DIY weighted waistcoat

[nappyaddict]

I saw this suggestion on a different forum and wondered if anyone had done similar seeing as they are so expensive.

"Our OT suggested that instead of buying a specially made vest we go to the Salvation Army or a second hand store and find a vest that our son likes, then add pockets for weights, (BB bean bags, or bean bags of any weighted material). The OT said that kids may feel isolated, "stupid" or upset by wearing therapeutic vests - especially with the weighted vests sold for that purpose since they look kind of...I think her word for it was "geeky". They can still get the benefits while wearing something they actually like, so she suggested that route."

My DS's first weighted vest was done that way (more than 10 years ago) and I have made many since. I sew little pockets in the inside and tape together metal washers to tuck in the pockets - less bulky, so also less likely to call attention to it. Because the washers lie flat, you can also spread out the weight a bit more.

If you do give it a try, one thing we found helpful was putting weight pockets at the shoulders, too - placing about 10% of the total weight on each shoulder really helped to ground DS. If nothing else, trying this way will help you to determine if a weighted vest will help at all, without the massive expense of a "purpose built" one.