Research
Understanding the Science Behind the Calm
Sensory regulation isn't a guessing game to us; it is a science. At JettProof, our clothing and bedding designs are built on decades of clinical discovery. By transforming the study of deep touch pressure into seamless, breathable everyday wear, we provide the gentle, scientifically proven support individuals need to feel safe, grounded, and completely at ease.
Foundational Science
What is Deep Touch Pressure?
Our products support the sensory system by delivering consistent Deep Touch Pressure (DTP). To understand why DTP is so effective, it helps to look at how the human nervous system naturally processes touch.
Our skin contains highly specialised receptors that send different signals to the brain:
- Light/Superficial Touch: Processed near the surface, a light brush or tickle can actually alert a sensitive nervous system, sometimes triggering a distressing "fight-or-flight" response.
- Medium Touch: Provides structured contact that begins to balance and stabilise baseline regulation levels.
- Deep/Firm Pressure: Reaches deep receptors embedded in the skin, such as the Pacinian corpuscles. This deep stimulation signals to the brain that the body is safe, triggering a biological shift from a stressed state to a restful, regulated state.
Decades of Clinical Evidence
The journey to wearable sensory solutions didn't happen overnight. It was founded on decades of clinical observations, academic research, and a deep understanding of individuals with sensory needs. Here are some of the breakthrough moments that led JettProof to develop the first-ever wearable compression clothing.
1891: Foundational Understanding of the Senses
Our foundational understanding of how the body senses and navigates the physical world is rooted in the groundbreaking work of Sir Charles Scott Sherrington. Sherrington documented that the nervous system does not merely react as a series of isolated electrical loops, but rather functions as a unified mechanism to coordinate movement and maintain internal balance. He mapped the sensory dermatomes and highlighted fundamental real-world physiological behaviours, such as the "scratch reflex", as natural mechanisms driven by what he termed "reciprocal innervation." His discovery proved that the spinal cord and synapses actively manage overstimulated reflexes, allowing the complex machinery of the body to achieve balance and purposeful action.
1972: Pioneering Research on Sensory Dysfunction
The realisation that our brains must seamlessly organise chaotic environmental inputs is central to the groundbreaking work of Dr A. Jean Ayres (1972). In her landmark book, Sensory Integration and the Child, Ayres documented that individuals with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (now often called Sensory Processing Disorder) struggle to process and synthesise information from the senses efficiently. She highlighted real-world behaviours, such as children overreacting to the texture of clothing tags, as natural, instinctive coping mechanisms of a nervous system trying to find its footing. Her pioneering research shifted the paradigm, proving that these behaviours are not willful misbehaviour, but rather a direct neurological response to a sensory environment that feels entirely disorganised.
1978: Heavy Work for Autism
The understanding that sensory integration is a lifelong necessity is central to Lorna Jean King's groundbreaking work. Collaborating closely with Dr Ayres, King initially brought sensory theory into adult psychiatry, but it was her transformative work with a 4-year-old boy named "Jimmy" that redefined her career. By engaging Jimmy, who presented with profound autistic traits, in purposeful sensory-motor activities, King demonstrated that intense physical experiences, such as movement and heavy work, could successfully organise a chaotic nervous system.
1981: Documenting Self-Regulation in Autistic Children
The realisation that autistic behaviours are direct responses to internal stress is central to the groundbreaking work of Kootz, Marinelli, and Cohen. The researchers documented that complex environmental stimuli trigger intense sensory over-arousal within the nervous system of autistic children, even when they appear outwardly detached. They highlighted behaviours, such as repetitive rocking, not as purposeless actions, but as vital self-regulatory coping mechanisms. Kootz and her team proved that these behaviours are a defence strategy to block out overwhelming external inputs, helping the child artificially lower their heart rate, reduce internal chaos, and regain behavioural stability.
1991: Deep Pressure for Regulation
Proving that targeted deep touch pressure can directly calm severe, high-risk distress is at the heart of the groundbreaking work by Marjorie K. McClure and Michele Holtz-Yotz. In their landmark clinical study, the researchers documented that providing consistent, structured pressure to the limbs could successfully modulate central nervous system processing in individuals with autism. By applying foam-padded compression splints to a child's arms, McClure and Holtz-Yotz proved that replacing chaotic internal sensations with predictable, steady deep pressure naturally calmed the over-aroused nervous system. This therapeutic intervention dramatically reduced self-injury, decreased body rocking, and enabled the child to achieve the neurological stability needed to focus and interact comfortably with the world around them.
1992: The Hug Machine
Building on this groundbreaking work, Dr Temple Grandin utilised her lived experience as an autistic individual navigating an intensely overwhelming sensory environment. Dr Grandin famously designed and built the "hug machine" (or squeeze machine) during her college years to deliver deep, controllable pressure to soothe her own sensory system.
In her landmark paper, "Calming Effects of Deep Touch Pressure," she documented how individuals with a hypersensitive nervous system instinctively seek out intense physical pressure to self-regulate. She highlighted real-world behaviours, such as children wrapping their limbs tightly in elastic bandages, sleeping under multiple heavy blankets even in warm weather, or crawling under heavy mattresses, as natural, innate coping mechanisms to help overstimulated muscles and minds finally settle down.
Combining History with Modern Innovation
While early sensory therapy relied on heavy, static, or bulky items like weighted blankets, weighted vests, or gym mats, JettProof has modernised this incredible science.
By pairing decades of foundational research with modern textile innovation, we design lightweight, highly breathable sensory garments and bedding. We take the proven science of a calming "hug" and turn it into a practical, everyday wearable item. To learn more about the being of JettProof, see our founder's story.
Leading the Way: Current Clinical Research
It's one thing to look back at decades of incredible sensory science, but it's another to build on it actively. We are committed to putting our own products to the test, shaping a new, scientifically validated future for sensory support.
We are incredibly proud to partner with leading institutions on a landmark, world-first clinical trial to scientifically validate the health and economic benefits of sensory compression garments.
The La Trobe University Clinical Trial
Following a promising pilot study, we are currently participating in a two-year clinical trial, a major milestone for the sensory community.
- The Goal: To provide rigorous scientific evidence for what families already experience every day, the power of sensory compression clothing to create calm, focus, and connection.
- The Method: 140 Autistic children aged 8 to 12 across Melbourne and Perth are wearing a specialised JettProof Sensory Compression Singlet daily for three months.
- What is Being Measured: Independent researchers are tracking precise changes in daily mood, sleep quality, emotional regulation, and overall family well-being.
- A Unique Collaboration: This landmark project is in partnership with The Kids Research Institute. It is the very first study of its kind to evaluate both the health outcomes and the long-term economic benefits of a sensory compression garment for families.
References
Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory integration and learning disorders. Western Psychological Services.
Grandin, T. (1992). Calming effects of deep touch pressure in patients with autistic disorder, college students, and animals. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2(1), 63–72.
King, L. J. (1978). Toward a science of adaptive behavior: Ameliorating the consequences of sensory deprivation. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 32(7), 423–428.
Kootz, J. P., Marinelli, B., & Cohen, D. J. (1982). Modulation of response to environmental stimulation in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 12(2), 185–193.
McClure, M. K., & Holtz-Yotz, M. (1991). The effects of deep pressure on self-injurious behavior in a child with autism and other disabilities. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45(1), 72–77.
Sherrington, C. S. (1891). Note on the knee-jerk and the correlation of action of antagonistic muscles. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 49(296-301), 47–48.