If you’ve ever woken up on a cold morning under the weight of heavy winter blankets and felt incredibly calm and peaceful you’ve had a little taste of what deep pressure stimulation can do for the nervous system.
What if you could help your child experience that deliciously calm sensation on a regular basis? What might that do for their stress levels in the moment? What might it do for how they feel overall, day-to-day?
Well, the answer is it can do a lot.
Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS) is firm but gentle squeezing, hugs, or holding that relaxes the nervous system. This pressure can be applied with the hands, special massage tools, or products that your child can wear or wrap around themselves to provide pressure.
Done properly, this therapy triggers a chain reaction in the body that releases an overall sense of calm and peace.
Benefits Observed With Deep Pressure Therapy
Not all individuals will experience every benefit, but the potential positive effects include:
- General sense of calm that can last up to a few hours after therapy
- Decreased overall anxiety when practiced regularly
- Increased happiness
- Improved social interactions
- Increased communicativeness
- Better sleep
- Improved focus
- Lowered incidence of seizures
- Lowered hypersensitivity to touch
- Improved ability to tolerate the school environment
- Decrease in self injury