ArticlePDF Available

The effect of the wearing of weighted vests on the sensory behaviour of learners diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder within a school context

Authors:
Fransli Buckle
Fransli Buckle
Denise Franzsen at University of the Witwatersrand
Denise Franzsen
Juanita Bester at Stellenbosch University
Juanita Bester
Download full-text PDFDownload full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract and Figures

PURPOSE: Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have sensory processing difficulties. Therefore, they find it difficult to function optimally in the classroom environment. This study investigated the effect that wearing a weighted vest had on their in-seat behaviour, task completion speed and attention-to-task. METHOD: A longitudinal experimental research design was employed with 30 foundation Phase learners from the School of Achievement; cross-over of treatment was implemented. Data on in-seat behaviour was measured by recording the period of time participants were able to stay seated. Task completion speed was assessed by timing how long participants were able to stay seated during literacy periods. The Conners' Continues Performance Test II was used to measure participants' attention to the task. RESULTS: The Phase group effect for in-seat behaviour and attention-to-task indicated a statistically significant difference when learners wore weighted vests. This was not true for task completion speed. CONCLUSION: The weighted vests improved the in-seat behaviour and attention to task of learners diagnosed with ADHD in a classroom context.
Figures - uploaded by Denise Franzsen
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Denise Franzsen
Content may be subject to copyright.
562f7eca08ae0077ccc9b0
40.pdf
Content uploaded by Denise Franzsen
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Denise Franzsen on Oct 27, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
The effect of the wearing of weighted vests on the sensory behaviour of learners diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder within a school conte
xt.pdf
Available via license: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
... Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria: two randomized controlled trials (Buckle et al., 2011;Janeslätt et al., 2014) and eleven quasi-experimental studies (Chaimaha et al., 2017;P. P. P. Cheung et al., 2018, Cheung et al., 2021Koenig et al., 2012;Garg et al., 2013;Hample et al., 2020;Leinfuss & Karnes, 2021, Onwumere et al., 2021Mills et al., 2021;Pierce et al., 2020;Virone, 2021). ...
... The authors indicated that the therapeutic programs improved students' executive function, especially working memory, planning, and monitoring (Chaimaha et al., 2017). Another study investigated the effectiveness of weighted vests in a school environment for children with ADHD on process skills (Buckle et al., 2011). The study was implemented as an RCT and comprised 30 participants aged six to nine years old diagnosed with ADHD. ...
... Attention to task was measured using Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (CPT II) (Conners & Staff, 2000). Buckle et al. (2011) found that weighted vest intervention improved their process skills for in-seat behavior, task completion speed, and attention to task (p. <0.05). ...
View
... Les principales visées de ces interventions étaient l'amélioration de l'autorégulation, de l'attention, du comportement, des apprentissages et de la participation (AOTA, 2015;Benson et al., 2019). Les interventions étudiées incluaient : 1) le Sensory activity schedule (Mills et al., 2016;Mills et Chapparo, 2018); 2) l'Alert Program® (Gill et al., 2018;Hui et al., 2016;Mac Cobb et al., 2014); 3) l'utilisation de modalités sensorielles en classe, soit une veste proprioceptive (Buckle et al., 2011;Macphee et al., (Gill et al., 2018;Hui et al., 2016;Mac Cobb et al., 2014). La Group Mindfulness Therapy a aussi été utilisée dans une optique d'autogestion du stress et de l'anxiété (Crowley et al., 2018). ...
... Lorsque les difficultés des élèves persistent malgré les interventions aux paliers 1 et 2, un suivi individualisé (palier 3 de la RAI) devrait être proposé. Les interventions individualisées étudiées incluaient le Sensory activity schedule (Mills et al., 2016), la veste proprioceptive ou le ballon-chaise comme modalités sensorielles (Buckle et al., 2011;Macphee et al., 2019), ainsi que Learn to play (Stagnitti et al., 2012) et l'intégration d'animaux en thérapie (Sams et al., 2006). Ces interventions s'adressaient principalement à des élèves présentant des problèmes de comportement ou de développement et ayant un diagnostic de TSA ou de TDA/H. ...
