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Friday September 03, 2010

TED 2010 Temple Grandin

Hug Machine Description

The hug machine consists of two hinged side-boards, each four by three feet (120 cm by 90 cm) with thick soft padding, which form a V-shape, with a complex control box at one end and heavy-duty tubes leading to an air compressor. The user lies, or squats, between the side-boards, for as long or short a period as desired. Using pressure exerted by the air compressor and controlled by the user, the side-boards apply deep pressure stimulation evenly across the lateral parts of the body.

History

As a young child, Grandin realized she would seek out deep pressure stimulation, but hugs and being held over-stimulated her. The idea for the hug machine was devised during a visit to her aunt's Arizona ranch, where she noted the way cattle were vaccinated while confined in a squeeze chute, and how some of the cattle immediately calmed down after pressure was administered. She realized the deep pressure from the chute had a calming effect, and decided that might well settle down her own hypersensitivity. Whereas psychologists at her high school sought to confiscate her prototype hug machine , her science teacher encouraged her to determine just why it helped resolve her anxiety and sensory issues.

Efficacy

Several therapy programs in the United States use hug machines, effectively achieving general calming effects among both children and adults with autism. A 1995 study on the efficacy of Grandin's device, conducted by the Center for the Study of Autism, working with Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, involving ten children with autism, found a reduction in tension and anxiety. Other studies, including one by Dr. Margaret Creedon, have yielded similar results. According to Creedon, "Generally, the number of stereotypies decreased or were less disruptive to on task behavior."[citation needed] A small pilot study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy reported that the machine produced a significant reduction in tension, but only a small decrease in anxiety.

To this day, Grandin continues to use her hug box on a regular basis, to provide herself the deep pressure necessary to relieve symptoms of her anxiety. "I concentrate on how gently I can do it," she has said. Grandin has authored a paper on her 'hug machine' and the effects of deep pressure stimulation that has been published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.

Citations

^ 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 Volume 2, Number 1 (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.). http://www.grandin.com/inc/squeeze.html. 

^ Grandin, Temple: "Emergence: labeled autistic", page 91. Warner Books, 1996

^ Edelson SM, Edelson MG, Kerr DC, Grandin T (1999). "Behavioral and physiological effects of deep pressure on children with autism: a pilot study evaluating the efficacy of Grandin's Hug Machine". Am J Occup Ther 53 (2): 14552. PMID 10200837. 

External links

Grandin.com - 'Dr. Temple Grandin's Webpage: Livestock Behaviour, Design of Facilities and Humane Slaughter'

Grandin.com - 'Description and schematic details of the squeeze machine'

The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow - part 3 - Link to a YouTube video of a clip from The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow where Temple Grandin talks about the development of the hug machine.

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Pervasive developmental disorders and autism spectrum

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Categories: AutismHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from May 2009

Lecture delivered by Temple Grandin, a noted expert and author on early intervention, educational strategies, visual thinking, social skills, medications and mentoring. Grandin presents around the world and is the author of several books including Emergence: Label Autistic, Thinking in Pictures, Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, co-authored with Sean Barron. In addition to several DVDs, her recent release of Animals in Translation maintained a top 10 position on the New York Times best-seller list. Based on statistics provided by the Autism Society of America, it is estimated that one in every 150 children born in the United States has autism and approximately 1 million in this country have this disorder, which does not include Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), Asperger's and other spectrum disorders. A new case of autism is diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes, meaning approximately 24000 new cases diagnosed in the US per year. Video Rating: 4 / 5