​
Daniela O'Neill RMT, CIMT, CPMT 
Special Needs Massage
We all know that massage therapy is a great benefit to almost everyone. What about people with special needs? The answer is YES. The Touch Research Institute of Miami University has published many studies showing the benefits of massage for people with special needs.
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Daniela's keen interest in working with special needs population is born from the fact that she has a son with Down Syndrome. Daniela is also a certified infant and pediatric massage therapist and has taken advanced courses in massage on children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and other special needs.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
For children with Autism, massage may provide relaxation, decreasing stress and calming muscle spasms. It can also help a child become more accustom to tactile stimulation and aid in body awareness as well as promote more on-task and social relatedness behaviour. Massage may also decrease sleeping issues and increase trust and bonding with caregivers.
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
For children with CP, massage may improve sleep patterns, increase or reduce muscle tone, improve digestion and relieve constipation. It can also reduce spasticity, encourage muscle flexibility and encourage motor function and increase range of motion in joints.
Down Syndrome (DS)
For Children with Down Syndrome studies show that massage may help increase muscle tone, promote more on-task related skills, may provide relief from constipaiton and aid in body awareness.
​Note: Home visits are available for individuals with ambulatory/wheelchair needs. The clinic is an old victorian home without wheelchair accessibility. Please call for details.