A Plug
I don’t know how I got to be so lazy because everyone else in my family work like the dickens. Hmm, now that I think about it, it is strange that my husband is one of the hardest working people I know, while most of his family are lazy bums. And then he turns around and marries me. Go figure.
My hard-working little sis joined the ranks of the Entrepreneurial Elite this year when she opened her own business, Snuffle Co. Oh, by the way, this new company is in addition to her more-than-full-time job and mothering three young children. Geesh! I wish I had that much energy!
You know that old saying that necessity is the mother of invention? Well, it is so true because my sister had a necessity and she is a mother who made an invention. I will lay it out for you:
The Necessity: A desire to help autistic children.
The Mother: My li’l sis, who has an autistic son.
The Invention: Snuffle Co., purveyor of Sensory Integration Gear.
What, you may ask, is Sensory Integration Gear? S.I.G are articles of clothing, etc., that aid autistic children in alleviating some aspects of their condition.
For instance, my nephew suffers from a great deal of anxiety caused by his inability to process stimuli. When he wears his specially made sensory integration gear vest, he feels much more calm and peaceful. When he feels calm and peaceful, he is able to cope with his environment in a much more constructive manner, thus alleviating much of his anxiety.
My sister, very wisely, started small. She has helped a lot of children through her son’s school, local Autism outreach events, and generally by word-of-mouth. Since this is all going so well, she saw that it would be worthwhile to expand her operations in order to help even MORE kids.
She is in the process of putting together a website, www.snuffleco.com (which is under construction, but where you can see a nice picture of my nephew looking happy in his vest, and also you can probably contact her through the site for more information), is working with a manufacturer who is producing vests of her own design (which will very soon be offered through the Snuffle Co. website), and is also beginning to offer her hand-sewn lap pads on eBay. Oh, and did I mention she has a FULL-TIME job and THREE little children?!!!
The lap pads are a great place to start when exploring the benefits of Snuffle Co.’s Sensory Integration Gear. Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270503134115&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
I hope I did that right. If not, leave a comment and we will join (virtual) hands and figure it out together.
December 29th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
HI Tess,
thanks for helping me get the word out! I couldn’t open the link. And I’ll just clarify that the sensory integration gear is also helpful for kids with ADD, ADHD, and other developmental delays who suffer from high anxiety and/or an inability to focus. The lap pads are great in the classroom, for homework time, for getting through a meal in a crowded restaurant. Basically any time you need your child to focus and sit still.
And in keeping in line with your frugal living, please make sure your readers know my gear is less expensive than other less discrete options.
December 29th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Oh, Thanks, for the clarification Sue. It’s always best to get the straight poop right from the top!
December 29th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
P.S. The link is fixed, now.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:23 am
From experience I know that Sensory Integration Gear can be of great benefit to some kids with autism.
You may also want to check out the Free Sound Therapy Home Programme available from Sensory Activation Solutions. Their Auditory Activation Method builds on the pioneering work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis (Tomatis method) and Dr. Guy Bérard (Auditory Integration Training) and has been specifically developed with the aim to improve sensory processing, interhemispheric integration and cognitive functioning. It has helped many children and adults with a wide range of learning and developmental difficulties, ranging from dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to sensory processing disorders and autism. It is not a cure or medical intervention, but a structured training programme that can help alleviate some of the debilitating effects that these conditions can have on speech and physical ability, daily behaviour, emotional well-being and educational or work performance.
There is no catch, it’s absolutely free and, most importantly, often very effective. Check it out at: http://www.sascentre.com/en_free.html.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Wow, thanks for the info Steven Michaelis. This is great, a Frugal resource for a serious issue. I am going to make sure my sis hears about this, if she doesn’t know about it already, so she can spread the word to all her friends. It’s nice of you to take the time to share this with all of us. Thanks again!
January 4th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Yes, thank you Steve! I hadn’t heard of this site before. As you must know, there is so much information to sort through. I’ll take the time to explore the site. I really appreciate the tip!