|
SensoryCritters.com's Weighted
Vests
If you have
tried drugs to control behavior and self control and are
not seeing a
difference - why not try our weighted vest.... drug free,
custom made to
your needs without the custom price and they
don't look like an
institutional product... they fit in with your
clothing style with your
choice of fabric:
denim, fleece or cotton.
Would
you like Denim on the outside of your vest with a soft cotton as your
lining? How about
fleece on the
outside and cotton on the inside?
Would you like
a pocket in the front of your vest that you can
place your arms all the
way through? Are you a sensory
craver that likes to feel textured
fabrics? Would you like
SensoryCritters.com to make your pocket Sensory
Special?
How about a Zipper
in the front of your vest so that it is easy to
get in and out of? OR
for those that have sensory overload
and need the zipper pulley to
attach a fidget to - we can and
we will place your zipper upside down so
that while you fidget
with your zipper pulley - your zipper won't be
going up and down!
There is a nominal fee for this service for the
zipper pulley and
fidget attachment if
requested.
Or
would you like your
zipper in the back to keep it on your child
that may not agree with you
that a weighted vest is the best option
to satisfy their
Proprioceptive needs.
Proprioception
pertains to the awareness of posture, movement,
and
changes in equilibrium and the knowledge of position, weight,
and
resistance of objects as they relate to the body.
Have you read our Testimonials from students,
parents, Director
of The Success Project?
We also create adult vests and our vests can be worn to work, school,
with every day clothes and look like part of an outfit ~ and No we
won't
put the velcro in the back and we won't put any sensory animals in the
front! (Unless you ask us to)
Our
weights are removable for those times you want:
-
to
wear your vest but don't want your weights in -
remove your weights
-
Before you wash your vest - remove your weights.
-
Need
additional weights - call and order - It's easy as placing a call,
sending an e-mail, or order on-line.
What
are you waiting for?
Order today!
This
is Matthew who is 8 as he sits quietly while he plays and learns. For
Matthew who before he
came to The
Success Project his parents were
told he would not be able to learn
math, speak, focus, or be able to attend
school because he was not
"teachable". Well within 4 months with the
direction of Russ and Holly,
Matthew while wearing his
SensoryCritters.com weighted vest - has learned to speak 10 words and
new
words are in the works. He is learning Touch Math with not only
addition
but subtraction as well. Keyboarding while sitting on his ball
and wearing his weighted vest he is able to focus and retain what he
has
learned. Matthew is doing very well.
When we made
our visit to meet Matthew and the other students at
The Success Project
in Melbourne Florida we watched from an outside
window first hand how
Matthew wearing his vest provided him the
Proprioception
(Processing information about body position received through the
muscles, ligaments and joints) that Matthew needed to concentrate on the
task at hand whether it be learning touch math, keyboarding, listening
to a
story or just sitting still for more than a second.
Then Russ
removed the vest from Matthew and he was an entirely different
child.
Matthew started jumping up and down and around and actually was
out of
control. Holly asked us to bring in our Stretchy Calming blanket and
see
if it would calm him down or not.
I looked at Matthew and
signed as I spoke to him, Criss Cross Applesauce
and immediately Matthew
sat down, at the same time I wrapped our forest
green stretchy Calming
blanket around him and made it tight - tied a knot in it
as he sat with
his legs still crossed. Matthew was calm again. He stayed
calm for
several minutes while I gave him deep compression hugs.
He
smiled
at me and it melted my heart.
The next step was to bring
in one of our quilted blankets that had bright colors
on it (orange,
reds, yellows) and removed the Stretchy Calming blanket
from him and he
Immediately he was bouncing off the walls again. This
was an amazing
test of colors, fabrics (cotton vs. fleece) and wearing a
weighted
vest vs. not wearing a weighted vest. Clearly the weighted vest
made a
decisive difference with this child who is severely autistic and with
Sensory Processing Disorder and many other diagnoses.
Weighted Vests can in
turn assist with better grades in school and
positive reinforcement
from their teachers, therapists, not to leave out
Parents.
Every child needs positive
reinforcements - weighted products
used properly will help your child
get through their day whether they are at
school, home or traveling.
Every
Child Deserves to have the best they can be provided and our
product
designs are with Success in Mind for every child to provide a tool for
them in either stimulating activity or calming down and becoming
focused.
