Senseez :: Mom Invents Product to Help Special Needs Children

I am a Mom and I created the Senseez Pillows. The name Senseez means to ease the senses.  Let me tell you the story of how Senseez was born. When my son was 2, he was diagnosed with a special need. One of his difficulties was sitting in one place long enough to eat his meal, read a story, or sit for circle time. I spoke to an occupational therapist who recommended a vibrating mat to help with this. I bought one for my son, and he instantly loved the sensations! But one day, I wanted to take him to our local library for storytelling, and though the mat would help – it was large, black, heavy, and had to be plugged in. I was also concerned about my son looking different or standing out with this large mat. So I went on a search to find a small, lightweight, portable pillow that would offer the same sensations that he could take with him. I couldn’t find one!

So Senseez was born!

Senseez are colorful, lightweight, fun shaped vinyl pillows that offer a gentle vibration when they are squeezed or sat on. They operate on batteries and have a small pouch inside that can vibrate to offer sensations to relax, calm or soothe the body. They’re small enough to take anywhere and are made just for little bums! Kids that have trouble sitting for meals, stories, car rides, shopping trips, school work, movies, or anything else will be comforted by the vibrations of Senseez. Kids that have trouble falling asleep will enjoy the relaxing sensations.

The original prototypes were sewn in the basement of our home! We made about 25 pillows by hand, and distributed them throughout schools and therapy centers in our area. Since Senseez was created to be taken everywhere and to be used by multiple children, we used a vinyl material, since it is considered to be the most hygienic and easiest to keep clean. The vinyl is also water resistant. We also created a Senseez furry option for children who would like more tactile input.

After we got some feedback, we hired an engineer to perfect the vibrating mechanism we needed. Once that was complete, we had the pillows tested by Canadian standards for lead, small parts and flammability. We then connected with an importer who handled the production. Our first order was for 600 pillows. Once the word started getting out, we sold out within 9 months! In April 2013, we were also invited to do a taping on the Dragon’s Den television show. Today, we have 14 different distributors across Canada and the US, and the pillows are now being used across schools, therapy centers and many homes! The feedback we get is so positive, and the ways in which the pillows are being used is so inspiring. Here is an example:

     I wanted to share a positive story regarding your Senseez Pillows. I gave one of the pillows to my client who is part of our deaf blind program. Although she is very fluent in hand over hand sign language as well as Braille, she struggles a lot with expressive communication. We have been working closely with her to initiate requests, preferences, feelings…..communication in general. The pillow was introduced during a session as a sensory aid with vibration. She immediately started hugging the pillow and placing it behind her back ……all while signing the word “happy”.

     While her expressive communication still remains a struggle, she is now on a regular basis asking for the “vibrating pillow”. She has created a sign that meshes together the words vibrate and pillow, which she independently will communicate to others!

     It’s a huge break through!!!!!! It is the first time that she has communicated a want.

Needless to say, we will be needing some more pillows

Research shows that vibrational therapy has been used for many years in many different forms. Some children require the vibrations to help calm their bodies, while other children just enjoy the way it feels!

We are thrilled that our pillow is helping children, parents, teachers and therapists! Involved in the special community since its beginning, we are now working to give pillows to parents, teachers, and therapists in need. With your help, we can donate pillows to the long waiting list of schools and clinics. You can support this effort through our Indiegogo campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/senseez-the-vibrating-pillow-for-kids-with-special-needs.

HEALTHFUL HINTS

Tips for working with children who have difficulty sitting in one place for any length of time:

1. Some children do best with time limits. Let the child know how long they will have to sit for. A start and finish time can help. i.e: sit for 3 minutes to finish snack.
2. Sometimes using a visual timer can help. Visual timers are available at most special needs stores.
3. When training a child to sit for a period of time, start small and the build it up. One minute, goes to two, then five etc…
4. It is okay to use outside reinforcers during this process. Children respond well to rewards, like their favorite treats. You want to build in a reward at the beginning and it won’t be long before long they won’t need it anymore.
5. It is also okay to use other distractors like TV or iPad in the beginning. We want to calm the child during this hard task. For some children, TV and      iPad can help reduce the anxiety of staying one place may cause. After a while, the distraction won’t be needed either.
6. And you will need to verbally prompt at the beginning. Prompting is giving a gentle reminder about what the child is supposed to be doing, and      reinforcing it when they do.
7. It is always important to reinforce the good behavior (when they do sit in one place), and not only discuss when they don’t.
8. And lastly, some children enjoy different sensations to help soothe their senses. Vibrations are helpful. Other sensations could be a weighted vest or blanket, or something that offers compression.

Original source https://www.pediatricsafety.net/2013/08/senseez-pillows/#sthash.7r4D3l3D.dpuf

To read more about Senseez go to: https://www.senseez.com/

To watch an intro to the pillows watch this video: https://vimeo.com/67833758

Thank you to Senseez for sponsoring today’s post.