![]() Administering deep pressure through a firm hug, swaddling, weighted vest or blanket could have a calming effect, potentially reducing stress and anxiety in autistic individuals. How does deep pressure therapy work?ĭeep pressure therapy or firm tactile sensory input can provide proprioceptive input to the entire body. You wouldn’t need to see your mouth or the fork to place it correctly it’s largely down to your proprioceptive receptors giving your brain the required input. In the American Journal of Occupational Therapy several authors reported on the motor control issues resulting from poor proprioceptive processing among children with autism (Blanche, Reinoso, Chang, Bodison, 2012).Ī good example to illustrate how the tiny sensory receptors of muscles and joints tell our brain where our body parts are, is observable when placing a fork in your mouth. It provides us with a sense of body awareness. Our brain uses this input to plan movements and coordinate the body. The proprioceptive sensory system provides input to the brain from our muscles and joints. But three additional senses of proprioception, vestibular and interoception which also provide crucial information to the brain. Not only the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. ![]() Neurotypical brains process input from the senses in an appropriate way. More than three-quarters of children with autism may have sensory integration symptoms too a child with autism therefore has a high chance of facing sensory processing challenges. ![]() Pressure therapy may lower an autistic child’s level of anxiety anxiety which may result from the child’s inability to process sensations from their body and the environment appropriately. Grandin and others’ research led to studies confirming what parents already knew from observing their special needs children deep pressure touch can calm an aroused child. Grandin’s design she perfected it and called it the Temple Grandin Hug Machine (Grandin, 1992).ĭr. The positive effect of deep touch pressure on the animals inspired Dr. The animals squeezed through chutes and came out noticeably calmer. She conceived the idea while observing cattle on a relative’s farm. She developed a deep touch pressure device to overcome her oversensitivity to touch. Grandin only received an official autism diagnosis in her 40s. Despite displaying symptoms early on, Dr. As a child she was overly sensitive to both touch and sound. Temple Grandin, has personal experience with sensory processing issues. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy defines deep pressure as the sensation experienced when hugged, squeezed, stroked, or held (Krauss, 1987). ![]()
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