It is hard to understand these kids needs if you aren't around someone who is autistic. It has been along haul for us in learning how to help Zach. We have had so much frustration with communnication problems and figuring out why he does or feels what he does.
It is so wonderful to have people like you ladies who are willing to help provide a tool that will make these kids' lives better! It is so much more important for these kids than a cuddly blanket to sleep with. This affects the quality of their lives.
For some reason their brain is such that they need to be in close tight places and this blanket will provide that feeling of being closed in. This need drives my mom crazy as she is claustrophobic and can't stand to see Zach shut himself into her coat closet. She wants to tear the door open and save him! I have had to explain that he is hunting for a closed in place to releave these feelings.
He used to drag my couch over by my table and pull all sorts of things into a small area and created a cockpit like area that he could hide in. Or he would curl up in a box and close the flaps. The smaller the box the better.
So the weighted blanket serves two purposes. It provides the sensory feeling of weight and it is a closed in place they can huddle in. Actually 3 because if the child is having a meltdown or severe tempertantrum they can't come out of- then the blanket can be used to put around the child and hold them close til they can calm down.