Meet Harry
Hurricane tube
Harry’s ‘hurricane tube’ has restored peace and calm in the family home!
Vickie, mum of 6-year-old Harry – who she describes as “a cheeky, happy little boy” – has found that the hurricane tube has had an enormously positive effect on her son, who has Autism.
Harry’s mum, Vickie, describes him as “a cheeky, happy little boy”
Sensory equipment, like hurricane tubes and bubble tubes have been found to help people with Autism who have difficulty with sensory processing and struggle to tune out unnecessary sensory input.
Vickie says:
“Harry’s understanding is very limited and he’s non-verbal, so he can become frustrated easily. But the hurricane tube has really helped provide a sense of calm and distraction for Harry.
“We first noticed the impact of the hurricane tube on Harry when we visited a friend who had one. Harry was glued to it! It was the first time in a long time I’d seen him calm and at ease for any length of time, so we looked into getting one for Harry at home.”
Vickie reached out to Children Today and we were able to offer support in providing the equipment for Harry.
A hurricane tube is a lighted tube, which uses a fan system to blow a flurry of small polystyrene balls throughout the tube to create a mesmerising visual effect.
Vickie continues:
“Harry’s behaviour can be really challenging at times. He prone to breaking things and is obsessed with lights and the taps, so he would often want to repeatedly switch the lights and the taps on and off, which isn’t ideal. Having the hurricane tube seems to have given him a focus and a distraction from this.
“We call it ‘Harry-proof’, because unlike other sensory equipment like a bubble tube, it doesn’t involve any water and it’s too tall for him to reach into, so it’s a much safer option.”
Harry was diagnosed with Autism just before the pandemic, which has impacted on the support Harry and his family received.
Vickie says:
“We’re still finding our feet with Harry’s condition. He seemed to start developing as any other child, but at about 18 months old he stopped verbal communication altogether and didn’t respond to speech and language classes, he just wasn’t interested. Then he was diagnosed with Autism just before the pandemic, so getting the support he needed at that time was difficult.
“But the hurricane tube has helped so much. It helps him stay calmer and that has had a positive impact on the whole family too, because if Harry’s calm, so are we!”
Harry’s hurricane tube is helping to keep him calm and provide the distraction and focus he needs.
