Originally Posted by
inmypjs
I guess I don't know what he craves. When he gets upset or anxious, he will hide and has recently started to bite his arm. He likes to be held close. He sleeps well but moves around a ton. I wanted to try it as a calming technique first and then if he liked it maybe sleep. He has a lot of big emotions and gets overwhelmed sometimes. I actually thought about trying it too!
Weighted blankets for calming (daytime use) are usually smaller and lighter than blankets for calming and sleeping. I would guess that something in the 8-10 lbs range would be good for your DS. I'm not an OT or an expert, so that's just a guess. If he's sleeping well and you want something for daytime use, a throw or a shawl might be a good size. It depends on your budget as well, since larger and heavier blankets are more expensive.
I love laying under DS's weighted blanket. It feels so good!
Gena
DS, age 11 and always amazing
“Autistics are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you're destroying the peg." - Paul Collins, Not Even Wrong