Grabbing Mistakes
Misinterpretations of why the person grabs and hangs on tight for so long are common. Any moving object within reach may be perceived as a projectile that threatens their survival. When they grab onto another person and hurt them, the other person will naturally feel like they have been assaulted. Their instinct is a fight or flight reaction. Trying to get away is apt to make the person functioning within ACL 2.8 feel unsteady, so they hold on tighter. Fighting will probably put both people on the floor because the person's balance is unsteady. If the other person can inhibit the fight or flight reaction, the person functioning within ACL 2.8 will probably release their grasp in a minute or two.
The other problem with grasping anything is grabbing onto unstable and breakable objects which should be removed when possible.
People within ACL 2.8 have special needs that are critical because a failure is dangerous for staff members and brutal for people who spend months and years functioning within this mode. The key to humanitarian care is that they can grasp but not release an external object. Finding safe objects has been extremely difficult.
Finally, I had an epiphany … dog toys! I'm serious because they are sturdy, washable, without removable attachments, and cute. Personalising objects to grab onto is easy because there are so many toys in so many stores. In my opinion the disadvantage is the squeakers, which can be quite annoying. The dog toys in the picture have no squeakers. The flat toy does not have a squeaker but makes a crinkly sound that is relatively quiet, which I appreciate but have found it to be difficult to find in discount stores.
All of these toys are long enough to be grabbed onto with both hands and soft enough to be useless as a weapon.
This owl has great eyes embroidered into the fabric. My dog has not been able to remove his feet, wings, ears or beak, and not for want of trying.
My dog is of the opinion that squeakers are there as an invitation to tear stuffed animals apart, and he usually succeeds with the smaller toys. Medium to larger sizes seem to have stronger seams that resist his efforts.
Squeakers differ and should be tested in the store, prior to purchase.
Dog rope toys should be long enough for both hands but not much longer. Most rope toys come with a long rope and a tennis ball, which is a dangerous weapon. Careful policies about maximum length and no attached balls will be needed.
I am excited about the variety of sturdy critters and rope toys that can solve the dehumanising and fearful characteristics of functioning within ACL 2.8. Historically, they have sadly been treated like dogs. The irony is that dog toys are the tools for finding their humanity because we anthropomorphise our pet's toys.
