Calming And Focus With Weighted Therapy

A true innovation, weighted therapy has helped millions of children out there, thanks to the deep pressure and guaranteed sensory integration. Weighted blankets are amongst the most popular products recommended for such purposes, being highly efficient. They are made from comfortable fabrics, and are offered at genuinely affordable prices. Parents and therapists also have the opportunity to purchase weighted vests, blankets, or other clothing to assist them at home or in therapy.

One of the most interesting examples that could be given is represented by the weighted cap. This rather unique product has been designed with concepts such as deep pressure and sensory integration in mind. As for weighted vests, these are believed to be just perfect when it comes to providing sensory input. Children love wearing these vests, especially since they keep them warm and look so fantastic. Thanks to the special design, they are not conscious of the weights and they can play freely. The weights can be remove or added, depending of course on the comfort of the child and the desired sensory input.
Returning to weighted therapy, you have to be aware that weighted vests and blankets are not the only items recommended by specialists. Online, one can also find compression shorts and additional weights for the vest. There are special vests presented by virtual stores, providing proprioceptive input through the deep pressure. These vests come in different sizes and colors, being quite comfortable and easy to remove. Shoulder lizards, weighted comforters and lap pads come to complete the list for available weighted therapy products.

What are the benefits of weighted vests and blankets, apart from the ones that were already mentioned? These products are designed to increase stability and body awareness at the same time, allowing for the child to develop normally. Recognized for their beneficial properties, weighted blankets and vests have been recommended to children who suffer from autism, Angelman syndrome or cerebral palsy. ADHD patients, children with Down syndrome and Dyslexia have benefitted from them as well. It seems that there are many disabilities and medical conditions out there that can be improved through weighted therapy, including sensory integration disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome and sensory processing disorder.

As a parent, you have to be interested in the things that help your child. As a parent of a child with special needs, you have to be more than interested in such products. By providing deep pressure, they assist the child in regaining lost functions and prevent existent ones from deteriorating to the level where there is nothing left to be done. Weighted therapy products are effective indeed, providing specialized assistance for children with serious sensory needs. They ensure sensory integration, which is one of the most desirable objectives physical and occupational therapists bring into the picture.

It would take a long time to mention all the benefits of weighted therapy products, but a few have to be mentioned for everyone to remember. Products like weighted vests have had a positive effect on coordination, focus and concentration. Weighted blankets have been recognized as being efficient on reducing agitation; the deep pressure provided being the secret ingredient that led to successful usage. Such products have been successfully introduced in occupational therapy programs but also used in sessions with physical and behavioral therapists. They can be used in the family and during therapy, being more efficient than other courses of treatment. Not only do they help the child remain focused but they have a calming and soothing effect, demonstrating that sensory integration is indeed possible and not just a fact mentioned by the specialty books. From weighted vests to blankets and back to many other products, this therapy does seem to work wonders for children in need!

By: meganm

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FunandFunction.com has a huge selection of weighted therapy toys, clothing, and other deep pressure tools that provide a calming effect and promote focus. Browse our weighted blankets and comforters, vests and more! Stop by to see what funandfunction.com can offer you and your child!

Benefits of Weighted Products to Manage Autism

Autism is caused by a "miswiring" of the sensory integrative system in the brain. In the normal brain, the senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell all talk to each other and reaffirm the input from the surroundings. The brain then can make correct responses to the input received.

In the brain diagnosed with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders, the senses are not able to communicate correctly with each other and the input becomes overwhelming to the child who then responds in ways that are not socially acceptable, this is not a conscious misbehavior but rather occurs on a subconscious level.

To get a better understanding of what it is like to be inside a body plagued with Autism, try the following:

* Place a bright flashlight behind a running fan.

* Turn a radio on loudly, tuned to static

* Turn on the vacuum cleaner

* Give instructions to your partner for performing a simple task.

The light and fan represent a fluorescent light which blinks at an extremely fast rate that we don't see but appears as a strobe light to the person with Autism.

