Review on the Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Oils in the Learning of Autistic Children in an Educational Setting

Abstract

This review was performed to determine the objective of therapeutic intervention on the learning of autistic children. This literature review aimed at addressing two critical issues: (1) the benefits of aromatherapy oils, including the understanding of its effect on ASD children in literature, and (2) the significance of its effect on their learning. An extensive search was carried out on various online databases, including ERIC, ProQuest Education Journals, and Scopus using the following phrases: (“aromatherapy oils” or “aromatherapy oils in learning”) and (“ASD children”). The studies selected for this review examined therapeutic interventions to improve the learning of autistic children and were analyzed using the content analysis method. Despite appeals for further studies in the 1980 and 1990s, no scientific evidence is available to substantiate the use of aromatherapy oils for learning. Although there are increased studies on aromatherapy oils, the impact on learning, especially for ASD children, has not been investigated. Furthermore, the methodological details on the use of aromatherapy oils in education remain poor. This study demonstrated that traditional methods for treating people with autism are not the only approach and that there is an alternative method using essential oils that is both healthy and toxic-free. The efficiency of basic oil was refuted, and clear evidence of essential oil benefits for people with autism understand was presented. This study would be of great interest to parties including parents of autistic children and organizations that assist people with autism.

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“…Moss, et al [9], found that ambiently diffused aromas of rosemary essential oils had a positive effect on children's working memory performance. Also, according to [5] aromatherapy helps memory by harmonizing smell messages, incorporating the aroma of essential oils into the learning environment, or repeating lectures with smells…”

“…Research within the field of aromatherapy emphasizes investigating the effect of different essential oils on precise brain centers known to regulate an individual's attention level during the teaching process [4]. According to [5] both parents and children reported feelings of calmness when essential oils were sprayed or diffused in the environment, and matching learning concepts with good scents could increase the efficiency of emotional learning in classroom.…”