The OTvest™ Weighted Sensory Vest: Calming, Organizing Deep Pressure Therapy for Autistic Individuals
The OTvest™ Weighted Sensory Vest: Calming, Organizing Deep Pressure Therapy for Autistic Individuals
The OTvest™ weighted sensory vest applies calming, behavior-organizing deep pressure therapy to support regulation, focus, and well-being for autistic individuals.
When we feel better, we do better™—and that is exactly what many wearers experience with the OTvest™.
Autism, Sensory Processing & the Need for Regulation
Many autistic individuals experience sensory processing differences, which may include over- or under-responsiveness to:
Sound
Touch
The OTvest helps promote self-regulation and calm.
Movement
Smell or taste
Visual stimulation
They may also experience challenges with motor coordination and body awareness, due to difficulty processing proprioceptive input—the sensory information that tells the brain where the body is in space.
When this proprioceptive feedback is reduced or disorganized, individuals may feel:
Ungrounded
Anxious
Overwhelmed
Dysregulated
How Deep Pressure Therapy Helps
Deep pressure touch therapy is a well-recognized sensory strategy used to help calm the nervous system, improve self-regulation, and support attention.
Deep pressure:
Provides organizing sensory input
Helps increase body awareness
Encourages a sense of calm and security
Young girl with autism wears an OTvest to help calm and focus to perform school activities.
Supports regulation without requiring another person
The OTvest™ delivers this deep pressure independently, discreetly, and consistently throughout the day—making it an ideal wearable sensory support.
"My son has Autism and started using the OTvest in JK (pre-kindergarten). We first purchased the vest on a recommendation through the occupational therapist that he was working with at the time. We purchased the OTvest for him and noticed a difference in his behaviour when he wore it. His teacher said that it really helped him settle and get back to doing his work especially after lunch and recess. He is in grade 4 now and we just purchased our second OTvest. We even take it with us to appointments where I know he will have a difficult time sitting still. We love it. Thank you OTvest for helping make our day better!"
Manuela Ehlert
Ontario, Canada (with permission to post) Aug. 2018
The OTvest has helped children become successful in school with its calming deep-pressure that feels like a hug.
How the OTvest™ Works
The OTvest™ applies deep pressure through dense, thin steel weights that are quilted into a one-piece insert and positioned across the upper back and chest.
This strategic placement:
Presses gently down on the body rather than pulling downward
Delivers sustained proprioceptive input
Requires less total weight than traditional weighted vests
Wearers often describe feeling:
A young boy tries on the OTvest and said "It Feels Good" at an American Occupational Therapy Conference.
Autistic individuals may have difficulty calming themselves when exposed to overwhelming sensory input. In these moments, the OTvest™ can act as a holistic, non-invasive support to help organize behavior and reduce agitation.
Deep pressure therapy may help:
Reduce repetitive or self-stimulatory behaviors
Support emotional regulation
Improve engagement in purposeful activities
This makes the OTvest™ a practical school, home, and community-based intervention.
Trunk Stability, Oral Motor Skills & Feeding Support
Unlike many weighted blankets or compression vests, the OTvest™ is designed to stabilize the trunk.
Trunk stability is foundational for:
Head and neck control
The trunk stability and calming effect provided by the OTvest can help improve oral motor difficulties and dysphagia.
Oral motor coordination
Feeding and speech clarity
When the trunk is stabilized, autistic individuals may experience improved control with:
Chewing and swallowing
Speech production
Mealtime regulation
This makes the OTvest™ a valuable sensory support during meals and other challenging activities.
Everyday Wear, Anywhere Life Happens
The OTvest™ is designed to look non-therapeutic and age-appropriate, allowing it to be worn discreetly:
At school or work
During homework
At church or social gatherings
While traveling by car or plane
During haircuts, dental visits, or other sensory-heavy experiences
Children, teens, and adults can all benefit from the consistent sensory input the OTvest™ provides.
The Science Behind the OTvest™
Deep pressure touch therapy is thought to support changes in brain chemistry that promote calm and focus. Similar to the “runner’s high” created by dopamine release during exercise, deep pressure may help support the release of neurotransmitters associated with regulation, including serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.
Research-Based Design
Occupational therapist Nancy VandenBerg, creator of the OTvest™, published research in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (2001) demonstrating:
18–25% increased attention to task in children with attention difficulties
95% statistical probability that the improvement was due to the weighted vest
These findings led to the development of the patented OTvest™, designed to place weight directly on sensory receptors for maximum effectiveness.
Why OTvest™ Is Different
Unlike traditional weighted vests, blankets, or compression garments, the OTvest™:
Can be worn anytime and anywhere without looking therapeutic
Uses dense, thin, lead-free steel plates
Applies weight directly to the body
Stabilizes the trunk
Requires less overall weight
Eliminates loose weight packets
Allows independent donning and doffing with snap closures
A young man wearing an OTvest size large with 4 lb. weight insert
Is hygienic, durable, and easy to clean
Looks like everyday clothing—not medical equipment
A Holistic Sensory Support for Autism
The OTvest™ is a holistic addition to daily routines for autistic individuals who benefit from deep pressure and proprioceptive input. It is designed to support:
Calm
A young boy with autism wears an OTvest while participating in occupational therapy activities.
Regulation
Attention
Body awareness
Participation in daily life
Psychiatric facilities, autism centers, schools, therapists, and families worldwide have trusted the OTvest™ since 2002.
Experience the Difference.
The registered trademark logo is on the pocket--so you know it's the genuine OTvest.
Click here to order the OTvest™ and experience how calming, organizing deep pressure therapy can help autistic individuals feel better—and do better™.
An important resource for information regarding autism–including awareness, information, research and fundraising.
McClure, M. K., & Holtz-Yotz, M. (1991). Case Report—The effects of sensory stimulatory treatment on an autistic child. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45, 1138–1142.
Miller, A., Moncayo, Z., Treadwell, D., & Olson, L. (1999, April). Children with autism using weighted vests: Two single-subject studies. Paper presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Temple Grandin, Ph.D (1992), Calming effects of deep touch pressure in patients with autistic disorder, college students, and animals, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Vol. 2,1.
VandenBerg, N., (2001). The use of weighted vests to increase on-task behavior in children with attention difficulties, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 55, 621-628. doi:10.5014/ajot.55.6.621
This research is also in the book, Pediatric Issues in Occupational Therapy: A Compendium of Leading Scholarship (Royeen, 2004) published by AOTA (N. VandenBerg, Chapter 25.)
