“The Big Hug has become an essential piece of equipment in my classroom. As a teacher of moderate/severe special needs children with sensory disorders, it has been a positive aspect to developing the emotional safety of my students. I have two autistic students whom use the Big Hug on a daily basis. One child has a voice output device called a DynaVox, on which I have programmed a green caterpillar (the Big Hug). When he becomes agitated he gets his device and finds the page with the picture and pushes “I need the Big Hug.” After “resting” for thirty minutes he is much more calm and ready to continue on with his day.”
Mary Kay Van Deraa – Teacher, West Allis, WI
“We have a non-speaking second grader who hasn’t initiated much communication using our picture communication system. After one time in the Big Hug, he started requesting the Big Hug by going to the sensory room (we thought he was fleeing) to get the picture of it from his sensory strategies board. We obviously now have it as part of his “choice” board and he initiates regularly. (That and Skittles are about all we get from him!) 🙂 Anyway, the resource teacher caught me today and they had two days (Friday and Monday) with no aggressive behavior (kicking, hitting, biting). That hasn’t happened in the four years we’ve had him.”
Tiffany Syverson – Occupational Therapist, Austin Public Schools, Austin, MN