title: The use of a weighted vest to increase on-task behavior in children with attention difficulties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children described as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often demonstrate inability to sustain visual attention during classroom fine motor activities. This study investigated the effect of wearing a weighted vest (deep-pressure sensory input) on children's on-task behavior in the classroom.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four students with documented attention difficulties and hyperactivity were timed with a stopwatch to measure their on-task behavior during fine motor activities in the classroom. All 4 students were timed for six 15-min observations without wearing a weighted vest and for six 15-min observations while wearing a weighted vest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On-task behavior increased by 18% to 25% in all 4 students while wearing the weighted vest. Additionally, 3 of the 4 students frequently asked to wear the vest other than during the observation times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that wearing a weighted vest to apply deep pressure increases on-task behavior during fine motor activities.
authors.affiliation: Plainwell Community Schools, Plainwell, Michigan, USA. vanden4@aol.com
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: VandenBerg
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012572:School Health Services; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014894:Weights and Measures