This
Photo is of James, before James received his weighted vest he couldn't
read his own writing
~ NOW with his weighted vest on while doing his
school work, he has improved 200%!!! WAY TO GO JAMES!!!! We are SO PROUD OF YOU!!! and even more
Important than us being Proud of James - Is that James IS PROUD OF
HIMSELF!
For example, if you have a sensory craver we can add
items to your weighted vest and or lap pad to meet your child's needs.
We can attach the sensory extras through our strong loop and hook
fastening for ease of removal and addition for Calming behavior or the
items added to the weighted products when your child needs the
stimulation. Using
our weighted products while going on car rides, long vacations as well
as with his/her appointments will bring a sense of focus to your child
and peace of mind for you.
Again, please refer to your Occupational
Therapist for the best method and products for your child.
The pressure from the SensoryCritters.com
Weighted Vest and our Weighted Lap Pads provides the sensory input your
child may need when they become overly stimulated.
If you have a sensory craver please contact us for a
custom quote after informing us what sensory diet your child prefers.
back to top
This is Oren
reading his book and Smiling about it!!!!! You Can Read his testimony
below from the school!!! HE CAN READ NOW!!!!
How to Use
SensoryCritters.com
states to all buyers that before you purchase one of our weighted
products that you should contact your Doctor or Occupational Therapist
first as they work with your child on a regular basis and are your guide
for recommended product usage, including proper weight usage.
SensoryCritters.com are not Doctors, Therapists or Medical Providers and
do not pretend to be. We will not offer advice to anyone. When you
purchase a product from our site, we do not ask whether you have
consulted a Doctor or Therapist first, so please make sure that you know
what product your child or children need and the proper weight
recommended.
If
you need, special weights please add these to your order on the shopping
cart.
SensoryCritters.com
Weighted products are created and designed understanding your child
desires comfort and stability, which enables your child to focus on the
task while Teachers need the products to calm the child and the parents
need the product priced affordably!
We also
know that just because a child needs to use a weighted product does not
mean it cannot be hip and durable.
Children want to fit in with their
friends and classmates; SensoryCritters.com fabric choices will continue
to change with current trends.
back to top
Fabric Selection
When
a SensoryCritters.com Weighted product is ordered, please select one of
the choices below in our shopping cart.
If your child Prefers to have the Print on the outside and the
denim or fleece solid color on the inside - please let us know that too
- currently we offer the solid color on the outside with the print as
the lining.
back to top
Contents:
During
our research and development in regards to
SensoryCritters.com Weighted Vests we sought out findings on Contents for
the Weighted Vest and embedded vs. non-embedded.
Our
findings are below:
-
Fabric Solution:
SensoryCritters.com
have gone the extra measure through creating our Weighted Vests with
durable fabrics such as denim on the outside and a child friendly
printed lining. We also offer fleece for our sensory craver
children for the outside fabric and then a child friendly fabric for
our durable lining. A double layer of fabric for added
reinforcement for our pockets and each pocket has been double
stitched to provide the stability needed.
Our hook and loop fasteners secure the weight stays where it was
placed. We also use heavier fabrics for the added benefit of
strength and durability. Our jean Vest is adorable with double
stitching- looks just like you bought it from the big guys without
the big guys prices!!
-
Contents Problem:
A simple fact weighted Vests are used daily, as with anything used
daily it gets dirty. Let’s face it - we as adults spill
things, drop things, and get dirty - so our children have the same
issues, Products must be washable.
-
Contents Findings: Vests on the current market were checked and tested for
content ingredients. Here is what we found for embedded and
non-embedded weights:
-
Navy
beans:
Cannot be washed and if they are washed,
they swell and then will mold. They
can be swiped with a damp cloth, however, what happens if lunch is
split on the Vest and the drink goes right through the Vest? End of
your weighted vest if it is embedded weight and if its not embedded
weight - you need to order new ones.
-
Copperhead bb pellets:
These pellets are made of metal and can pose a
serious risk if used improperly. They are not made for use with
children's products. Some of the Vests are filled with these bb
pellets and poly pellets. The reason they use this method is to
create a heavier weight without having to use as many poly pellets.
However, the
health risks of when these bb pellets are
used, get dirty and are thrown into the washing machine and dryer -
the pellets get wet and over time, will rust which is never good to
have near your skin. The rust will come through your fabric and the
toxins from the rust will be susceptible to your child.
