weighted blankets

thanks hun your response was v helpful hes got a blanket now and loves it .it doesnt always help but its another thing to help . anything that helps is a good thing.

I think the beauty of these forums is that we can openly and politely discuss concerns and ideas when dealing with ASD and whilst I do not necessarily agree with what you have said, I do hope nobody gets angry - this site is to help and support people and you meant your words to do this.

Hi - my son has a weighted blanket at home and school. It is used to give him comfort and space and he has never seen it as a punishment and we never use it as such. I saw how expensive they were and have sewn my own. Buy the pellets on eBay for £5 and then you can choose the fabric meaning if your son has a 'fixation' at the moment, you can link in with this. also means you can choose durable fabrics on purpose too. I hope this helps. My OT also said there is a charity which you can apply to to get funding for equipment like this - we tried one at her session and the impact on our son was instant and positive which is why we have made him one. If you receive Disability Living Allowance (which it sounds like you may be entitled to) this money can be used to buy a blanket. Good luck, your son is lucky to have someone looking out for him.

Hi - just a quick comment.  My son likes a very strong hug when upset and hugs back equally strongly.  It's a hug to get stress out of himself but also slightly to reassure himself that the other person is there for him to offer comfort.  He will use a weighted blanket but tends to reject it if very upset.  Have never heard before of compression/sexual fantasies so can't comment but am not angry about it being mentioned.

If you can get a copy of Temple Grandin's "Thinking in Pictures" this includes her paper on squeeze machines, which would help understand the theory behind this.

One argument I've read is that because people on the spectrum reject the close contact of a hug, the weighted vest or blanket provides the same calming effect.

But you could experiment with whether sitting with a heavy chair cushion on top has the same effect. A lot of people on the spectrum report some sort of compression need, but it is so very varied it might be a gamble paying out for a weighted blanket without trying borrowed devices first.

I'll probably get an angry postbag for raising this spectre, but compression need often figures in the sexual fantasies and attempts at sexual contact of people on the spectrum. It may be better if this is rationalised around an object when younger.

It also may be a factor in play.

But I'm in no position to get involved in the psychological whys and wherefors. But I know at least someone will have a go at me over this. I think these issues are important and need addressing.

I got one from weight2go blankets several months ago and it seems very well made.  It definitely is not invincible but I think it would be quite a job to wreck it.  It's filled with plastic pellets so if it did get ripped they could at least be swept up (some are gel filled).  It was about £90 for a 6lb blanket (they give the weights in imperial for some reason: this is 2013!).  Financial limitations meant that it was all I could afford but it's big enough to wrap around myself while sitting up.  (It was winter at the time too, so I was sleeping under a 13.5 tog duvet and heavy woollen blanket that were "weighted" in their own right).  There are charities that help purchase them for children though 

I've ended up not using it much although I think it helped when I did.  I'm put off by the difficulty of cleaning it.  (It can be machine washed and dried, not that I have a drier, but I'm wary about putting one item that is fairly small but weighs that much in the machine as it seems likely to bang around a lot on the spin cycle).

If it's for whilst he is in bed could you try a normal blanket tucked in well to get the same kind of pressure-effect?  I have read a research article about this being used in one case, though only for a limited period each day (don't know if it would be comfortable long term).  It is certainly much cheaper.

Hi - I'm presuming you know the weight of the blanket is calculated on the weight of your son.  Will he benefit from one?  It's a lot of money if you're not sure.  If he's got an OT it's worth asking if s/he can lend you 1 to see how he takes to it.  There are also weighted knee pads + a kind of vest.  Ideally he could try these out before you make a decision.  Also I've been told that sometimes, when an autistic person starts to get upset, then the blanket is offered.  I've also heard that this can be off-putting to the person as it can be seen as a kind of punishment and/or is aligned with being upset.  Finally, I've also heard that it should be incorporated into a daily routine if possible.  They are heavy so I'd let the person who's maybe going to use 1 to take the lead as much as possible.  I have heard that they can be a help to some autistic people.  Good luck