Research: The Use of Weighted Vests with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Disabilities

Authored by Stephenson, J., and Carter M. in J Autism Dev Disord, Volume 39, Issue 1, p. 105-114, (2009).

Article summary (posted May 28, 2009):

Weighted vests used as part of sensory integration therapy may not work for all children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This review article examined seven studies using weighted vests on children between the ages of 2-11 years old. Five of the seven studies reported some improvements in behavior of children with ASD.  Weighted vests seemed to reduce stereotypic (repetitive) behaviors in some of the children. The vests increased attention or on-task time for some children. However, these were small studies and could not measure behaviors reliably. Therefore, the use of weighted vests in sensory integration therapy, in general, may not lead to consistent benefits for children with ASD.

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You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
attention, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), lead, repetitive, sensory integration, therapy, weighted vest
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