Tips for Implementing Mindfulness Meditation in Children with Asperger’s

- Begin by teaching the child to take deep calming breaths.
Start with a visual prompt, such as numbered picture cards the child can flip through as he/she counts breaths. Alternatively, they could move marbles from one cup to another with each breath.

- Provide a dedicated space free of distractions for use in meditation.
Take into account any sensory issues the child might have when you set up the space. For instance, instead of using a beeping timer to indicate the end of meditation time you may want to consider a visual method of timing such as an hour-glass or a light if the anxiety of potentially loud noises could adversely affect the child.

- Write out clear and literal instructions (or use pictures) to describe how to do the meditation.
Written rules or pictograms are extremely helpful as teaching tools for children with Asperger’s who are visual learners. Post the instructions in the meditation space to remind the child of the expectations daily since success one day doesn’t always guarantee success the next without a helpful reminder.

- Make meditation a regular part of the child’s daily routine.
Children with Asperger’s respond well to routine and while in some cases we attempt to limit their dependence on routine, in this case we can utilize this inclination of theirs to establish a lasting daily practice.