... et la Group Mindfulness Therapy(Crowley et al., 2018). La recension des écritsde Cahill et al. (2020) portait également sur les interventions fondées sur l'activité ou l'occupation qui améliorent la santé mentale des jeunes.Plusieurs interventions fondées sur l'intégration sensorielle visaient l'amélioration de comportements spécifiques, comme la position assise(Buckle et al., 2011;Macphee et al., 2019) et l'attention ou la concentration à la tâche(Bucke et al., 2011; Olsen et Moulton, 2004). L'Alert Program® a aussi été utilisé pour aider des élèves présentant des défis comportementaux à gérer par eux-mêmes leur comportement(Mac Cobb et al., 2014). ...
Ergothérapie en milieu scolaire et interventions en matière de santé mentale : synthèse des connaissances
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2023
Considérant la prévalence élevée des problèmes de santé mentale chez les jeunes et les défis d’accès aux services et aux traitements requis, il importe d’élargir les possibilités d’action des intervenants en milieu scolaire, dont les ergothérapeutes. Afin de mieux comprendre leur contribution dans ce domaine de pratique, une étude de la portée a été réalisée. Vingt-quatre articles scientifiques ont été retenus et analysés. Les interventions ergothérapiques recensées s’adressaient principalement à de élèves présentant des défis comportementaux ou neurodéveloppementaux, et étaient surtout axées sur la participation et fondées sur l’intégration sensorielle. La recension permet de proposer des interventions ergothérapiques efficaces et prometteuses en matière de santé mentale en milieu scolaire. La mise en oeuvre d’un modèle multiniveau, comme la Réponse à l’intervention, est recommandée pour offrir un continuum de services, incluant des interventions universelles, différenciées et individualisées. ---- Considering the high prevalence of mental health problems among youth and the challenges of accessing the services and treatments required, it is important to expand the possibilities of action for services providers in schools, including occupational therapists. In order to better understand their contribution in this area of practice, a scoping study was carried out. Twenty-four scientific articles were selected and analyzed. The occupational therapy interventions identified were primarily addressed at students with behavioral or neurodevelopmental challenges, and were primarily axed on participation and based on sensory integration. The review allows proposing effective and promising occupational therapy interventions in the field of mental health in schools. The implementation of a multilevel model, such as the Response to the intervention, is recommended to offer a continuum of services, including universal, differentiated and individualized interventions.
View
... . Even though many typically developing children struggle with sensory overreactivity, it especially affects children with disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs; Ayres & Robbins, 2005;Buckle et al., 2011;van Jaarsveld et al., 2014). The nervous system of a child with sensory overreactivity responds with a "fight" (e.g., tantrums) or "flight" (e.g., withdrawal) reaction when certain stimuli crosses their sensory threshold (Karthikeyan, 2017). ...
... When this process becomes disturbed, the information does not flow in a meaningful manner and the brain, therefore, is unable to respond appropriately or suitably to interpret the stimulus. This is known as sensory integration dysfunction (SID) and is also referred to as sensory processing disorder (SPD; Buckle et al., 2011;Cheng & Boggett-Carsjens, 2005). It is estimated that one in 20 people in the general population may be affected by SID (Kong & Moreno, 2018). ...
... Adapting a child to a sensory overreactivity's environment has been found to reduce disruptive behavior and improve attentiveness (Buckle et al., 2011). When a child's sensory regulation improves, their in-seat behavior, as well as their work speed in class, also improves (Ayres & Robbins, 1979;Buckle et al., 2011;Dunn, 2006). ...
Investigating the Influence of the Properties of School Uniforms on Children With Sensory Overreactivity
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
This study aimed to deepen the understanding of the influence of the properties of school uniforms that may contribute to discomfort and irritation for children with sensory overreactivity. The specific objectives were (a) to identify the difficulties that children with sensory overreactivity experience when wearing a school uniform and (b) explore possible adaptations of the school uniform that can reduce the discomfort and irritation caused by the uniform. In this exploratory, qualitative study, four focus group interviews were conducted with a total sample of 16 participants. Mothers and occupational therapists that live and work with children with sensory overreactivity participated in this study. During thematic analysis, three themes emerged as important to understand the discomfort caused by a school uniform: textiles, design, and construction. This study contributes to the literature on school uniforms and the sensory aspects of clothing. Guidelines for parents are presented and future research possibilities are discussed.
