Autistic Clients and the Value of Touch Therapy

By Nicole Cutler

Diagnoses of developmental disorders such as autism are increasing at an astounding rate, prompting many to wonder what progress is being made towards finding a cure. Since the cause of the disorder is still a bit of a mystery, this has proven to be quite a challenge for the medical community. Characteristics and symptoms of autism can vary from person to person, and may even change over time. Affecting millions of people throughout the United States, autism impairs communication skills and behavior associated with social interaction. Since symptoms typically first appear in young children, massage therapists can take this opportunity to help yet another segment of the community in need of a therapeutic touch.

Working with autistic clients can be challenging for a therapist who is ill prepared. Since the disorder can affect each person differently, each treatment must be custom-made for each client; what works for one person may not help another. Testing different methods and techniques is the only way to determine which treatment plan will be most effective for your autistic clients. The primary goal should be to enhance relaxation in order to be able to proceed further with deeper massage strokes.

Research has shown that massage therapy is effective in reducing the severity of autism’s symptoms, however many people with autism are unresponsive to traditional methods, which means that massage therapists should be creative when developing a treatment strategy.
Regular massage therapy sessions can increase attention span, relieve anxiety associated with social situations, and can even have a positive influence on one of the most common autism symptoms – an aversion to touch.

It’s important for massage therapists to realize the impact they can have on an autistic child’s life and development. Learn more about this disorder and what you can do to help normalize the behavior of an autistic child.

This article was prepared for HomeStudyCredits.org Learn more about massage therapy and massage therapy continuing education programs

Ideal Clients - Create Your Million Dollar Ideal Client Profile

By Suzanne Muusers

The term "target client" has been vastly overused in marketing terminology in the past decade. While it's wise to have a target client, most successful entrepreneurs know that it's more important to have an ideal client.

What do you TARGET in a client?
A target client profile can consist of demographics like age, gender, religion, income range, education, and geographic area. A target client is usually part of a niche market based on a certain set of demographics. For example, if you're a financial advisor you could target successful business owners with gross revenues over $250,000.00 and no retirement plan. This makes sense because the business owner will have profits ready to be invested. The larger market is business owners and the niche is successful business owners making over $250,000.00. A niche should be fairly easy to identify and big enough to provide a steady flow of new prospects.

What do you WANT in a client?

The difference between a target client and an ideal client is the qualities you WANT in a client, namely the factors that make dealing with this client the reason you are in business in the first place. Identifying and going after your ideal client not only translates into dollars for your business, it also makes perfect sense because these are the clients that make you happy.

If you're not in business to make a ton of money, read no further. Your ideal client is the one you are pleased to take on. They make your day. After an appointment with your ideal client you are energized and can take on the world. You feel happy to work with them. These are the clients you want to actively pursue.

To create your own Million Dollar Ideal Client Profile, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who are the ideal clients who can easily afford to pay my fees?
• In what income range does my ideal client fall?
• Who are the clients that value my service?
• Are they the type of client that trusts me?
• Who is the client that I am comfortable with knowing that I don’t have to "sell" them anything?
• Which of my current clients act on my advice/suggestions?
• Are my ideal clients ready for action?
• Will my ideal clients take responsibility for their decisions?
• Do my ideal clients realize it when they have taken up too much of my time?
• Are my ideal clients willing to invest in themselves?
• Are my ideal clients open to new ideas?
• Will my ideal clients refer business to me and be raving fans?
Where can you find your ideal client?

Ask yourself where they congregate? What clubs do they belong to? What social activities do they engage in? Think of clients you are currently servicing. Who do you know who is your ideal client and who can they refer you to?

What are some ways that you can attract your ideal clients?

You can attract them by including a section in your bio or in your Frequently Asked Questions area of your website that states "I work best with clients who…"

Your Action Item: Take some time right now to list the qualities you seek in your ideal client and begin to develop your Million Dollar Ideal Client Profile.

©Copyright 2007- Suzanne Muusers - All Rights Reserved - http://www.prosperitycoaching.biz
Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long the article is printed in its entirety including the about the author information, you leave all the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the copyright statement.

About the author
Download Suzanne's FREE REPORT "Top 5 Business Mistakes Entrepreneurs Should Avoid" at http://www.prosperitycoaching.biz. Suzanne Muusers is a Business Coach and Business Expert based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has owned or managed a business every year for the past 25 years. She is a credentialed member of the International Coach Federation and works exclusively with entrepreneurs who want to leave behind their lives as business workers and become business owners earning six figures and above annually.