The radio and vacuum represent the heightened auditory sense that occurs with Autism, which can be traffic passing on the street, noise of children playing, sound of the TV, and other noises in the surroundings that overload the auditory system.

You giving instruction to your partner represent the teacher attempting to teach your distracted child at school or you instructing your child at home while they are being overwhelmed by their senses.

Try doing this for more than a few minutes and you have an idea of what your child goes through 24 hours a day.

In the mystery of Autism, deep pressure has been found to help calm the sensory integrative system, helping the senses to talk to each other through the brain and cause a sense of calm that allows the child to perform more appropriately during the day and sleep more successfully at night.

Weighted products such as vests with weights in the pockets can help during the days. Weighted blankets can help to normalize sleep patterns at night or during rest breaks during the day.

Although weighted products do not work for all children, you can tell if they may help your child. If your child responds to deep pressure like a tight hug or downward pressure on the shoulders, a vest may be appropriate. If your child likes to have a pile of blankets on top of him or even climbs under the mattress and sleeps between the box spring and mattress, this is an indication that a weighted blanket would probably assist your child with sleeping.

An amazing case was reported to me years ago. A 5 year old boy with Autism had never communicated in any way with his Mom and Dad but had only been able to express jabbering words and hand flapping motions which are common in severe Autism. He had only slept 1 hour a night for the 5 years of his life. His parents purchased a vest and a blanket for him at the advise of their occupational therapist.

The child wore the vest the first day, went to bed and slept 12 hours for the first time in his life. Understandably, his parents kept getting up to check that he was alright, which he was. When he finally awoke he took the vest to his Mom and motioned "Put this on me." This was the first communication the child had ever made.

These children are often very bright but are trapped inside bodies that cannot function properly. Somehow, adding deep pressure through weighted products can help them.

If you think these products may help your child, I am here waiting to serve you. I invite you to my website [http://www.neeweightedproducts.com]

Susan Hoffman COTA/L has been Occupational Therapy Assistant for 13 years and has been designing, manufacturing and marketing weighted products for 9 years. State of Maine agencies have been purchasing her products nearly exclusively for the past 7 years because of their high quality, workmanship, price and effectiveness. She invites you to view her products at [http://www.neeweightedproducts.com]

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Weighted Blankets for Sleep Difficulties in Children With Autism

You may or may not have heard of "Weighted Blankets " - if however, you have endless issues with sleepless or interrupted nights with children with Autism or similar disorders, it may very well be the best thing you have ever heard of.

As a young girl (too many years ago) I spent most of my nights wondering the house without a thought of sleep. As I grew my sleep difficulties came along for the ride. The impact of these sleepless nights was not something I understood for a very long time. Now in my forties I am well and truly understanding what going without sleep can do to not only your energy but also the impact it can have all around our daily lives.

As I said, I am now in my 40's and these issues are still a problem for me, however now-a-days there are bigger issues that led me to my appreciation of using Weighted Blankets for sleep. In late 2010 my two very young sons were diagnosed with Autism. Both of these boys are on the spectrum but are very different in many ways. The one way that they did not differ was that neither of them "Just slept ". Having other members in the family and my own age, made it difficult to deal with the seemingly endless nights of constant battles to obtain sleep. It seemed most nights that we would finally settle one child and the next would step in to take his place, meaning that total sleep for us consisted of maybe a couple of uninterrupted hours and even then it would be either on the floor beside their beds or in our bed with both boys stretched out and pushing against us in the middle of the bed.

