Some months back I posted a request for textured 5 inch squares for my nephew's therapy quilt. My nephew has autism and I was requested to make a quilt for him. What is different about this quilt is it has "channels" sewn into it so that we can increase the weight of the quilt. For his age, his quilt had to weigh 10 lbs. We accomplished this by tearing thermal blankets and placing them in the channels. Then the channels were closed with industrial strength velcro. His mom can remove the weight and wash the quilt anytime that she needs.

I got the pattern from Project Linus for Autism quilt. It works very well and now my nephew can sleep at night. It was a godsend.

Thank you, everyone, who sent me fuzzy, crinkly, goofy and happy squares. It helped make this quilt a success.

It's beautiful!

This quilt is beautiful. I was wondering why the quilt had to weigh a certain weight?

That is awesome..you did a wonderful job!

Wonderful project.

In Autism (as I understand it), they have a sensory perception problem in that they feel overwhelmed with too much stimulation. What calms them is to be closed up. With a weighted quilt, they cover up and cocoon. The weight calms them.

Because he is still little, we don't want so much weight that it would interfere with his growth/body, so there is a graduated scale published as to weight of child/quilt size/quilt weight. It is on the Autism website.

Really nice :-P

What a neat idea! Looks like it'll be a hit--as well as helpful.

Oh I love the quilt! I hope he enjoys it :)

It is beautiful!

Amazing! :)

Isn't this interesting.
Makes one wonder if swaddling babies didn't have a better effect on them than we realized.
Also, as an old/retired birthworker, it makes me wonder how detrimental our current policy of induced labor and, subsequent all too often, surgical birth -- with it's abrupt wrenching of baby into the cold, overly bright, loud, brisk environment of the operating room -- is on tiny, sensitive newborns.
I'm just saying.....

Jan in VA

Jan,
I thought of "swaddling" immediately, myself. That's exactly what he does for himself.

MJ- What a wonderful quilt you have created for him. I am sure he enjoys it immensely. :)

how special

Really pretty! My daughter has been considering a weighted quilt for my DGS. So far he has been doing fairly well with fleece &/or a silky feel sleeping bag, as for him it seems to be more of a texture thing than the weight.

Lovely quilt and great idea about the weights. I've read a few of Temple Grandin's books and she uses a "squeeze machine" to induce the closed up feel and calming effect.

Temple is a great read BTW. I started reading her for her work/insight into animal behavior, plus she's a friend of a friend.

what an awsome project!

Very interesting information and a nice quilt for him.