“It helps me calm the mind… and my Mom,“ says Joey Lowenstein when asked about the outcome of his Transcendental Meditation practice.
This touching quote comes from a remarkable young man, now 17 years of age. Joey was diagnosed with autism in his early childhood, at two-and-a-half years. It was only at 15 that Joey’s parents finally found a therapy which enabled him to express his thoughts using a letter board.
Having found his voice, Joey became determined to help others to do so as well. 
Joey Lowenstein Foundation
Joey Lowenstein FoundationThis desire to help others with Autism Spectrum Disorder led to the founding of Joey Lowenstein Foundation.
It is a non-profit organization which Joey hopes “will be able to provide the resources to help the many people who have autism find their own bridge to communicating who they are and what they want to do with their own gifts.”
One of the main aims of Joey’s foundation is to make available the most recent scientific findings, and success stories. A global webinar Autism, Meditation and Stress which took place on November 14, 2013 – organized and funded in co-operation with the David Lynch Foundation and Center for Autism Assessment & Treatment – did exactly that.
Webinar Autism, Meditation and Stress
At the webinar, experts and scientists shared their experiences of the effect of Transcendental Meditation practice on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The panelists explained how and why their findings have prompted the start of controlled studies to scientifically confirm the value of this form of therapy.
Watch a video of the webinar recorded by the David Lynch Foundation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhK6PVp2AjI#t=28
What the researchers will find is already personified in the four inspiring stories presented at the webinar. Besides Joey, the floor was given to Alex, Jaxson, and Justin.
Alex went from frequent temper tantrums to a happy, well-adjusted kid who’s made the honour roll ever since he started his Transcendental Meditation practice.
Jaxson, after taking up Transcendental Meditation, got his driver’s licence, first job and, most importantly, friends – and is now much happier than ever before in his life. When Jaxson’s mom was having a bad day, he said: “Mom, you need to go and meditate so you can think straight.”
Justin became so much more relaxed as a result of his Transcendental Meditation practice that everyone around him noticed the change in him.
The whole webinar could be summed up in the simple and profound words of Joey: “How can Transcendental Meditation help others with autism? You know, they need help to settle their minds too.”
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PANELISTS AT THE WEBINAR
David Black, Ph.D.
Pediatric neuropsychologist, scientist, and director of the Center for Autism Assessment and Treatment in Silver Spring, Maryland, whose research has focused on the best outcomes among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.
Sarina Grosswald, Ed.D.
George Washington University-trained expert in cognitive learning and president of SJ Grosswald and Associates, a consulting firm in medical education in Arlington, Virginia, with a focus on improving stress-related learning disorders.
Roberta Lowenstein
Chair and Trustee, Joey Lowenstein Foundation (JLF); mother of Joey Lowenstein, the 16-year-old young man with ASD who has been practicing Transcendental Meditation for two years and who inspired the launch of the JLF ().
Norman Rosenthal, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University School of Medicine, psychiatrist, medical researcher, and best-selling author of Transcendence & The Gift of Adversity.
William Stixrud, Ph.D.
Clinical neuropsychologist; Adjunct Faculty, Children’s National Medical Center; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
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