Nathan's Voice: February 2014

It is a pleasure to introduce Rebecca Flowers, a PhD candidate at Flinders University in Australia, who contacted me in an effort to get the word out to those individuals who might be interested in participating in the following project. Please welcome her and share the information with others that you know. Thank you for taking the time to read and participate, if interested! ~Lorrie

Research opportunity - online project

Researchers at Flinders University in Australia invite individuals aged 18 years or older with an autism spectrum disorder to participate in an online study titled ‘Vulnerability of individuals with autism spectrum disorder to naïve involvement in criminal activity’. This research is being conducted by Rebecca Flower (Rebecca.Flower@flinders.edu.au) under the supervision of Associate Professor Robyn Young (Robyn.Young@flinders.edu.au) and Professor Neil Brewer (Neil.Brewer@flinders.edu.au).

The aim of this project is to understand whether features that may be present in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder influence their understanding of social situations and appropriate behaviour.

The project consists of two sessions. Each session is expected to take approximately 1 hour (you may take up to 4 hours to allow for breaks). The second session will occur weeks or possibly months later.

The first session will involve questions about demographic information, including age, gender, diagnosis, and any experiences you have had with the criminal justice system (e.g., ‘Has a police officer ever spoken to you with concern about your behaviour?’). You will then be asked to complete the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a set of 50 statements about your preferences and skills, where you will be asked how much you agree or disagree with each (e.g., ‘I tend to notice details that others do not’). Following this, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire about your particular interests (e.g., ‘In the last twelve months, have you had any strong interests?’), and then asked to watch some short scenarios, and answer 1-2 questions about each.

Participants who complete the study requirements will receive a $10 (AUD) Amazon voucher after each session.

To participate, please click the following link: bit.ly/1iLztCu

Your participation is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!

by Lorna d’Entremont

Is your child still biting, chewing or fidgeting constantly? Are you tired of seeing chewed up toys, clothing, and even electric cords and furniture? Is your child chilled coming home from school because of soaked shirt collars or cuffs. Do you have a hand or finger bitter whose dry hands hurt and bleed? Do you think mouthing everything in sight, germs and all, may be the cause of frequent bouts of illness. Our company has a solution that will bring parents peace of mind and children with sensory issues hours of safe chewing! We have two chew necklaces: our original KidCompanions Chewelry and our SentioCHEWS.

Our Canadian company, SentioLife Solutions, Ltd., has been selling the original KidCompanions Chewelry since 2006. We listened to parents and OT’s who asked for a more durable chewy/fidget for their growing children. Some wanted a longer and stronger breakaway lanyard with a tighter tug to open the clasp. We listened to all these requests and took two years to design the SentioCHEWS to get them just right. These new SentioChews complement our original one as it has a completely different tactile feel.

Features of SentioCHEWS:

SentioCHEWS - durable chewable tool – ONLY $9,95
♥4 new styles, super-soft rubber feel but very durable
♥RED or BLUE pendant shapes
♥COOL! 24in. Breakaway paracord lanyards
♥FDA compliant materials, Phthalates (BPA), latex and metal free
♥Economical 1-part shapes made in CANADA
♥ More durable than silicone
♥CE marked for the EU countries

We can assure you that our sensory, chew necklaces are SAFE! Both our KidCompanions Chewelry and SentioCHEWS pendants are made in Ontario, Canada. Assembling the chew necklaces in our Nova Scotia, Canada warehouse also ensures final product quality, while we can keep an eye on our supply chain. Aspects that imported products can sometimes lack.

Imported and co-branded chews, some even marketed to us under our own brand name, have recently come into the market. Exporters of silicone drops, donuts and beads are in our inbox daily. Please note that these are not, nor are they affiliate with, SentioLife Solutions Ltd. products and that sellers/ importers are responsible for testing their batches and colorants for regional compliance.

About SentioSTYLES Breakaway Lanyards

The individuals who use our oral-motor tools have sensory challenges, fidgeting/focusing problems, anxiety or transition issues and the first thing they need is a feels-just-right chewable tool! The chew necklace lanyard must feel good around the neck and the pendant must have the correct tactile texture to satisfy their needs.

What features do parents and other caregivers want in a breakaway lanyard? Safety is usually their first concern; then comes cost, durability and wash-ability. How do our breakaway lanyards meet these specific standards?

After requests from kids, parents and health professionals we have designed SentioSTYLES lanyards for our SentioCHEWS. The dozen or so AWESOME color choices are just an added bonus. SentioSTYLES lanyards can also be bought separately for replacements or to match clothing. They can be used with other pendants like keys, ID card, etc.

Features of SentioSTYLES Breakaway Lanyards

Suitable length and strength for youth and adults.
A dozen eye-catching color choices.
Perfect for replacements, other pendants or spares.
Lanyard is REAL made-in-the-USA Tactical Paracord.
A sturdy barrel breakaway is the centrepiece.
A hefty tug is needed to release the breakaway.
It pops open to keep you safe if needed and pops easily back together again.

Our KidCompanionsChewelry and SentioCHEWS are recommended by occupational therapists to support individuals affected by mild to severe Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other issues associated with sensory challenges. The need to move, for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can also be satisfied by using the jaw muscles to chew and bite.

Our chew pendants double up as efficient hand fidgets especially our heart shaped KidCompanions with their worry stone dip combined with the pleasing textures of the smooth, hard centre dot and surrounding rubbery material.

Awesome Parent Testimonials:

1. Courtney, “As a mother of a 7 year old boy, I like this chewy a lot. It’s cute, but it doesn’t stand out. Our son used to wear a chew tube on a lanyard and many people thought it was a dog chewy toy. (I kid you not.) The SentioCHEWS is as stylish as it is durable and our son loves the bright color of it. My point is that this chewy doesn’t
make him stand out when he’s wearing it.

It merely looks like a cute ice cream cone
necklace.”

2. Sally Ann, "My son loves SentioCHEWS!
He has one in the school jumper colour and is
allowed to wear it at school and one for home.
It’s cheaper for us to buy them from you
and pay postage to the UK than it is to get
something similar from the UK - also as far
as I can tell, the other brands are not strong
enough for 9 year old chewers either.

I have just ordered him two more.”

3. Thankful mom, “Your Chewelry gives dignity
to children with special needs. Thank you for a
product that maintains a child’s dignity because it is stylish and discreet. Other kids
will not make fun of my child for having this sensory oral-motor tool/chewy because
it looks like an ordinary accessory any child would wear.”

Hopefully your days of ruined, chewed belongings will soon be over. With SentioLife Solutions’ TWO CHOICES of chewy/fidgets with different tactile feel you should be able to find a chew necklace to help your child be calm, be more focused, and to satisfy his oral-motor needs.
Happy Chewing!

Follow SentioLife Solutions, Ltd.: