Developmental and pediatric issues, neurodivergence

Aarin, 3 yrs, Austism Spectrum Disorder - by his mum, Niyati Shah

I approached Niyati for my son, Aarin, aged 3 yrs, who has developmental delays, on recommendation from his occupational therapist to try Craniosacral therapy. Aarin had been doing PT and OT for 1.5 yrs before we tried Craniosacral. We had concerns about delayed milestones - he walked independently at age 2 and at age 3 we were working on jumping with his PT. He has oro-sensory issues, low muscle tone, behavioural issues and anxiety meltdowns.

I tried 6 sessions of Craniosacral for him to compare a before and after and I am amazed at the result and the overall progress that we have made. We became settled at school and were able to perform activities independently. We developed better social interaction with peers as we were not as overwhelmed. We achieved our basic jumping goal and started getting his compliance to do more activities. His sleep at night was better and there was a small leap in his overall immunity. Initially we did Craniosacral therapy twice a week, after 2 months we reduced the frequency to once a week.

We have found that Aarin is much more emotionally regulated with better compliance to perform in school in the last 4 months. He is able to sustain his focus and be more accepting of new foods, activities, experiences, people and situations. Craniosacral has been an additional support for him to go through rigorous occupational and developmental trainings.

Anonymous, 3 yr old girl, delayed milestones, non-verbal - by her mother

A has low muscle tone and delayed milestones, particularly in respect of speech. Around the age of 2 years, we noticed a delay in her speech. Along with this, she has had difficulty with self-regulation. She gets frustrated at not being able to express herself. Otherwise, she is a happy child, with no issues with food textures or sleep.

We came to Niyati with four major concerns: self-regulation, biting her care-givers, pulling the hair of her classmates at school, vestibular insecurity, and, most importantly, our daughter's speech delay.

After the very first craniosacral session, we saw a dramatic difference. A had always been on edge and highly reactive, but her nervous system became noticeably calmer and more resilient. As the sessions continued, she began managing her frustration much better and settling more easily when overwhelmed. This helped her settle in school, where she no longer pulls her peers' hair or bites her caretakers.

Her vestibular function has improved as well. She previously couldn't sit on a swing or look down while walking, and both are now much better, which also points to improved sensory processing.

Her speech has begun to emerge, with single words coming out, and her social engagement has grown through better gestures and non-verbal communication. Her attention span and focus have increased, so she listens to and follows instructions really well, and her sleep has also improved.

She continues occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy alongside craniosacral therapy. Since receiving craniosacral therapy, her performance in all these therapies has improved, and her therapists tell us that she is much calmer and more compliant in their sessions. A has received 16 sessions of Craniosacral therapy till date and we are continuing with this therapy.

Niyati is a wonderful craniosacral therapist who is very accommodating, understands children well, and is a genuinely good listener. She takes the time to hear our concerns and truly understands what my daughter needs. Her calm presence puts my daughter at ease the moment we walk in, and she is endlessly patient during sessions, never rushing or forcing anything.

Niyati has been generous with her insights on how to support my daughter at home, and she gives us timely updates on her progress, so we always feel informed and included. We are so grateful for her care. We would happily recommend Niyati to any parent looking for a gentle, attentive, and caring therapist.

Craniosacral therapy has calmed our daughter’s nervous system, improved her cognitive and her sensory processing function, improved her immunity, she has better attention and ability to focus, her social engagement, eye contact and speech have significantly improved.

Niyati is patient, comforting and accommodating. She gives us valuable insights on how best to support our daughter. We are deeply grateful and look forward to continuing this journey.



Hari, 7 yrs, Autism Spectrum Disorder - by his mum, Renuka Pradhan

Niyati is wonderful with children and brings a warm, empathetic approach to her therapy. She asks thoughtful questions and is deeply committed to uncovering and addressing the root cause of concerns. Her work is highly patient-centred and her passion for Craniosacral therapy truly shines through in every session.

I recommend Craniosacral therapy for a neurodivergent child as it helps in overall integration of other therapies, brings down the stress level and improves the child's immunity. Hari's eye contact improved and he was more alert after receiving Craniosacral therapy. His gravitational insecurity decreased and his performance at sessions with his Occupational therapist improved. He also started making different sounds and vocalisations at home.

I noted improvements in his cognitive function, ability to focus on a task, sensory processing and social engagement. His nervous system became calmer and more resilient - its now a little easier for him to bounce back after a meltdown.