Autism, ADHD and regulation

Calmer, more settled, more connected.

Q: Is there research?

Yes. A peer reviewed paper in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (2025), co authored by Anat Baniel and paediatric neurologist Dr Martha Herbert, sets out how ABM NeuroMovement works with autistic children. Read the paper .

Many autistic children are less comfortable in their bodies than they appear, and a nervous system under strain finds it hard to take anything new in. ABM NeuroMovement uses gentle, connected touch and slow, varied movement to help the nervous system settle, giving the brain room to learn. We start with what your child can already do, and build from there.

See if we can help Call 07873 990399

We reply the same day in office hours.

World class practitioners: Senior practitioners and ABM trainers who travel to us from the US and Europe, alongside our skilled UK practitioners
One to one: Every lesson is just you or your child and the practitioner, for up to 45 minutes
Intensives: Lessons concentrated over a few days, so the brain can build on each one
Roehampton and beyond: Our main centre is in south west London, with practitioners across the UK and visits to Ireland, Scotland and Wales

You are not alone

What families notice first

Communication builds on many other systems: regulation, breath, posture and the ability to attend to another person. When those settle, everything built on them has firmer ground. These are the changes families typically describe first.

Sleep and calm

Easier nights, fewer meltdowns

Better sleep is often one of the first things parents mention, followed by meltdowns that are less frequent or pass more quickly.

Regulation

More able to cope with change

A more settled nervous system copes better with transitions, noise and the unexpected, so ordinary days take less effort for everyone.

Engagement

More present with you

Children often look at you more, start interactions more and stay with something for longer. Many parents describe their child as more available.

Communication

Clearer, with and without words

Gesture, gaze and intention often become clearer and easier to read, with less frustration when needs are not understood.

87% of children who meet the criteria for autism have significant movement challenges, and the more severe those challenges, the more severe the autism symptoms. Source: Bhat (2021), cited in Baniel et al., Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (2025).

How we work

Why movement, if my child has no movement problem?

Movement is how the brain organises itself, from the first months of life onwards. Not only the movement of arms and legs, but of attention, breath, gaze and emotion. When the brain's organisation is unsettled, movement is one of the clearest ways in, because it engages so many systems at once.

Looked at carefully, many autistic children hold their posture with effort, or are unusually stiff or loose. Helping the brain find more ease in the body has effects that reach well beyond movement.

Many autistic children already have several therapies in place, often built around instructions, prompts and repetition. A brain that is busy following instructions has less room to learn something new. So during an intensive, and often for a while afterwards, we may suggest focusing on ABM on its own.

We also work with autistic adults, and with children and adults with ADHD and other learning differences, often around regulation, focus and comfort in the body.

Autism and ABM NeuroMovement: an introduction

More about how ABM NeuroMovement works

About speech

An honest word about speech

Many parents come to us hoping for speech, and that is completely understandable. Some children do develop speech through this work. Others develop clearer ways of communicating without words that make a real difference to daily life. Some may never speak.

We say this before you start, so that you can see the changes that are happening rather than watching for one thing only. Calmer days, better sleep and a child who is more present are not consolation prizes. They are the ground that communication grows from.

Watch

Upcoming intensive dates

Intensives usually run from Wednesday to Sunday, though the format sometimes differs. These are the dates for our visiting international practitioners, and for weekend lessons at our centre. Places are limited, so families usually book a few weeks ahead.

Wed 18 to Sun 22 NovNeil SharpRoehampton, LondonSenior practitioner and ABM trainer. £175 a lessonAsk on WhatsApp
Wed 25 to Sun 29 NovJuan Carlos ConchaMullingar, IrelandVisiting from SpainAsk on WhatsApp
Wed 25 to Sun 29 NovMike WaeflerRoehampton, LondonVisiting from the USAsk on WhatsApp
Wed 2 to Sun 6 DecJuan Carlos ConchaRoehampton, LondonVisiting from SpainAsk on WhatsApp
Sat 5 and Sun 6 DecDanae BellenisRoehampton, LondonWeekend lessons with our UK practitionerAsk on WhatsApp
Wed 9 to Sun 13 DecBeril TokcanRoehampton, LondonVisiting from TurkeyAsk on WhatsApp
Sat 12 and Sun 13 DecDanae BellenisRoehampton, LondonWeekend lessons with our UK practitionerAsk on WhatsApp
Sat 16 to Wed 20 JanBeril TokcanRoehampton, LondonVisiting from TurkeyAsk on WhatsApp

Ask about these dates See all dates

Getting started

Three steps to your first intensive

Tell us about you
The enquiry form takes about three minutes. It helps us prepare, so your call is about you rather than general questions.
A call with us
Around 20 minutes. We talk through what you have tried and what you are hoping for, and share fees and availability. If we do not think we can help, we will say so.
Your first intensive
Most people start with an intensive of 6 to 10 one to one lessons over a few days. Intensives start from £450 with our UK practitioners, and from £810 with our visiting international practitioners.

See if we can help Packages and prices

Common questions

Before you get in touch

What if my child does not like being touched?

Lessons adapt to your child. The practitioner follows their lead, and touch is slow, light and never forced. Some lessons happen while your child moves around the room, sits with you or plays with something that holds their attention.

My child is autistic. Will they start to speak?

Some children develop speech through this work. Others develop clearer ways of communicating without words. Some may never speak. What we typically see first is change in sleep, regulation and engagement, and those changes matter in their own right.

Do we have to stop other therapies?

For many autistic children we suggest focusing on ABM alone for a period, during intensives and sometimes between them, so the brain has space to learn without competing demands. Anything medical should always continue.

Is there research?

Yes. A peer reviewed paper in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (2025), co authored by Anat Baniel and paediatric neurologist Dr Martha Herbert, sets out how ABM NeuroMovement works with autistic children. Read the paper.