Just to add another use of these blankets to what Rhonda has said. They are also useful in the classroom, where a weighted blanket over a child's lap can promote the child's calm and focus as he/she works. The stimuli in a classroom can be overwhelming, and the blanket helps the student tolerate all that's going on.
My boy Woody loves deep pressure, but I mostly give it to him in the form of fierce, loving hugs! His sensory needs are a little different, but then, every person with autism presents differently. My son at age 12 is not able to speak his thoughts, but he can type them or point to letters on a letterboard. Recently we tried to take him to a fun, kid-oriented event that we thought he could tolerate, but he was a basket case from the moment we got out of the car. I left with him after just a couple of minutes. Later he spelled out: "It was too much for me to process." I feel so bad that my beautiful boy struggles so mightily with the everyday things of life that the rest of us take for granted.
Please take from our stories the gratitude that the children in your life are healthy, functioning, and can tell you what they did at school today! Never ever take these miracles for granted!