What Happens When We Teach the Nervous System to Feel Safe?
Bridging the Gap: A Whitepaper on A.R.T.
Autistic Inertia & ADHD Paralysis
Bridging The Gap: Exploring The Impact of Holly Bridges’ A.R.T. on Autistic Inertia and ADHD Paralysis. Western Australia: LicenseToThink.
Bridges, H; Smith, D; Kaplan, D; Senior, A; Jaylani, R; Mellor, N; Buxi, D; Hamers, G. (2024)
"A.R.T teaches the individual to find a state of deep rest that potentially allows the neurosensory system to better integrate sensorimotor, perceptual and environmental signals."
A.R.T. (Anxiety Reframe Technique) was evaluated in a 15-week whitepaper exploring its impact on:
Anxiety
Autistic Inertia
ADHD Paralysis
Emotional Regulation
Sleep
The evaluation combined:
Participant experiences
Psychometric assessments
Biometric sleep and HRV data
Qualitative analysis
Real-world in-home observation
A Different Therapeutic Approach
A.R.T. is not based on forcing compliance or masking behaviours.
It is a Polyvagal-informed, somatic approach designed to help the nervous system experience safety, stillness, regulation and connection
Why This Matters
Many autistic individuals and ADHDers describe feeling:
Stuck, frozen, overwhelmed, unable to initiate, exhausted by constant demands
This evaluation suggests that when the nervous system experiences greater safety and reduced autonomic threat, meaningful changes may become possible across: sleep, emotional regulation, executive functioning, physical coordination, wellbeing and social connection.
Quantitative Findings
The evaluation also identified measurable changes across the cohort.
Results included:
• Improved wellbeing scores
• Improved adaptability
• Increased sleep duration
• Reduced sympathetic arousal
• Increased heart rate variability (HRV)
• Improved emotional regulation
• Improved social engagement
The participants ranged from children to adults, including individuals with autism, ADHD, chronic anxiety, trauma, developmental delays, sensory challenges, and burnout.
The Participants
The study included:
• A 9-year-old autistic child with dyspraxia and language disorder
• A 10-year-old autistic child with ADHD
• A 12-year-old autistic girl with ADHD and dysgraphia
• Multiple autistic teenagers experiencing anxiety, shutdown, emotional overwhelm, and executive functioning challenges
• A 59-year-old autistic woman experiencing chronic burnout, PTSD, chronic fatigue, autoimmune illness, and severe interoceptive difficulties
What Families and Participants Reported
Across the study, participants and families described changes in:
• Emotional regulation
• Sleep
• Physical coordination
• Social engagement
• Clarity of thought
• Confidence
• Nervous system calm
• Executive functioning
9-Year-Old Autistic Boy
Autism Level 3, Dyspraxia, Language Disorder
Before A.R.T.
• High anxiety
• Dysregulation
• Poor sleep
• Fleeing behaviours
• Difficulty with communication
• Low physical coordination
After A.R.T.
Parents reported:
• Improved sleep
• Increased eye contact
• Broader language
• Improved problem solving
• More self-advocacy
• Less crying and fleeing
• Greater calm
• Stronger physical confidence
“He literally skips into school.”
12-Year-Old Autistic Girl
Autism Level 2, ADHD, Dysgraphia, Audio Processing Difficulties
Before A.R.T.
• Poor sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Emotional overwhelm
• Restless leg syndrome
• Difficulties with coordination and learning
After A.R.T.
Following the program:
• She stopped needing melatonin
• Fell asleep within 15 minutes
• Improved choreography memory
• Followed multiple instructions more easily
• Became more organised
• Developed stronger self-advocacy
• Improved social awareness
• Became less black-and-white in interactions
“Now I can get to sleep and stay asleep.”
16-Year-Old Teen
Autism, Anxiety, Vocal Tics, Mood Disorder
Before A.R.T.
• Chronic anxiety
• Shutdown
• Vocal tics
• Overwhelm
• Emotional rigidity
After A.R.T.
• Vocal tics were mostly gone
• Anxiety reduced significantly
• Emotional regulation improved
• School became more manageable
• Social engagement increased
• Guitar playing improved
• Self-care improved
“He had no anxiety this week and didn’t visit the nurse once.”
17-Year-Old Teen
Autism, ADHD, Breathing & Medical Challenges
This participant was balancing:
• Anxiety
• Sensory overwhelm
• Breathing complications
• Social stress
• Major upcoming surgery
After A.R.T.
Family reported:
• Greater emotional awareness
• Better self-regulation
• Increased stamina
• Stronger social connection
• Improved sleep
• Ability to sustain demanding theatre rehearsals without burnout
“I could not fathom that she could have done that before.”
59-Year-Old Autistic Woman
Autism, ADHD, PTSD, Chronic Fatigue, Autoimmune Conditions
Before A.R.T.
• Severe burnout
• Low interoception
• Exhaustion
• Chronic PTSD
• Difficulty functioning day-to-day
After A.R.T.
• Improved clarity
• Improved interoception
• Improved memory
• Increased boundaries
• Increased emotional nuance
• Greater connection to self and body
“I feel like I am in my body for the first time.”
“This has changed my life.”
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