AUTISM HEALTH
meltdown, it allows you to step away from your own
frustration and to calmly connect with your child. “It
helps you to focus on that strong part within your-
self. A calm parent usually leads to a calm child,” ac-
cording to Dr. Bjonbeck.[26]
Although mindfulness may seem like foreign territo-
ry, incorporating mindful practices into daily life can
be quite simple. You can shift from a mindlessly re-
active and stressed mode to a mindfully responsive
mode by using the STOP acronym:[27]
“S-Stop. Whenever you feel stress, simply pause and
be aware of it.
T-Take a breath. Bring your awareness into the breath-
ing body. Your mind will settle, bringing more clar-
ity.
O-Observe. Notice how the breath begins to natu-
rally bring balance to the body.
P-Proceed. Having shifted to a more mindfully respon-
sive mode, take an action that is more appropriate”
[28]
In using STO P, the thoughts that typically swirl
through your mind—worries about not being a
good enough parent or how poorly your child is be-
having in public—will disappear, leaving you alert
and peaceful, ready to parent totally, thoroughly,
and thoughtfully. So, slow down and enjoy the ride.
1. “Mindfulness in the Age of Complexity,” Harvard Business Re-
view. March 2014 Issue. [Interview with Ellen Langer]. https://hbr.
org/2014/03/mindfulness_in_the_age_of_complexity. Retrieved
11//6/17.
2. M
iller, Caroline. Mindfulness: How and Why It Works. Child Mind,
May 19, 2015. https://childmind.org/blog/mindfulness-how-and-
why-it-works./ Retrieved July 12, 2017.
3. K
ring, Lisa. The 5 Main Tenets of Mindful Parenting. Huffing-
ton Post, October 14, 1013. http://www/huffingtonpost.com/
lisa-kring/the-5-main-tenets-of-mindful-parenting_b_4086080.
html. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
4. H
ölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., &
Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing
mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective.
Perspectives on psychological science, 6(6), 537-559.
5. * Bjonbeck, Caroline, MD. Stress Reduction Workshop, June 8,
2017. Dr. Bjonbeck is the owner of Bjonbeck Holistic Medicine and
Acupuncture in LaPorte, IN.
6. Id.
7. G
arey, Juliann. Mindful Parenting: Use Mindful Techniques to
Take Stress and Anxiety Out of Raising Kids. Child Mind Institute.
https://childmind.org/article/mindful-pareting-2/ Retrieved July
12, 2017.
8. “ Stress in America,” American Psychological Association, February
1, 2017. Http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/index.
aspx. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
9. F erraloli, S.J. and Harris, S.L. “Comparative Effects of Mindful
Responsibility and Skills-Based Parent Training Programs for
Parents with Children with Autism.” Mindfulness (2013), 4:89
doi.10.1007/512671-012-0099.0. Vol. 4, Issue 22, pp. 89-101.
42 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 71
10. Id., at 89-101.
11. K
ring, Lisa. The 5 Main Tenets of Mindful Parenting. Huffing-
ton Post, October 14, 1013. http://www/huffingtonpost.com/
lisa-kring/the-5-main-tenets-of-mindful-parenting_b_4086080.
html. Retrieved September 7, 2017
12. Id.
13. G
arey, at . https://childmind.org/article/mindful-pareting-2/ Re-
trieved July 12, 2017.
14. G
oldstein, Elisha, MD. (2012) The Now Effect: How This Moment
Can Change the Rest of Your Life, Simon & Schuster, New York.
15. W
allace, A., B. . (2006). The attention revolution: Unlocking the
power of the focused mind. Somerville MA, USA: Wisdom Publi-
cations.
16. Miller, https://childmind.org/blog/mindfulness-how-and-why-it-
works./
17. Garey, https://childmind.org/article/mindful-pareting-2/
18. G
oldstein, The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the
Rest of Your Life
19. T ips for Mindful Parenting, https://www.mindbodygreen .com/0-
2333617-practices-to-be-a-calm-mindful-parent-even-when-
life-gets-crazy.html. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
20. Id.
21. Kring, http://www/huffingtonpost.com/lisa-kring/the-5-main-
tenets-of-mindful-parenting_b_4086080.html.
22. Id.
23. S ingh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Manikam, R., Winton, A. S., Singh, A.
N., Singh, J., & Singh, A. D. (2011). A mindfulness-based strategy
for self-management of aggressive behavior in adolescents with
autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(3), 1153-1158.
24. G
arey, Juliann. Mindful Parenting: Use Mindful Techniques to
Take Stress and Anxiety Out of Raising Kids. Child Mind Institute.
https://childmind.org/article/mindful-pareting-2/ Retrieved July
12, 2017.
25. B
enn, R., Akiva, T., Arel, S., & Roeser, R. W. (2012). Mindfulness
training effects for parents and educators of children with spe-
cial needs. Developmental Psychology, 48(5), 1476.
26. Dr. Bjonbeck
27. Kring, http://www/huffingtonpost.com/lisa-kring/the-5-main-
tenets-of-mindful-parenting_b_4086080.html.
28. Id.
*NOTE: The author attended Dr. Bjonbeck’s work-
shop (or seminar) on Stress Reduction on 6-8-17.
She personally works with parents of children with
autism and has good results in her holistic approach.
Susan Taylor is a recognized author, having writ-
ten numerous educational and legal articles for
publications that include The Adventist Journal of
Education, Educational Digest, and Dance Spirit
Magazine. She earned her JD from Valparaiso Uni-
versity School of Law, as well as a degree in fitness
and nutrition from Indiana University. She lives in
Fish Lake, Indiana, with her rescues which include
a three-legged Chihuahua, an amputee cat, and
many ducks and geese.