Study Two: Mindfulness Intervention for Children

This chapter presents the parent-implemented mindfulness intervention for the six children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and challenging behaviour (stage 2), including its theoretical framework, development, delivery and effects. The aim of this stage of the intervention was to train these children to the point where they could use mindfulness meditation to manage their own problem behaviour. We begin by exploring contemporary educational theories and practices that constitute the theoretical framework for the intervention, those of universal design for learning (UDL), differentiation, self-determination, video modelling and parent-implemented learning. These were employed to meet the range of individuality that characterises ASD. We then explain how we developed five basic mindfulness activities for the children based on mindfulness of body and of sound, and subsequently supplemented these with an additional three activities that entailed mindfulness of mind. We discuss issues that arose in the course of the training, and the ways in which the six mother–child dyads responded to the training. Finally, we analyse the results of the training using statistical analysis.