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'Hug Machine'
Helps Children With Autism Cope
Lori Lyle, WAVE3 TV, Glendale, Arizona, August 29, 2005
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About one in 160
children are diagnosed with autism each year. Many of these
children live in a world all their own -- not talking to or
touching other people. Now a simple machine may help these
special kids cope by giving them hugs. WAVE 3 Medical Reporter
Lori Lyle explains.
Big and loud or short and small -- hugs come in all shapes and
sizes. Ten-year-old Geoffrey gets his hugs from a hug machine.
It uses pressure to help children with autism deal with the
pressures of every day life.
"A lot of times our children have problems processing sensory
input the way we do," says Michelle Whitacre, an occupational
therapist from The Children's Center in Glendale, Ariz.
So Whitacre uses the machine to help children with autism calm
their heightened senses.
The hug machine was invented by Temple Grandin, Ph.D., an
autistic woman looking for a way to relax her over-stimulated
system.
Willie likes his time on the swing, and the deep tissue therapy
inside the padded wooden box helps him relax.
"For some kids, it's a very calming effect because it's
throughout their whole body, and it's a sustained pressure,"
Whitacre said.
Like Willie, Geoffrey uses the hug machine almost every day. By
moving the joystick, he can control how much pressure is used
and for how long.
"You can usually see the tension in their face start to
decrease," said Terry Mutzenberg another occupational therapist
at The Children's Center.
Studies show kids who use the hug machine are less disruptive in
class and stay on task longer.
"Then, when they go back to the classroom area, they're able to
sit down and able to perform at the table," Mutzenberg said.
Something they might not be able to do without a little hug.
The hug machine was invented by Temple Grandin, Ph.D., an
autistic woman looking for a way to relax her over-stimulated
system. There are about 10 centers around the country that are
using it.
For more information, contact:
Kelli Sullivan
Department of Occupational Therapy
The Children's Center
5430 West Glen Drive
Glendale, AZ 85301
(623) 905-0345
www.thechildrenscenteraz.org
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