Introduction

Abstract

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires a wide range of parental skills, especially when children have challenging behaviour and appropriate social support services are not in place. Recent intervention studies have demonstrated the potential of mindfulness meditation practice for supporting families living with ASD, as evidenced by reductions in their behavioural, psychological and/or physical problems. The growth of this field of study has prompted a reappraisal of the fundamentals of mindfulness practice as a component of the social and health sciences, to ensure that its theoretical and practical foundations have been properly laid. In this book, we trace the development of the concept of mindfulness from its origins in the early teachings of the Buddha to its application to contemporary health and social sciences. We conduct a systematic literature review of mindfulness intervention studies for individuals living with developmental disabilities, examining current trends in mindfulness intervention and research practices. We then introduce a two-stage mindfulness intervention, which entails training six mothers in mindfulness meditation (stage 1) followed by these mothers training their own children in mindfulness practice (stage 2). The findings of this two-stage mindfulness intervention will be discussed along with implications for future mindfulness intervention studies aimed at individuals living with developmental disabilities.