feel, experience, elja®
For many years, I have been supporting our special, autistic son with various therapies. During sensory integration therapy, I was confronted with the importance of promoting depth perception and the development of the senses. On the advice of our therapist, I began searching for heavy, soft objects. I couldn't find anything suitable, so I sewed my son a stuffed animal myself and filled it with quartz sand (2013). That was the birth of my first weighted animal. This is how, out of necessity, the idea for my weighted animals, and later elja®, was born. Read the full story in the elja® blog here.
Say YES to who you are, how you are and what you are.
About me
My name is Elisa Wegl, I am married and mother of two wonderful sons. elja® is my special path. A task that gives me great joy. A creative and supportive job, a social project with vision. In the beginning, I financed our son's therapy with the weight animals , which has since evolved into elja® , a social business and company of the new era. Since June 2023, we have also been a certified social enterprise - Verified Social Enterprise (VSE Label). I would like to work with elja® , my weight animals , and the elja® playgroup and the elja® perception, play and experience room to make a difference and to support people in their perception so that they can concentrate better , so that they can relax and feel good .
A social contribution is very important to me and part of our business philosophy .
With the weight animals we promote physical depth perception and concentration for better school and social participation and potential development.
In addition, I provide educational work and knowledge transfer (e.g. with workshops, lectures, trade fairs, conferences, congresses, elja® perception room) on the topic of perception problems and would like to create better conditions and more understanding for people with perception problems in kindergartens, schools, at work and at home.
I would like to contribute to social participation and physical well-being for children and young people with perception problems.
Another concern for me is sustainability and regionality . I offer people from the region a valued, meaningful workplace and ensure that all materials are sourced as close as possible and that our products are durable and sustainably produced.
In order to be able to fully dedicate myself to my passion project, I took a very important step in the summer of 2021. I gathered all my courage and quit my bank job (after 27 years), leaving the safe and familiar structure of an employee life to be free to follow my path with and for elja® to go. I believe in elja® and my visions.
Since June 2021, I've also been collaborating with a psychosocial facility . The clients there provide valuable preparatory work for my turtles, and I can support their project with my fee.
With the elja® Special Needs Pot, we have been supporting families in need in acquiring a weight animal for several years.
Important milestones and/or training in my life:
1974: my own birth :-)
1993: Matura at the HBLA in Tulln
1993-2021: Bank employee.
1998: our dream wedding
2005: House construction
2006: Birth of our first son
2009: Birth of our second son
2012: first suspicion of autism in our younger son, 2013 confirmed diagnosis
2013: Autism Congress in Vienna
2013: Development of weight animals. Learn more about the history of weight animals here.
2018: my first employee joined and I started a production team, in 2019 the second followed, in 2020 the third employee
2019: The brand name elja® was created. Read about the origins of the name here in the elja® blog.
June 2021: Start of cooperation with the psychosocial facility WerkRaum Tulln
July 2021: I quit my bank job
Autumn 2021: the elja® power messages were created at the same time I dared to take the leap into 100% self-employment
2022: Our manufacturing workshop moves out of my private house and into our workshop in Michelhausen.
2023: Start of conversion of the warehouse into a perception, play, adventure and therapy room
June 2023: Award ceremony for the VSE label at the Hofburg. VSE = Verified Social Enterprise.
June 2023: the fourth employee joined our team and has been making sure that everything is clean ever since.
2023-2024: Cosmic Healing training with Anke Evertz
03/2024: Autism Congress in Bremen
01-04/2024: Training to become a playgroup leader with a focus on sensory integration
April 2023: Basic training Komm!ASS Interaction and language initiation for people on the autism spectrum with Ulrike Funke
May 2024: Start of lectures and workshops on the topic "When weight is a burden* - Autism, perception problems, high sensitivity in everyday therapy, kindergarten, school, and family life."
Autumn 2024: Start of the elja® playgroups in the new elja® perception, play and experience room
You can find out more about our social and sustainable business philosophy here: VSE Verified Social Enterprise Label award.
*Word creation by Kristina Köcher, occupational therapist, who explored the topic in more detail in her bachelor's thesis " ELJA - WEIGHT ANIMALS: WHEN WEIGHT LIGHTENS THE BURDEN Practical experiences of occupational therapists - a qualitative study" .
My visions :
My great vision is to build a center of awareness where children and their parents are empowered and supported. A place of encounter , support , development , learning , exchange , joie de vivre , innovation , inspiration , creativity , and joy . "Learning-Laughing-Working."
I took the first step toward this goal in 2024 with the elja® Perception, Play, and Experience Room to Promote Perception . Here, I offer playgroups with a focus on perception and sensory integration . I would also like to include educators, coaches, and therapists in an expanded, independent elja® team who will support the children on-site in their learning and also promote their perception. Completely tailored to the children's needs and strengths. Holistic learning. Perception through all the senses.
Supporting and caring for one another is very important to me personally, both in my private life and as an entrepreneur. I want to see a spirit of mutual respect and support in kindergarten, school, business, families, and society, and I use this important inner value both as a role model and in dialogue.
Let's strengthen one another. Let's see one another. Let's help one another.
By the way, the YES in elja® stands for...
"Say YES to who you are, how you are and what you are"
