'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism

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I have already mentioned the use of Weighted vests for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The pressure applied by such products, when worn by an individual, is mainly due to gravity’s pull on the weights…

…but if worn too long, the nervous systems adapts to the added weight. Occupational therapists call this accommodation. There is a wearing schedule to follow in order to prevent accommodation, and parents or therapists have to be careful not to use too much or too little weight…

Recently, a deep pressure vest, the Vayu vest, has been developed by Brian Mullen, while he was a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Named after a Hindu wind god, the device is designed to apply deep pressure to the body in a manner similar to a hug. The Vayu deep-pressure therapy vest, which comes in three sizes and is low profile enough to be worn under clothing, can be inflated or deflated depending upon the needs of a particular patient or situation…

…The advantage of the Vayu is that you can leave it on and change the pressure. The student does not habituate to the sensation and is able to maintain a sense of body awareness…

Indeed the Vayu vest utilises DeePAD, a unique method of applying and controlling the sensory based intervention of deep-touch pressure. This allows children and their caregivers to modify the pressure to the point that works for them.

The Vayu vest was initially inspired by Tina Champagne’s work on the use of weighted blankets in adult acute care mental health settings: Welcome to OT-Innovations - OT-Innovations. Champagne worked as an occupational therapist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts. Tina Champagne has said that the most profound thing she has found is that the Vayu vest has helped the majority of children regulate their emotions, even if their actual issues may differ. This should help them cope with their anxiety so they’re available to attend, to learn, to function, and to participate…

…While [many treatments for Autism] may provide relief for people with autism, they’re not reimbursable through Medicare or Medicaid and often aren’t covered by insurance…
“Our goal is to develop a reimbursable medical device, not a homemade solution,” says CEO [of Therapeutic Systems, an Amherst startup,] Brian Mullen. “I think [people with autism] deserve the same level of quality and safety as those with any other illness or diagnosis.”…

“…moving sensory tools into the realm of medical devices could be advantageous by allowing for the development of higher quality technology solutions, facilitating increased clinical research, and ultimately resulting in insurance reimbursement. This could increase access of innovative and effective new products to many different populations,” [said Mullen and his business partner Chris Leidel.]
A primary goal of the company has always been to not only develop a great product, but to validate that product through research…

The Vayu vest currently sells for $2000 and because of the high price, Therapeutic Systems has created an option to rent the vests for $100 per month (with each payment potentially going toward the product’s purchase).

(sources: Deep Pressure Vests for Sensory Integration - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com; Vayu Experience 7/21/11 | pressurevest; http://vayuvest.com/; The Vest That Just Keeps Hugging | Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; Vayu vest, a Spiral partner, garners attention from medical device industry – good sign for sensory products | The Spiral Foundation)