Participants included 48 children, 17 or younger, and 37 adults, 18 or older, and all had a history of sleep problems and were diagnosed with ADHD and/or ASD. The weighted blankets were prescribed to them between January 2012 and December 2015. We hope that this discussion encourages you to further explore the quality of your practice, treatment methods and strategies, and recommendations for families – how will you move your practice forward? Compression Vest Alternatives

Children with autism are prone to emotional episodes, tantrums, and meltdowns, and this can be a distraction if it happens inside a classroom. As important as this vest is, the cost of buying it from the store is very expensive. However, with these few materials, you will be able to make your weighted vest. Some children are able to suddenly sit for 20 minutes at a table doing work while wearing a vest, where previously they were able to sit for barely three minutes.Wearing a weighted/compression garment for more than the allotted 20 minutes is not necessarily harmful, it just stops working as effectively. Under the right supervision, a vest can be worn for longer periods if it is not possible to complete this type of rigorous wearing schedule. Watch for signs of shut down, overheating, or excessive fatigue. Matyas, T. A., & Greenwood, K. M. (1990). Visual analysis of single-case time series: Effects of variability, serial dependence and magnitude of intervention effects. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 341–351. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1990.23-341.

The vest can be used as a preventative technique or a for calming in case you or the one that you love are suffering from a breakdown and/or meltdown. those vests also are best for calming kids within the lecture room environment. It can be challenging for some children with autism to focus while at school, in the community, and even at home. Certain stimuli and environments can be distracting and cause them to want to get up from their chair and walk around or have a hard time focusing on what’s being taught or said. They may also face a lot of anxiety and engage in escape-maintained behaviors such as running away or engaging in meltdowns. One way to help with this is by providing multiple breaks. However, another method that can be used that many people are not as familiar with is using weighted vests. What is a weighted vest? Weighted vests provide proprioceptive input using deep pressure which sends signals to the brain which, as a result, helps a person feel calm and increase focus. Benefits of a Weighted Vest for Autistic children In response, heavy work activities support the calming or organization of this input. Other self-regulation activities such as proprioceptive input, visual input, and vestibular input can further support this sensory need. Just like the heavy work input of the proprioceptive system and vestibular system, this is organizing and regulating.

The weighted vest will provide the proprioceptive input using deep pressure stimulation to the joints and muscles of the body. The pressure signals the brain and helps the person focus and keep calm. Since compression vests target the proprioceptive input of the child with autism, many parents and educators find them helpful during stressful times. How Do Weighted Vests Help? Kazdin, A. E. (1982). Single-case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings. NY: Oxford University Press.