A “hugging chair” that calms autistic people has appeared in Ajaccio

In Ajaccio, a “cuddle chair” funded by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) is being tested in a specialized care home since January 2024 to help residents with autism calm their anxiety, in what caregivers say is a convincing experiment .

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Yuna Wolf makes a “cuddle chair” that helps autistic people calm their anxiety.

Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN

“We see a real positive effect on his face, which is relaxing and calming.”insists Yuna Wolf, a specialist teacher who has just started a 20-minute session with Xavier, 34, a resident of Magnolia Reception Center who has severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Using a remote control, the teacher activated compresses on his hips and shoulders, which gradually encased Xavier in that pastel pink leather and wood chair, forcing him to let go of his arms.

“Xavier loves it! This allows him to calm down during times when he may be having minor sensory issues. And at the same time, it’s a moment of pleasure for him because he likes that kind of deep pressure.”, explains Yuna Wolf. This resident’s anxiety may manifest itself through flapping (arm waving), jumping, and vocalizations, the caregiver specifies.

“This is based on very solid scientific research. This is a method that comes from the United States and in particular from the famous Professor Temple Grandin, who created this machine for herself who suffered from disorders and needed to be hugged tightly to reduce her anxiety.”“adds Julie Le Berre, neuropsychologist at this institution run by the Espoir Autisme Corse association.

Tested on ten permanent residents of a foster home. “We saw from eight of them that they liked it.”– she reports, clarifying that “Benefits can last several hours” for sessions lasting “zero to 20 minutes maximum”few times a week.

There are about 700,000 autistic people in France

“The people who use it don’t know how to speak (and testify) however, physical effects are noticeable, with decreased stereotyping, arousal, and relaxation of the body.”– she notes.

Xavier, a patient with severe autism spectrum disorder, relaxes in a “cuddle chair” under the supervision of Yuna Wolf at the Magnolia reception house in Corsica.

Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN

“Once the testing phase is over and we know when to offer them sessions, at what pace and for what optimal duration, we hope to really see a reduction in behavior problems and agitation.”” says this caregiver, who also sees the chair’s potential benefit for some other neurodevelopmental disorders.

This Oto chair, designed by Alexia Audrain, a young cabinetmaker and designer from Nantes, has won several awards, including the Handitech Trophy 2023 (Health Pathway and Devices Prize and Bpifrance Coup de cœur Prize) and the James Dyson Prize. Prize” in 2021.

At this receiving center, where it has been undergoing trials since January, the chair was installed in a hyposensory “clean room” designed for patients with hypersensitivity to various auditory or visual stimulation.

“We are something of a pioneer, since we are the first national ARS to finance this prototype, which we entrusted to the Espoir Autisme Corse association”– said Philippe Mortel, deputy director of ARS Corsica, clarifying that this chair costs a little more than 5,000 euros.

“The challenge is to take stock of the use and, if it is final,” design this chair as “additional tool for autism”, “in establishments, as well as in public places”“, he explains, considering the possibility of installing one of these chairs in the center of Ajaccio. “If cities adapted, we could make society much more livable for these people.”he claims.

Autism spectrum disorders account for 0.9% to 1.2% of births, or about 7,500 children a year, the Ministry of Health reports on Handicap.gouv.fr. The Higher Health Authority estimates that about 100,000 young people under the age of 20 and almost 600,000 adults in France have autism.

AFP/VNA/KVN