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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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 Vests - Helping Kids With Autism and ADHD

I recently read an article on ScienceDaily.com about the use of weighted vests for kids with Autism, ADD and sensory issues. I have often seen kids in my son's class using weighted lap pads, weighted shoulder bags and even weighted vests. These products are designed to provide proprioception (deep pressure) to the student to help them pay attention. For many kids this type of therapy product helps them stay calm and focused by stimulating their muscles and joints though deep pressure.

Although it makes perfect sense and I have seen it work for some kids I have often wondered if there was any research on the efficacy of these products and which ones work best. The article on ScienceDaily.com discussed a new "deep-pressure" vest that has been developed by Brian Mullen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. According to the article, Mullen and his associates conducted 8 clinical research studies to test the safety and effectiveness of using existing weighted blankets and vests. He used the data from these studies to design a prototype system that can apply Deep Pressure via a unit that can be inserted into any commercial vest or jacket that has a lining. This makes it easier to carry around and ensures the student using the system will not stick out based on the need for deep pressure in the classroom. The initial testing of the prototype was done on adults who do not have autism so the verdict is still out on his success but the adults in the trial did prefer the prototype vest. This new vest applies pressure which feels like a firm hug or swaddling instead of just weight on the shoulders or lap.

Although Mullen's new product is not yet available it signals new hope for kids with Autism and ADHD. Personally, I have found it very difficult to find weighted products that can be shipped in any type of timely manner or delivered on a consistent basis. I have contacted a several vendors about carrying them in our store but all the companies I have found work on a small scale so availability is limited and inconsistent. Most of the mom's I meet who use these with their kids have made their own or gone to a local seamstress because they were so frustrated in trying to find a resource that was able to deliver product in a timely manner (or at all). Mullen has created a company called Therapeutic Systems to market his product so we look forward the vest being further developed. His invention will fill a void in the marketplace and help special needs kids stay focused so they can learn and keep up with their peers.

Alycia Shapiro is Vice President in charge of product development for SensoryEdge. She has advocated for special needs children in order to get the therapy services they need. Many parents either have difficulty getting the proper services or might not know these services are available. Visit her website SensoryEdge to learn more about Play Therapy and Balance and Movement Help for Children.

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