Children with special needs don’t have it easy and they are often stressed as they struggle to “fit in” and control their emotions. While relaxation skills are important for all children, they can dramatically improve the life of special needs children, helping them to calm and relax themselves.
It’s very important to practice relaxation in a fun, imaginative way. The last thing you want your child to think is that relaxation is “just one more thing to do.” After all, relaxation is not so much doing as it is an undoing, or a letting go. If you imagine that you are relaxed, your tension is likely to abate and your muscles will relax. In contrast, if you try to will yourself to become relaxed, you are likely to become tense. Still, the ability to let go and relax will improve with practice. A daily routine of self-calming exercises is important in order that children learn to relax and quiet themselves whenever they have a need to do so.