new effort produces weighted blankets for autistic children · the mother of three learned that...
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12/8/12 New Effort Produces Weighted Blankets for Autistic Children - The Chronicle: News
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New Effort Produces Weighted
Blankets for Autistic ChildrenProject Logan: Rochester Mother Starts Nonprofit Organization After
Finding Relief for Her Son
Posted: Thursday, November 15, 2012 10:14 am | Updated:
10:44 am, Thu Nov 15, 2012.
By Amy Nile [email protected] | 0 comments
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-day series onautism in the greater Lewis County area.
ROCHESTER — After about six and a half years ofsleepless nights spent up dealing with her son’sautism, a Rochester mother is finally getting a goodnight’s rest. Now, Robin Clark is working to help othermothers in Lewis County find that same relief.
Clark’s 7-year-old son, Logan, has the brain-baseddisorder that causes difficulties in social interactions,communication, certain behaviors and disrupts sleep.
The mother of three learned that weighted blankets canhelp autistic children relax as the increased pressureon the joints causes the brain to release the brainchemicals serotonin and melatonin, which naturallycalm the body, making it easier to sleep. But when shewent online to find one for Logan, she found just asmall blanket costs $400.
So Clark, who just learned to sew as a hobby aftergetting a sewing machine last year at Christmas, wentto work to make one of her own.
“I have no idea how to even read a pattern,” Clark said.“I just figure out how to do it.”
She sewed some weighted pellets, usually used fordoll-making, into a blanket for Logan and another forjust $50.
“Since he started using his blanket, oh my gosh, it’slike a miracle,” Clark said. “When he starts having whatwe autism moms call a meltdown, he wraps in hisblanket and it calms him down.”
That’s when Clark, along with Kirsten Klein of Chehalis,and about 15 other volunteers decided to start anonprofit to produce the weighted blankets to donate toother area children with autism.
“What about all these children in Lewis County that arelow-income?” Clark said she asked herself. “The ideajust took off.”
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More Information
About Project Logan
Organizers: Robin Clark and Kirsten Klein
Age of Organization: 2 weeks
Number of Volunteers: 15
Phone: (360) 273-9669
Website:
www.gofundme.com/weightedblankets4autism
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ProjectLogan?fref=ts
Pete Caster / [email protected]
Project Logan, Weighted Blankets
Riley Clark, 8, left, and her mother, Robin, measure out a
blanket to be sewn together with weighted plastic pellets for
Project Logan which helps kids with autism.
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The two-week-old Logan Project has already resultedin seven new weighted blankets. Now, the organizationwill hold weekly sew-a-tons to produce more blankets,which each take between eight and 12 hours to finish.
The group makes the blankets based on the child’sweight and finds families to donate to through areapediatricians.
“You make it big enough they can grow into it but not tooheavy,” Clark explained. “When they’re wrapped in thisblanket, it cradles them and makes them feel secure.”
The group also takes the child’s likes and any sensoryissues, which are common in people with autism, intoaccount in order to make the blanket as personalizedas possible.
With autism now affecting one in 88 children and one in54 boys nationwide, an increasing number of parentsare finding themselves in the same position Clark did.And insurance doesn’t cover many of the treatmentsnecessary to address the disorder, including things likeweighted blankets.
“It’s a simple fix,” Clark said. “But a ton of people justcan’t afford it.”
In the three weeks since Logan started using hisweighted blanket, Clark said, he sleeps through thenight and even into the morning for the first time ever.Additionally, she said, Logan’s behavior has improvedboth at home and at school.
“It’s amazing what going from sleep deprived to havingsome energy will do for a person,” she said. “When hestarts melting down, he wraps up and it defuses him.”
And as for Project Logan, Clark said, she plans to goas far as donations will let her.
“I would like to provide a blanket for all local childrenthat need it,” she said.
•••
Amy Nile: (360) 807-8235
twitter.com/AmyNileReports
www.facebook.com/AmyNileTheChronicle
Posted in New s, Local on Thursday, November 15, 2012 10:14 am. Updated: 10:44 am.
Donation Needs: fabric, thread, weighted
pellets, cash
Bingo Fundraiser
When: Dec. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: Twin Cities Senior Center at 2545 N.
National Ave. in Chehalis
Cost: $3 for first card, $1 for each additional
Who: all ages are welcome
More Information: (360) 748-0061
Signs of Autism
— Not returning smilies or back-and-forth
responses
— Not liking to cuddle
— Lack of eye contact
— Not responding to simple directions
— Seeming distant
— Rocks and flaps hands
— Suddenly stops talking
— Refusing to point or use gestures
— Not babbling by 12 months
— Not using single words by 16 months
— Not using two word phrases by age two
Source: Lewis County Autism Coalition
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