-
Poly-Pellets:
Poly-Pellets and Poly-fil products by Fairfield Processing Corporation are
recognized for their superior quality and are unconditionally
guaranteed. Their products are 100% polypropylene, Consistent in
shape and have Smooth edges. You can visit their
site directly for poly-pellets and
many other fine crafting quality products.
However, in order to pack 1 pound into a small space and still
have it non-invasive is not an option with the poly-pellets. It
takes twice the amount of poly-pellets to get the same weight with
heavier product.
River Rock:
River rock pebbles are heavier and
require less
rock per ounce while creating 4 oz., 8 oz., and
16 oz., weights for
use in weighted vests. Due to less rock
for the same weight as poly pellets our weights are less bulky and
remain considerably flat which creates less intrusiveness to the
child’s space.
Contents Solution: SensoryCritters.com has decided after researching
various products that our weighted vests will only have River Rock
used for our Weights in ONLY our Weighted Vest content. With the
triple stitching and double layers of fabric on each side of the
River Rock for durability and remain less intrusive for the child.
We are proud to have our name on each product.
The children wearing our weighted vests are in school and are
able to wear the vest and focus on their intended tasks, children
love the sensory options we offer and some children are wearing the
neck wrap with the weighted vest when the extra input is required.
We have one child that requires his weighted vest, weighted neck
wrap and his weighted lap to bring focus and direction to his school
tasks for periods of time.
The bottom line -
Every Child Is Different
- Every Child Has Different Needs
- Please Refer to your Occupational Therapist for your Child's needs
and weight requirements.
"We bought a vest for our son and when we tried it on him, he wouldn't
take it off! He thought we were going to take it away - we had to let
him know that we just wanted to wash it! Thank you - he LOVES his
sensory pocket and his sensory animals on the front! You are Gold!" TMS
back to top
Size and Cost of
SensoryCritters.com
Weighted Vest
Each
SensoryCritters.com Weighted Vest will be made with Quilter quality
material and will be put together as stated above.
Remember if you are price shopping from site to site or by
catalog that
SensoryCritters.com continues our research and our weighted products
are 40-60% lower than most advertised but with the same quality and no
other company provides this customized and personalized detail made to
order for Your Child!
Vests
are ready in the various sizes all Without embedded weights:
SensoryCritters.com’s
vests do not appear as a weighted vest except each vest opens in the
back and secured with two separate strips of very strong hook-and-loop
closures for ease, which allows room for the child to grow. You
have the option of purchasing your vest with a zipper back opening as
well for those children that have the ability to get out of anything!
Each vest is designed with child-friendly fabrics, which are durable,
washable and dryable with other laundry when the weights are removed.
Fabric choices are dark denim, light denim, light fleece, cotton
fabrics in assorted colors.
We
feature either a one-pound, two-pound weight included with the price
of the vest. Each of the weighted vests come with five pockets so if
it is determined you require additional weights, you do not need to
purchase a new vest just additional weights and all pockets are double
stitched. Velcro can be attached to the top of each pocket if you
prefer, we have changed our process based on our client surveys that
they prefer that this be an option and not mandatory.
Pricing for additional weights for all vests:
Your SensoryCritters.com order does not calculate shipping
until the order is completed. All sizes and weights will vary slightly.
back to top
|
SensoryCritters.com's Weighted Vests |
$104.00 |
Have you tried drugs to change behavior and self control and are
not seeing a difference?
Why not try our weighted vest.... drug free and custom made to
your needs without the
custom price and they don't feel or look like an institutional
product... they fit in with your
clothing style. Our vests can be worn to school with every day
clothes and look like part of
an outfit while receiving (proprioception) deep pressure to calm
them.
Proprioception pertains to the awareness of posture, movement,
and changes in equilibrium
and the knowledge of position, weight, and resistance of objects
as they relate to the body.
|
| |
|
Extra
Weight for Vest |
$12.00 |
SensoryCritters.com additional weights.
Purchase additional weights
Pricing
for additional weights for all vests:
$15.00 for two eight ounce weights
$12.00 for a single 1 pound weight
$10.00 for two four ounce weights
|
| |
Care of Your SensoryCritters.com
Weighted Vest:
Wash
your SensoryCritters.com Weighted Vest in cold or warm water with your regular
detergent. Before you wash your vest – Remove your weights!
