Essential Oils & Autism

.
Saturday, May 23, I spent the day in Guelph, Ontario, at the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists. We had a guest speaker who talked about her research project. She is trying to determine what the inhalation of essential oils can do to encourage or prolong attention span in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Her research is in the earliest stages, but, it was fascinating to hear how she devised the program, and what small insights she has gained at even this preliminary stage. It seems possible that inhaling different essential oils may very well provide up to 20 minutes of quieter, more focused behavior. Encouraged by her work, I have already tried two inhalers on youthful clients.
For those of you who don't know what an inhaler is, let me explain. It's just a small plastic tube, about the size and appearance of a lip balm tube. When you open it, you only see a smaller, plastic inner tube. Inside this inner tube is a cotton roll that has had essential oils dripped onto it. You can't access the oils, but, the inner tube has a slotted tip that allows the scent to waft out of the top of the tube. You are meant to place this tube under your nose, wave it gently, and inhale the fragrance.
I'll keep you posted as to the results, if there are any!