View
... Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria: two randomized controlled trials (Buckle et al., 2011;Janeslätt et al., 2014) and eleven quasi-experimental studies (Chaimaha et al., 2017;P. P. P. Cheung et al., 2018, Cheung et al., 2021Koenig et al., 2012;Garg et al., 2013;Hample et al., 2020;Leinfuss & Karnes, 2021, Onwumere et al., 2021Mills et al., 2021;Pierce et al., 2020;Virone, 2021). ...
... The authors indicated that the therapeutic programs improved students' executive function, especially working memory, planning, and monitoring (Chaimaha et al., 2017). Another study investigated the effectiveness of weighted vests in a school environment for children with ADHD on process skills (Buckle et al., 2011). The study was implemented as an RCT and comprised 30 participants aged six to nine years old diagnosed with ADHD. ...
... Attention to task was measured using Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (CPT II) (Conners & Staff, 2000). Buckle et al. (2011) found that weighted vest intervention improved their process skills for in-seat behavior, task completion speed, and attention to task (p. <0.05). ...
Effectiveness of School-Based Occupational Therapy Interventions on School Skills and Abilities Among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2023
This systematic review aimed to synthesize the best available research evidence regarding the effectiveness of school-based occupational therapy interventions on school skills and abilities among children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and ASD (autism spectrum disorder). The review was conducted according to JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) guidelines (Aromataris & Munn, 2020). A three-step search strategy was conducted from five electronic databases (CINAHL, PubMed, OTDBASE, Google Scholar, and Oula-Finna) in January 2022. This review considered randomized and quasi-randomized studies that evaluated school-based occupational therapy interventions for children on school skills and abilities, specifically outcomes of social interaction and process skills, and cognitive abilities. Results: This review includes thirteen studies with a total sample size of 375 participants. Results are divided into two categories: school-based occupational interventions for children with ADHD (three studies) and school-based occupational interventions for children with ASD (ten studies). Results from school-based occupational therapy intervention studies for children and adolescents with ADHD indicate that this group of students benefits from manualized interventions that focus on social interaction skills, process skills, and cognitive abilities. Positive responses to these outcomes were found when using interventions concerning mindfulness, weighted vests, and executive function training programs. Results from school-based occupational therapy intervention studies for children and adolescents with ASD emphasize using interventions that affect social interaction skills.
View
... The protocol of use of this modality differed between studies, but the vest's weight, if mentioned, was always between 5% and 15% of the child's body weight. The majority of the studies (9/11) had a small sample that did not exceed 11 participants, except for 2 studies, 15,16 for which samples were of 30 and 110 participants. Most of the time, variables were measured by direct or indirect observations conducted by 1 or 2 observers at a specific time interval (the sequence duration of observation of the child's behaviors). ...
... 18,19 The scientific quality of all these studies was judged as moderate. For children with ADHD, 3 low-to-moderate quality studies demonstrated a significant improvement in attention to task when wearing the weighted-vest, 15,16,20 whereas one moderate-quality study did not show a significant difference between the group of children who wore the weighted vest and the unweighted vest as well as the no-vest group. 21 In-Seat Behaviors. ...
... For children with ASD, one study showed that there was no difference when wearing the weighted vest as compared with baseline, 22 whereas for children with ADHD, one study demonstrated a significant improvement when wearing the weighted vest. 15 These 2 studies were of moderate scientific quality. ...
Efficacy of Sensory Interventions on School Participation of Children With Sensory Disorders: A Systematic Review
Article
  • Jul 2018
Research demonstrates lower school participation in children with sensory disorders. However, the scientific body of evidence supporting existing sensory intervention modalities is difficult to tackle. More specifically, the literature appears poorly organized, with a highly variable terminology, often with nonoverlapping definitions and lack of good keywords classification that would help organize the diversity of approaches. This systematic review organizes the body of evidence for 3 specific approaches (sensory based, sensorimotor, and sensory integration) and questions their efficacy in improving school participation for children with sensory disorders. Two methods were compared: first, a standard systematic review of the literature in 3 databases using appropriate keywords and descriptors, then an original method based on forward and backward citation connections. A total of 28 studies were retrieved, of which only 7 used the standard method for systematic reviews. For sensory-based approaches, the efficacy of weighted-vest varies according to different factors such as the protocol of use. For sensorimotor approaches, the efficacy of therapy balls, air cushions, platform swing, and physical exercise varies according to the child’s sensory characteristics. The efficacy of the sensory integration approach remains mixed across studies.
