The Hug Machine was designed by Temple Grandin, who has ASD, as a teenager and was modeled after the squeeze chutes used to keep cattle calm during vaccinations. The goal was to apply deep pressure over a large area of the body in order to reduce anxiety, and this machine has been the basis for various deep pressure machines for autistic individuals.

Grandin's Hug Machine

- weighted garments/objects

- swaddling

- holding

- stroking

- therapeutic brushing

Ithaca College

Strategic use of deep pressure (defined as the sensation provided when an individual is hugged, squeezed, stroked, or held), often used by occupational therapists when working with patients with ASD

Deep Pressure Therapy

Bestbier, L. & Williams, T. (2017). "The Immediate Effects of Deep Pressure on Young People with Autism and Severe Intellectual Difficulties: Demonstrating Individual Differences", Occupational Therapy International, vol. 2017, Article ID 7534972, 7 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/7534972

The Immediate Effects of Deep Pressure on Young People with Autism and Severe Intellectual Difficulties: Demonstrating Individual Differences

Types of Deep Pressure Therapy

- rewarding

- reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety

- improved school performance

Learn Before

Related

Learn After