Chicago Occupational Therapy • Apr 8, 2021

5 Reasons to Use a Weighted Blanket

Rose McLean, PT, DPT, c/NDT, is co-owner and lead physical therapist at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, where she has dedicated over 20 years…

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Rose McLean

Rose McLean, PT, DPT, c/NDT, is co-owner and lead physical therapist at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, where she has dedicated over 20 years to helping children with developmental challenges achieve their movement goals. Rose's specialized focus on pediatric physical therapy, combined with her commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration, has made her a trusted resource for families navigating motor delays, neurological conditions, and complex developmental needs throughout Chicago. Rose earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University in Chicago in 2004, where she received rigorous training in both pediatric and neurological rehabilitation. She began her clinical career at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, consistently ranked among America's top pediatric medical centers, where she gained invaluable experience treating children with diverse and medically complex conditions. This foundation shaped her evidence-based, child-centered approach to therapy. Beyond her doctoral training, Rose holds certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT), a specialized intervention approach for children with cerebral palsy, neurological impairments, and other developmental disorders. She also maintains registration with Illinois' Early Intervention Program, allowing her to provide services to infants and toddlers (birth to age 3) in both home and clinic settings. Rose's therapeutic style is distinctively playful and highly individualized. She invests time in understanding each child's personality, interests, and motivators, then designs sessions that feel like play while targeting specific developmental goals. Whether working on strength, balance, coordination, or motor planning, Rose ensures therapy remains engaging and appropriately challenging. In 2014, Rose partnered with her husband Patrick to establish Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, driven by a vision that pediatric therapy should be comprehensive, collaborative, and convenient. She wanted to eliminate the fragmentation families often experience when their child needs multiple therapies—instead offering coordinated care where physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, behavior analysts, and social workers communicate regularly about each child's progress. Rose also prioritized creating community spaces where families can connect and children can learn social skills alongside therapeutic development.

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Introduction to Deep Pressure Stimulation

Weighted blankets are therapeutic blankets that are weighted with plastic beads and prescribed according to a child’s weight. The pressure from the extra weight helps apply a therapeutic technique called deep pressure stimulation.

Deep pressure stimulation typically uses hands-on pressure to relax the nervous system to lessen anxiety or improve mood, but it doesn’t always have to be “hands on.” In fact, many children with sensory processing differences can feel that too much “hands on” touch can be aversive or irritating. With weighted blankets, the blanket acts like a hug to make the user feel more secure and relax the nervous system.

5 Reasons to Use a Weighted Blanket

So now you are probably wondering if a weighted blanket would be appropriate for your child??? Here are five reasons that this just might be a great tool to utilize with them:

1) If your child has a hard time self-soothing at night, or tends to toss and turn, move around a lot, or is unable to fall asleep, a weighted blanket could be a great tool to help them feel a sense of calm and relaxation before falling asleep.

2) If your child has difficulty staying asleep at night, this may also be a great tool to consider. Some children are able to fall asleep at night and get to bed quite easily, but then, they have trouble staying asleep. Weighted blankets can help a child to stay calm and fall back to sleep after waking up.

3) Some children experience emotions in a very big way. This is called emotional regulation, and some times, these big feelings are really hard to process for our little ones. One strategy that is helpful is using a weighted blanket for deep pressure. The child can cover his or her entire body with the blanket, including their head if they are awake and this is their desired use of it. Placing the blanket over the child’s head can also remove visual stimuli, which can help calm them when in an over stimulated or a distressed state. Remember, this should only be done with a child with their willingness and participation. It should never be held in place or associated with anything negative. This is intended to only be a positive, calming experience.

4) If your child is always on the go or appears to crash into objects or people frequently, using a weighted blanked could help them gain more understanding of where their body is in space. Your child may be seeking sensory input by crashing or constantly leaning into the wall or even you. Weighted blankets can provide the input they are seeking out in other ways. Instead of crashing, have your child cover their body with the weighted blanket to provide deep pressure and gain that sense of input they are looking for.

5) If your child is wiggly or falls out of his or her chair during seated activities often (school work, meal times, etc.), then a weighted blanket could help with this too! Your child may benefit from deep pressure in order to keep their body still and focused to complete seated tasks. They can sit with the blanket across their lap or around their shoulders. This can help calm their body for increased attention and focus.

What Now?

Now that you have a lot of the benefits associated with this tool, make sure to ask your occupational therapist if this would be appropriate for your specific child’s needs. If you need to consult with one of our pediatric occupational therapists, reach out today to gain insight in regulation strategies to help your child be successful morning, noon and night! We can be reached at 773-687-9241.