Your Vest can be dried with other laundry just do not over dry your
vest. If you are washing at night, you can place your vest on a
hanger and let it dry in the laundry room or shower. By morning under
"normal-non humid" weather conditions the product will be dry and ready
for use in the morning.
Please
note that during our research we created our weighted vests, washed,
dried them in warm water with towels, and dried them in the dryer 15
times repeatedly to double check that they were durable under "washing
and drying". The product did not shrink much, did withstand the towels,
and looked like it was still new. However,
if you purchased a fleece
vest you need to treat it as you would any delicate fabric and wash/dry
accordingly. Most detergent companies recommend cold water at this time
such as
Tide. If your child is sensitive to
detergents, please wash with your current brand of detergent or try
Woollite.
back to top
Time Line
SensoryCritters.com creates your weighted Vest
at the
time of your order.
Because each order is custom made please allow
1-2 weeks from the date you place your order to the time of receiving
your order.
back to top
Shipping
Your
SensoryCritters.com Weighted Vest will be mailed by the following means:
• Priority Mail for any U.S. destination.
• Note: Priority Boxes can hold a maximum of 70
lbs however, if you order items that don't fit in this size box, we have
to ship with a different box and different shipping rates apply.
back to top
Testimonials a
must read....
Dear SensoryCritters.com:
Our first day back in the classroom after a two week holiday break of
learning disabled children are all in your weighted vests with
disabilities ranging from autism spectrum disorders to hyperactivity and
giftedness, including dyslexia.
The children that expected their vests came in and the first thing they
did was put on their vests. It was like a late Christmas present. Some
of the newly enrolled children came into their new classroom to find a
vest hanging on the side of their cubby. I stood by to watch their
reaction and how well I judged their sizes. The teachers asked the
children to help each other put on their vests. And they all fit, and
they started their daily routine. The new children did not ask any
questions about the vests, so the teachers did not explain their
purpose. They were going to wait and see what the children would think
of them.
One in a half hours later I went in to check on
the new students to see what they thought of their vests.
The first
student was a child with Asperger's. I
asked if he needed a break from his vest. He smiled and said "No,
Ms. Holly look at all this work I've done. I can concentrate!!!"
I even got a hug and a thank you out of it.
The second student was language impaired.
He was rubbing the side of his stiff denim vest. I asked him how he was
doing. He said I picked just the right one for him. He loved the fabric.
I asked how his day was going. He told me that he feels like he could
read forever. I asked him to explain.
He explained reading and remembering what he read
was always difficult for him. He could never concentrate and remember
what he read. He continued that a classroom that was noisy would
distract him; he was focused in his vest. This was a lengthy conversation with him: and I
never heard his lisp, stuttering, or difficulty in putting his thoughts
into words.
Perhaps this will save money on speech therapy!!
After dismissal,
Brandon
was laying in a bean bag chair in the student
library. As I told him how proud I was of him getting his work done, I
reached down to tickle his back. I tickled the weight inside his shirt
instead. He
chuckled and said his new vest was sooo
comfortable that he forgot he had it on under his shirt.
His Mom said she thought she saw a glimmer of confidence in his eyes
that night. He didn't have his usual stressed out look.
Day two.
Hope had her new vest on and she loves it.
Her vest was also made to order and the long
fringe at the bottom is great when she needs to fidget, which keeps her
from twirling her hair!
The pocket you created for her has the satin
inside for her
times when she needs to constantly rub her hands plus she can now hug
herself without it being a big deal. Her
new vest helps her so much with her concentration, we can't tell you
thank you enough.
Her and Nick asked to try the mainstream
classroom. With her history and her inability to be still or quiet and
Nick’s history of obsessing on something other than his work and wanting
to discuss the same thing endlessly - I had my reservations. But the
teachers reminded me that they were going to test the power of the
vests.
At 11:00, the instructor came to inform me that
there was a class wide problem. I said "Oh really?" - holding back the
"I told you so". But instead she explained that her whole class had all
their work done. These same children struggled to get that amount of
work done in two school days prior to putting them all in vests. So we
had to party!!!!
Even my child with oppositional defiant disorder and
difficulty in being still and quiet enough to be in a regular classroom,
had her work done.