View
... People with a wide range of health conditions receive occupational therapy in Africa. The 20 studies within the field of paediatrics included children with cerebral palsy [20][21][22][23][24], visual perceptual difficulties [25], HIV [26], ADHD [27], learning disabilities [24,28,29], and very low birth weight [30]. Some studies were conducted with children without a diagnosis, but who were considered disadvantaged [31]; attended an ECD centre in rural Mahikeng, South Africa [32]; were aged 4 to 6 years [33] or in Grade R (the year before the start of formal schooling) ( [34]); and had handwriting difficulties [35]. ...
Mapping Effectiveness Studies of Occupational Therapy in Africa: A Scoping Review
Article
Full-text available
Background Contextual relevance is an important consideration for evidence-based practice, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the nature of practice may differ from high-income countries. Resources and access to rehabilitation are constrained, and service-users face a range of intersecting challenges to activity and participation. Aim To evaluate the body of evidence for the effectiveness of occupational therapy in Africa, and to determine if systematic reviews with meta-analysis and/or meta-synthesis are feasible. Methods and Analysis. We conducted a systematic scoping review of published and grey literature by following PRISMA-ScR guidelines across 13 databases and through personal contact with occupational therapists across Africa. Covidence software was used to manage a blind review process by at least three reviewers per included article. The McMaster Quantitative Review Form, NHMRC levels of evidence, the Cochrane PROGRESS-Plus health equity criteria, and the TIDieR checklist informed data extraction using Microsoft Forms. Results The search yielded 4199 articles, of which 45 were included. Evidence in six fields of practice included paediatrics, mental health, physical rehabilitation, hand therapy, work practice, and community development, although the evidence was largely limited to South Africa (93% studies). Levels of evidence varied but included 13 RCTs. In all, 1957 participants were included, ranging in age from 25 days to 99 years, with a wide range of health conditions. Most studies reported a positive outcome for occupational therapy. Conclusion Findings suggest a moderate body of evidence to support occupational therapy in Africa. Systematic review with meta-analysis, assessment of risk of bias, and in-depth analysis of specific areas of practice are now required. All effectiveness studies in occupational therapy should include measures of occupational performance or participation, minimum reporting standard checklists should be used more consistently, and effect sizes should be consistently calculated and reported in effectiveness research.
View
... Consequently, no reliable evidence exists to date that wearing weight vests during school would improve attention or reduce impulsive, stereotypic, and disruptive behavior. It is possible that weighted vests may have a positive effect on attention in children with ADHD when the children perform still work alone in the room (Lin et al. 2014;Buckle et al. 2011). However, additional systematic studies are needed. ...
Effects of Massages and Other Touch Interventions on Various Diseases
Chapter
  • Oct 2023
A wide variety of physiological processes can be set in motion through interpersonal touch or massage. For example, relaxation massages can reduce depression, anxiety, and fatigue, improve sleep, reduce stress, regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and the immune system. These effects are in line with extensive research showing that psychological factors such as anxiety or relaxation influence the nervous system, the immune system, and the endocrine system. Accordingly, relaxation induced by interpersonal touch and massage has the potential to be used as a complementary therapy in medicine for both physical and mental disorders. The chapter also contains information on the effects of weighted blankets and vests and on contraindications and adverse side effects of massage.
View
... Some research has shown that the use of sensory and proprioceptive-based alternative seating (e.g., therapy balls and chairs, textured and buoyant seat inserts) and devices (e.g., weighted lap pads, weighted vests) have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing attention and appropriate in-seat classroom behaviors (Fedewa & Erwin, 2011;Lin, Lee, Chang, & Hong, 2014). Some researchers have suggested that such devices may help children regulate their nervous systems to be able to attend better to important educational content and screen out sensory input that is irrelevant to the lesson (Bodison & Parham, 2017;Buckle, Franzsen, & Bester, 2011). ...
