I thought my kids were going to be the smartest kids, the best kids, and I wanted to do everything
I could for my kids, to make sure that they were above the norm.
Alex started speaking very late.
He had extreme sensory issues...he would scream every time I would brush his teeth.
He would go up to the other kids and bump them with his head.
He just had trouble functioning.
But at the same time he had so good qualities, and I could see those, it's just that most
other people couldn't.
The kindergarden teachers said to me, "I don't know what we can do for him...I don't know
if he's....if I can even help him."
We did an evaluation with him...he qualified for the autism program...and then he had a
medical diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.
It was really discouraging.
In middle school he was relentless...the crying, the screaming, the anger, the temper tantrums...but
we just struggled with it, we really did...
I was withdrawing a lot, and I, you know, didn't know how to deal with him.
I just thought, what am I gonna do with this kid?
You know, what kinda life can he have?
We have used to so many different therapies...you know, the brushing therapy, occupational therapy,
social skills therapies, and those are all good, however, Transcendental Meditation is
one thing that has an effect in many different areas.
He started TM, and then about a month went by, and one morning we woke up and I said
to my husband, "You know, he hasn't had a temper tantrum in...when was the last one?
A week?
Two weeks ago?"
It was incredible.
And we weren't doing one other thing differently.
He loves it.
He's done it regularly...He does it twice a day.
And it's easy for him...
It was such a relief to be out of that mode where you're waking up in the morning, bracing
yourself...when is he gonna start screaming...
He's turned into a happy, well adjusted kid.
He loves excelling in school now.
He was never interested before.
I started meditating at about mid seventh grade, and I got mostly A's in my second semester
of seventh grade.
I would say TM is certainly, you know, that very directly helped me get good grades.
From 9th grade up until now where he is at, he has grown tremendously, he's really, um,
gelled into the mainstream classes, and is starting to become more social with his peers.
He's taking both AP classes and college credit classes, and he's excelling...he's been on
the honor roll every single semester since he started meditating.
He's joined the robotics team.
He has become an Eagle Scout, which was one of his dreams.
I didn't think that he probably could have a normal independent life...I didn't foresee
him going to college.
And now I see all of that.
When I go to college I'll certainly continue meditating...TM has helped me to communicate
with others, and get along with others, and be able to focus well on tasks...
Just seeing how Transcendental Mediation has had such a tremendous effect on my son and
our family makes me want to really encourage anyone with kids with autism to give this
a try.
This is really a tremendous tool to help these kids.