As a teenager, Temple observed cattle being branded in a squeeze chute at a relative's farm and noticed that they immediately calmed down after pressure was administered to them in the chute. Temple still uses her 'Hug Box' on a regular basis to provide her the necessary deep pressure to cope with her anxiety. The 'Hug Box' is made of two padded sideboards that are hinged near the bottom to form a V- shape. By using a lever, the user engages an air cylinder, which pushes the sideboards together. This action provides the deep pressure stimulation evenly across the lateral parts of the body.
Some individuals prefer long squeezes while others prefer rather short squeezes.
Melatonin - One of the most common and most troubling times we experience is when our children or we cannot fall asleep effectively. Autistic children appear to be especially prone to this problem, and in has been estimated that more than half exhibit some disturbance in sleep patterns. This suggests some form of deficit in the brain systems that normally promote sleep. In that gland, melatonin is synthesized in two steps from the precursor neurotransmitter serotonin. Pineal stores of melatonin are typically released into the circulation when illumination diminishes, and may help explain why most of us sleep better when the lights are off.