Supporting Literacy Participation for Underserved Children: A Set of Guidelines for Occupational Therapy Practice
Article
  • Jul 2021
Children living in disenfranchised communities are at risk for growing up without developing the literacy skills they need to succeed and thrive later in life. The ability to read proficiently is a prerequisite for engagement in a myriad of meaningful occupations, financial success, and optimal health management. This set of practice guidelines provides understanding for school-based occupational therapists to begin to support pediatric literacy for elementary school children reading below grade level. The authors examine the theoretical bases underlying evaluation and intervention, which are organized according to four primary performance areas: (1) attention to teacher-led literacy lessons, (2) engagement in independent reading in the classroom, (3) academic self-concept and attitude toward reading, and (4) habits and routines supporting home literacy participation. Occupation-based intervention embeds literacy experiences in play, sensory and kinesthetic experiences, and meaningful functional and social activities. A case example is provided to illustrate these principles in practice. Pediatric literacy support is an emerging practice area in the occupational therapy profession that can have profound impact on the trajectories of children’s lives.
View
... An additional three articles were found. After a final screening of the 24 articles for inclusion, a total of 23 studies met the current study's inclusion criteria; however, four (Buckle, Franzsen, & Bester, 2011;Edelson, Edelson, Kerr, & Grandin, 1999;Grzankowski, 2001;Myles et al., 2004) did not provide enough information to calculate effect sizes and were therefore excluded from the statistical analyses. See Figure 1 for a flowchart of the article search methods. ...
Examining the Use of Deep Touch Pressure to Improve the Educational Performance of Students With Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis
Article
  • Jan 2016
The current meta-analysis examined the use of deep touch pressure (DTP; e.g., weighted vests) with students with disabilities. DTP is a form of sensory integration therapy that is currently used extensively in schools with students with autism and other disabilities. Each study in the analysis was evaluated using the Council for Exceptional Children’s guidelines for evidence-based practices. In addition, noting the debate regarding appropriate single-case effect sizes, the current study calculated omnibus effect sizes utilizing a variety of single-case design effect sizes. Results of the current study suggest that DTP interventions are of generally poor quality and demonstrate effects that do not validate their current use for students with disabilities.
View
Berührung ein Lebensmittel: Einfluss auf die körperliche und geistige Gesundheit
Chapter
  • May 2022
Durch zwischenmenschliche Berührungen u. a. in Form von Massagen können verschiedenste physiologische Prozesse in Gang gesetzt werden. Zum Beispiel können Entspannungsmassagen Depression, Angst und Fatigue reduzieren, Schlaf verbessern, Stress abbauen, Blutzucker und Blutdruck senken und das Immunsystem regulieren. Die Befunde sind im Einklang mit Erkenntnissen der Psychoneuroimmunologie und Psychoneuroendokrinologie. Aus diesen Fachgebieten ist bekannt, dass Psyche und Nervensystem sowohl mit dem Immunsystem als auch dem Hormonsystem in Wechselwirkung stehen. Kurz gesagt bedeutet das, dass Veränderungen in einem der Systeme, Veränderungen in allen anderen Systemen nach sich ziehen. Daraus ergeben sich vielfältige Einsatzmöglichkeiten von zwischenmenschlichen Berührungen und Massagen als unterstützende Therapiemethode im Krankheitsfall. Außerdem in diesem Kapitel: Gewichtsdecken/ Sandwesten; Kontraindikationen und Nebenwirkungen von Massagen
View
Ecological Validity of the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II in a School-Based Sample
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2004
The ecological validity of the Conners' Continuous Performance Test 11 (CPT-II) was examined using a sample of 206 first- and second-grade children. Children's CPT-II scores were correlated with observations of inattentive/hyperactive behavior during CPT-II administration, observations of children's behavior during analogue academic task, classroom observations, and parent/teacher reports. CPT-II scores showed moderate correlations with test session behavior but low correlations with external measures of inattention/hyperactivity. On the other hand, test session observations, analogue task observations, classroom observations, and teacher reports showed moderate and significant intercorrelations. Furthermore, test session observations predicted a significant amount of variance in children's classroom behavior above and beyond CPT-II scores alone. Results suggest that psychologists should supplement CPT-II scores with observational data to estimate children's functioning outside the test setting.
View
The Use of a Weighted Vest To Increase On-Task Behavior in Children With Attention Difficulties
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2001
Children described as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often demonstrate inability to sustain visual attention during classroom fine motor activities. This study investigated the effect of wearing a weighted vest (deep-pressure sensory input) on children's on-task behavior in the classroom. Four students with documented attention difficulties and hyperactivity were timed with a stopwatch to measure their on-task behavior during fine motor activities in the classroom. All 4 students were timed for six 15-min observations without wearing a weighted vest and for six 15-min observations while wearing a weighted vest. On-task behavior increased by 18% to 25% in all 4 students while wearing the weighted vest. Additionally, 3 of the 4 students frequently asked to wear the vest other than during the observation times. These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that wearing a weighted vest to apply deep pressure increases on-task behavior during fine motor activities.
