Autism Therapy: deep pressure

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The Effects of Weighted Vests on Appropriate In-Seat Behaviors of Elementary-Age Students with Autism and Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, by Cox, AL, Gast DL, Luscre D., and Ayres K., published in 2009, summarized Mar 31, 2009

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy may be more helpful than weighted vests in keeping children with autism calm and in their seats.

Sensory therapies are one common occupational therapy approach to the treatment of autism. The study was designed to see if the use of weighted vests during a group activity would increase the amount of time that three school-aged children with autism would stay in their seats. The children were all diagnosed as having autism by three different people using different diagnostic tools. The deep pressure of the weighted vests did not help the children in this study remain calm, focused, and in their seats. The authors call for more research to see if these sensory integration therapies are able to help children in the classroom.


The Clinical Application of Deep Touch Pressure with a Man with Autism Presenting with Severe Anxiety and Challenging Behavior
British Journal of Learning Disabilities, by Blairs, S., Slater S., and Hare DJ, published in 2007, summarized Dec 28, 2007

Deep pressure can help to calm people who are anxious and thereby improve their behavior.

Many people who have behavioral problems are given drugs and are restrained. This case study describes the use of deep pressure to calm a 31 year old man with autism. Deep pressure was used instead of drug therapy (antipsychotics) and restraint. While the deep pressure worked, some staff did not like to trust in the deep pressure. The authors call for more research on deep pressure to calm anxious people.


Interventions to Facilitate Auditory, Visual, and Motor Integration in Autism: A Review of the Evidence
J Autism Dev Disord., by Dawson, G., and Watling R., published in 2000, summarized Sep 25, 2006

This article is a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of sensory integration therapy as a treatment for autism.

Many children with autism have difficulty processing sensory input; these disturbances appear to be more common during infancy and early childhood than they are in adulthood. Sensory integration symptoms are often treated with sensory integration therapy. This therapy involves the use of planned and controlled sensory experiences, for example, swinging, deep pressure touch, and touching different types of objects. After reviewing sensory integration literature, the authors found that no firm conclusions could be made about the advantages of sensory integration therapy. This is because there are so few studies on the effects of sensory integration therapy on children with autism. The authors also note that very little is known about which ages or subgroups of individuals are most likely to benefit from sensory integration therapies.


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Virginia Boy Uses a Variety of Therapies to Help Him Cope with Autism

Mar 27, 2009

Jimmy Ebersole, a Virginia youngster with autism, finds that body pressure helps him find a sense of his own space. His mother says, "Jimmy responds very well to deep pressure that calms him down and helps him to concentrate." The school Jimmy attends provides a resource room equipped with special equipment and toys for play therapy. Jimmy and other children with autism and developmental delays attend special education classes, but join the rest of their grade for art, music, and physical education.

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Kentucky Service Dog Travels to Alaska to Help a Girl with Autism

Oct 27, 2008

Millie, a trained service dog from Pawsibilities Unleashed in Kentucky, recently arrived to assist 4-year old Kylie Haas, a child with autism in Alaska. Millie seems to have "unleashed" Kylie's potential - her parents report that she is calmer, more interactive, more affectionate, and displays less stemming behaviors. Kylie has taken responsibility for Millie's care, while Mille protects Kylie from running into the street, and nuzzles her when Kylie gets upset. Service dogs are "taught to lay across a child to apply deep pressure for a calming effect, help with balance, block a child from running into the street, summon help if needed and accompany a child in a school situation."

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"Portable Hug" Deep Pressure Vest May Help Anxiety in Children with Autism

Jul 10, 2008

A deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS) vest recently developed by Brian Mullen at the University of Massachusetts may help relieve anxiety in children with autism and ADHD. Occupational therapists (OT) have found that DPTS can decrease anxiety and sensory processing disorder. Some researchers have found that DPTS inserted into a traditional vest or garment with a lining feels more like a hug or swaddling than a traditional weighted vest. Mullen's concept company, Therapeutic Systems, is working on a design for a DPTS blanket to help sleep.

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