About Us

OTvest, LLC was founded in December of 2002, with the creation of the patented OTvest, denim weighted vest. The OTvest patented design is based on the experience of the creator, Nancy VandenBerg, MS, OTR, who has been a nationally certified occupational therapist since 1975. Ms, VandenBerg has provided hospital, mental health, early intervention and school based treatment for over 35 years. She was trained directly by world renowned neurologist and physiotherapist Karel and Berta Bobath in Neuro Developmental Treatment for improved motor control. Ms. VandenBerg has had extensive sensory motor training and was on an Autism Diagnostic Team for 16 years, and on the steering committee (6 yrs.) for the Michigan Alliance for School Physical and Occupational Therapists. Her research comparing on-task attention in ADHD children wearing a weighted vest (with weights positioned on the body) to attention when not wearing a weighted vest has been published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (see Links to read). 

The OTvest, LLC mission is to provide an alternative to medication for those who have difficulty focusing on tasks they are striving to accomplish. Our mission is to also provide trunk stability for those with movement disorders, coordination problems, tremors, or a poor sense of body positioning that interferes with daily living activities.

The OTvest, LLC headquarters are based in Portage, MI. In our 17 years in business, we have manufactured and sold over 25,000 OTvest, weighted vests. While we offer refunds and exchanges, we feel that the extremely small amount of returns is evidence of customer satisfaction—in addition to the testimonials received and  great number of repeat customer orders.

We take pride in our product, the OTvest, and the fact that they have been sold to schools, hospitals, clinics, and to individuals in every state in the USA and in many countries internationally.

We exhibit at many conferences nationally—such as conferences through the National Ataxia Foundation, The American Occupational Therapy Association, the Ohio and Minnesota School Physical and Occupational Therapist Institutes, and Physical Therapy conferences.

For more information about the OTvest, visit our FAQ and learn sections.