Discussing Autism

For years children with Sensory Processing Disorders and autism have been using not only pressure vests, but also weighted vests, weighted blankets, and lap pads to alleviate anxiety and to capture the deep pressure that their bodies crave.

Doctoral student Brian Mullen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has created a vest, which can also be used for adults with processing disorders, offers children what he likes to call a “portable hug”, or otherwise known as deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS).

“People with developmental disorders and mental illness are often overwhelmed in everyday environments such as school and the workplace, and solutions available to families and mental health professionals are limited,” says Brian Mullen, a doctoral student of mechanical engineering.

“This is an alternative therapy that can safely and discreetly provide the treatment they need to function in mainstream society.” - Pyschcentral.com

In order to fully market the vest Mullen has actually created a new business called Therapeutic Systems, which won the $50,000 grand prize in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Technology Innovation Challenge.

The vest is a treatment to be used by occupational therapists working with children and adults who have autism, ADHD and sensory processing disorders to increase attention to task, reduce anxiety, and reduce harmful behaviors by providing deep pressure, a sensory stimuli often craved by those with the above disorders.

AJ, my own son, uses both a bear hug vest from SouthPaw Enterprises and a weighted vest provided by the school to calm him during both tense and over-stimulating situations.

The great thing about this particular vest is that it can be “inserted into any commercial vest or jacket with a lining”. Initial results of a study with students at UMass Amherst who did not have autism or ADHD showed that participants preferred Mullen’s prototype vest, which applies pressure that feels like a firm hug or swaddling, over the current gold standard weighted vest.

Mullen’s prototype has several advantages over weighted or elastic garments and toys currently used to apply DPTS in hospitals and schools. “Existing methods provide limited control over the amount of pressure applied and require some oversight by a caregiver,” says Mullen. “Their use is also limited because of the lack of literature documenting their safety, and their tendency to make the user stand out in a crowd.”

The start-up company is also working on a DPTS blanket for children and adults who have trouble falling asleep.