1/6/06 Day three...Brooke
is an eighteen year old that has had Hydrocephalus (water on the brain)
since she was a baby. She had a stroke when
they were trying to put a shunt in her brain at the age of three.
This caused severe learning delays and today
she reads on a third grade level. She has not been in a school since
seventh grade because the kids picked on her so much due to her tics and
her difficulties in learning. The stress of being back in a school
brought her to tears her first morning here.
She came in school today saying she needed a
vest like Hopes to calm her down. She was afraid and upset that she
wouldn't be able to work, but she knew it helped Hope calm down. So we
put a vest on her that we had for sale in our Incredible Horizons retail
store to test it out. By the end of the day she said she wants one all
the time now. She said "I could
figure out what the words were on the page easier and it reduced my
tics." She loves it. She can put her sentences together easier and does
not stutter as much.
Her goal is to be able to be confident and calm
enough in school to sign the song that she signed in the church cantata
for her classmates. School and learning, particularly reading has caused
almost a panic in her. She believes that she will be able to do that
with her new vest.
So SensoryCritters.com we are ordering yet another
Weighted Vest for our new student!
Stay tuned... She is quite determined.
Tre thinks his vest is like magic.
He says that all the kids that
usually frustrate him in the classroom are not as frustrating to him
when he has his vest on. If his vest is off, like when he plays outside,
getting frustrated is his cue that he needs to put it back on.
The vest
that SensoryCritters.com made for Tre opens in the front and has a
zipper upside down this way since
Tre loves to fidget with his hands
when he pulls on his zipper pulley which has a pulley made of beads he
can fidget with those beads and not unzip his vest, that takes care of
his needs and he doesn't bother anyone while doing it.
Oh and by the way, he got a 100% on all work in
every subject for the last three days with his vest on. Imagine that
from a child that hated school before he came here in November of
2005. Before his vest he would be lethargic
all day and not want to do any work. Now he is smiling and on task.
It seems that the
differences in our students’ difficulties bring out different benefits
with the SensoryCritters.com vests. I
love solutions that actually help the brain function better for learning
without the risks of medication that often have dangerous side effects.
Our vests have given us a healthier
solution for our students. Plus they love them.
The Success
Project
Melbourne Florida
"We received
the vest on Thursday and it looks fantastic! The denim
look is perfect. I like your vest so much more than the
vest I ordered once from Abilitations when I worked at
Head Start. The silk lining is really great and I love
the velcro in the back. I also like what you used for
weight-- much better than clay! It is softer and more
natural feeling. Our son has tried the vest on once and
he likes it. I took it to his Kindergarten class for
him to have there during times that he needs calming.
I'll let you know how he does with it. Thank you for
everything, CJS"
"Thank you so much SensoryCritters.com for my son's
vest - it took him a while to get used to it, but homework is improving
in quality and the time it takes to get it done! Thank you for the
sensory animals on the front of it, he loves to feel them! S.C. WI"
"We
absolutely LOVE our daughter's new SensoryCritters.com weighted vest.
She had one before, however, she hated it, it looked like a boring vest
with nothing to do with her sensory diagnosis. SO when we ordered her
weighted vest with SensoryCritters.com we went through all of the
options and together we ordered the perfect vest. Her vest has the fuzzy
fabric all over the outside of the vest with the pocket that has silky
fabric on the inside to satisfy her craving for soft cool fabrics
plus the fact she likes to hug herself. We also chose a kitty cat to be
on the outside of her pocket with a textured fabric. Because Hope loves
to fidget and normally would twirl her hair all day long
SensoryCritters.com placed a 3 inch row of fleece wide cut fringe on the
bottom of her vest so now she twirls and plays with that instead of her
hair!
Her teacher can't believe the difference it has made with her success in
the classroom. Her ability to read for longer period of times, retain
what she is reading and she is better at concentrating on what the class
is doing as a whole and not being a "flutter bug" all over the class
room bothering every other child. THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH!!!!!
PS: Hope has Now
been moved to the main classroom with other students ~ this has
increased her self-esteem beyond words!"
Thank you Holly and Russ
"We bought a vest for our son and when we tried it on him, he wouldn't
take it off! He thought we were going to take it away - we had to let
him know that we just wanted to wash it! Thank you - he LOVES his
sensory pocket and his sensory animals on the front! You are Gold!"
TMS
back to top |