Once diagnosed we attempted sleep with the chemist made version of Melatonin. It took a few drops and for the first time both my boys were asleep within 30 minutes. Melatonin was great.... and so it went, however it started to take a few more drops to put them to sleep then it lasted a little less time (wakening at 3am) and then we started to realise how much of this chemist supply we were going through with two children using it. The cost for Melatonin varies but we never found it for less than about $55 per bottle (very small bottle) We were using more and more with less and varied results. This was about the time that I had the opportunity to try a Weighted Blanket. I had heard of them before, I remember that I dismissed the idea because my boys never would leave a sheet or blanket on, so I assumed that they would not leave the blanket on either. Then also there was the cost. Too much I thought to take the risk that they did not use it. --- I could not have been more wrong and I'm very happy that I was, my older son (now 5) took to the blanket quite well and started to sleep better in under a week. Jayden who was then still 2 (almost 3) did not like the idea of his legs being covered and also likes his arms free, for him we placed the blanket across the core of his body and left his legs and arms free. - During that week our last bottle of Melatonin ran out and we have not had to buy one since.

Now I am not saying that life is perfect, that is a bit much to ask from a blanket, however we will never do without the blankets again.

The big question - How do they work?

I could make it complicated and talk about "Deep pressure therapy" and " Spatial Awareness" but to keep it simple I will explain it this way. The Melatonin that was produced by my local chemist can just as easily be produced by our own bodies. A simple example is that when we receive a hug, our bodies' natural response is to release a chemical called Serotonin. This is what makes us feel good. Serotonin is our natural relaxant, but it is also much more. When the sun goes down and it is time for sleep, the Serotonin in our body changes. Melatonin is what is produced at night time and is necessary for sleep. Having the all over cuddle of a weighted blanket helps this Melatonin production and therefore helps with natural calming sleep.

Around April last year I started to stock and sell resources for families in our area with children who have ASD. The first thing we put out to show families were Weighted Blankets. We now stock not only blankets but weighted wraps sized for car travel or school. Both my sons have one of these smaller lap blankets in their bags in the classroom. They use them not for sleep but for calming when pressures in the classroom get too much. We also use blankets for their laps while travelling in the car. It keeps them calmer and allows me to concentrate on driving safely rather than dealing with meltdown. If you are dealing with sleepless children, do not wait. Make one or buy one or if you are lucky enough to find someone who will part with it borrow one. But one way or another give them a try. It took a week for my boys so be prepared that it may not happen the first night, but it may very well be the best investment for yours and you child's health that you ever make.

You are welcome to take a look at our weighted blankets - visit us anytime at http://www.forourspecialsomeone.com

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Weighted Blankets Can Induce Melatonin For Sleep in People With Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and ADHD

Children and adults with autism benefit from weighted blankets because they calm the nervous system so they can relax and sleep. Melatonin is the chemical in the brain that helps us sleep. The science of how a weighted blanket leads to melatonin lies in the body and brain's sensory processing.

People on the autism spectrum often have Sensory Processing Disorder (a.k.a. Sensory Integration Dysfunction). Sensory Processing Disorder is a neurological disorder involving smell, hearing, pain, body position, taste, visual, temperature, and the body's position and movement. In short, the brain receives all this stimuli but can't make sense of it so it can react normally.

One type of sensory stimulation, rather calming, is proprioceptive input, which is pressure on the muscles and joints. Proprioceptive input sends signals to the brain that cause serotonin to be released, which is the neurotransmitter in the brain that makes people feel happy. A lack of serotonin being used properly by the brain is one of the causes of depression.

Further down the path we get to melatonin. Some parents give their children melatonin pills to help them fall asleep. But, an increase in serotonin causes natural melatonin to be released in the brain.

This is where the link happens: weighted blankets cause the serotonin to be released, which is calming, which in turn causes melatonin to be produced, which causes a feeling of sleepiness. So, a weighted blanket helps people with autism, Asperger Syndrome, PDD, ADHD, and ADD will help them fall asleep and stay asleep.

Eileen Parker is the creator of the Cozy Calm weighted blanket. She has autism and sensory processing disorder so she knows first-hand how her weighted blanket gives her a happy and restful sleep. Find her weighted blankets at http://www.CozyCalm.com Read her blog at http://www.EileenParker.com

Her blankets are machine wash/dry, made of soft, cuddly fleece, and they are evenly weighted. They are designed for people like her.

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