This self-compressing chair is a therapeutic furniture designed for individuals with autism

The Oto Chair, or Hugging Chair, is a piece of therapeutic furniture designed for autistic individuals with sensory integration disorders.

“As a designer,” Alexia Audrain says, “you have to be in contact with the user, their environment, their daily habits and always make tests before reaching a finished product.” Describing the process of creating a chair designed for users with autism and sensory integration disorders.

Designer: Alexia Audrain

Considering that 45% to 95% of people with autism have sensory integration disorders, designer Alexia Audrain produced a chair to help quell the effects of sensory overstimulation. The Oto Chair, or Hugging Chair, aims to actively recreate the soothing sensation that comes with being hugged or compressed for individuals with autism.

Putting “a sense of agency and dignity,” back into the design and build of therapeutic furniture was at the forefront of Audrain’s mind when creating the Oto Chair. Honing in on this aspect of its design, Audrain equipped the Oto Chair with a footrest and intuitive remote that grants control to the chair’s sitter. Outfitted with a resistance-foam cushion, sitters use the remote to activate the chair’s compression mode. To draw and construct the Oto Chair, Audrain turned to the community who would benefit most from its function.

Audrain says, “It was important for me to work with people who truly understand the condition, so I spent time with people who have autism, with specialized educators and psychometricians studying sensory processing disorders to understand their needs and their daily life.”

When designing the Oto Chair, Audrain also leaned on her cabinetmaking skills in conjunction with insight she gained from experts in the field of therapeutic furniture. Unlike other therapeutic furniture that’s made from plastic, the Oto Chair maintains a classic, beechwood build that gives it a sturdy and warm personality. Defined by a cocoon silhouette, the Oto Chair couples its unique shape with plush upholstery that absorbs sound and encourages sitters to “concentrate on their senses,” as Audrain describes.

The post This self-compressing chair is a therapeutic furniture designed for individuals with autism first appeared on Yanko Design.

James Dyson Award-winning chair was designed to hug people with autism to help relieve their stress

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

Created to help people on the autistic spectrum overcome stress, the Dyson Award-winning OTO chair uses a set of inflatable cushions to hug the person sitting in the chair. The cushions expand from the sides, emulating the feeling of being body-hugged and helping people with special needs overcome sensory overload.

The OTO chair was designed by Alexia Audrain, who learned more about the special needs of people on the autistic spectrum while she studied cabinetmaking and designing. “Noise, light, or physical contact can be a real challenge in everyday life [for people with autism]”, says Audrain. “To compensate for this sensory disorder, autistic people regularly feel the need to be held very tightly or to be hugged.” This form of deep pressure therapy can have a calming effect and reduce anxiety while improving the person’s sense of body awareness.

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

Sensory overloads are caused when the brain is overwhelmed by the amount of input it receives in a given time (if you’ve ever felt fatigued or stressed after a few hours of doomscrolling, that’s what it is). This neurological ‘traffic jam’ causes people to suffer bouts of stress or panic attacks – something that can be a common occurrence for people on the spectrum. The OTO Chair’s isolating design gives them a ‘cocoon’ to sink into, while the contracting walls on the side help their brain to forget everything and focus on just their body being gently compressed by the soft cushions. Once the overwhelming feeling passes, the cushions can be deflated back to their original shape.

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

The OTO Chair comes with a footrest (that also serves as an Ottoman stool), a textured panel on the side to help people through tactile therapy, and a simple remote with pictograms that helps the person seated to control the chair’s inflating walls. The cushions on the side are designed to expand when unzipped, and will sit flat against the chair when zipped back.

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

Thanks to its cocoon shape, OTO offers privacy and gives a reassuring effect and a feeling of safety for the user, while the upholstery of the chair helps dampen audio, creating a quiet safe space.

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

A National Winner of the James Dyson Award, OTO now progresses to the international leg of the award program, with the results being announced on October 13th.

Designer: Alexia Audrain

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

James Dyson Award-Winner OTO Chair for Autistic People

The post James Dyson Award-winning chair was designed to hug people with autism to help relieve their stress first appeared on Yanko Design.