View
Inclusive practice in early childhood education
Chapter
  • Apr 2016
The chapter is inspired by Cathy Nutbrown’s suggestion that at its best early education is inclusive education. Initially the chapter discusses the complexity involved in defining inclusive practice, especially in UK early childhood. Inclusion is seen as a varied construct with a number of factors that impact on the creation of inclusive environments, including economics, policy and children’s needs. Areas of practice are discussed, with an emphasis on individual need, developmentally appropriate practice and the intrinsic involvement of parents and carers. The chapter concludes by arguing that inclusion in early childhood education cannot happen without considering the political and social context.
View
View
Patterns of Sensory Processing in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Article
  • Dec 2002
The researchers conducted this study to compare the sensory responses of children whose primary diagnosis was Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and children without disabilities on the Sensory Profile, a parent-reporting measure of children's sensory responses in daily life (Dunn, 1999). Parents of 70 children 3 to 15 years old with a primary diagnosis of ADHD and parents of children without disabilities matched by age and gender completed the Sensory Profile. Researchers completed a series of Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVA) with post hoc testing to compare the performance of the two groups of children. Children with ADHD differed significantly from children without disabilities in their sensory responsiveness based on Sensory Profile results. The Sensory Profile can contribute to diagnostic and program planning processes and increase understanding of the nature of the disorder of ADHD.
View
View
View
A Review of Research on the Use of Weighted Vests with Children on the Autism Spectrum
Article
  • Jan 2007
Occupational therapists working in the school system setting report using weighted vests as a technique to improve attention and sensory processing for students who have an autism spectrum disorder. Some critics, however, contend that this technique is used without evidence of effectiveness. This study examines the overall research available on the use of weighted vest with children on the autism spectrum to see what, if any, consensus concerning effectiveness exist regarding this practice.
View
Classroom observations of students with and without ADHD: Differences across types of engagement
Article
  • Apr 2006
  • J SCHOOL PSYCHOL
The current study examined the behaviors related to academic engagement exhibited by students with ADHD during instruction in math and reading. A total of 155 students (92 ADHD, 63 recruited controls) in grades 1 through 4 participated in the study. Results revealed that students with ADHD exhibited statistically significant lower rates of academic engagement and higher rates of off-task behaviors than recruited controls and randomly selected peer comparisons. Specifically, students with ADHD exhibited statistically significant lower rates of passive academic engagement (PET) than recruited controls and peer comparisons; however no group differences were found with regard to active engaged time (AET). In addition, students with ADHD exhibited lower rates of AET than PET, a finding observed among both recruited controls and randomly selected peer comparisons. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
View
Effects of a Weighted Vest on Attention to Task and Self-Stimulatory Behaviors in Preschoolers With Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Article
  • Nov 2001
This study examined the effectiveness of using a weighted vest for increasing attention to a fine motor task and decreasing self-stimulatory behaviors in preschool children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Using an ABA single-subject design, the duration of attention to task and self-stimulatory behaviors and the number of distractions were measured in five preschool children with PDD over a period of 6 weeks. During the intervention phase, all participants displayed a decrease in the number of distractions and an increase in the duration of focused attention while wearing the weighted vest. All but 1 participant demonstrated a decrease in the duration of self-stimulatory behaviors while wearing a weighted vest; however, the type of self-stimulatory behaviors changed and became less self-abusive for this child while she wore the vest. During the intervention withdrawal phase, 3 participants experienced an increase in the duration of self-stimulatory behaviors, and all participants experienced an increase in the number of distractions and a decrease in the duration of focused attention. The increase or decrease, however, never returned to baseline levels for these behaviors. The findings suggest that for these 5 children with PDD, the use of a weighted vest resulted in an increase in attention to task and decrease in self-stimulatory behaviors. The most consistent improvement observed was the decreased number of distractions. Additional research is necessary to build consensus about the effectiveness of wearing a weighted vest to increase attention to task and decrease self-stimulatory behaviors for children with PDD.
View