For some kids with autism, staying calm under stress is challenging. That was the case with Stuart Jackson’s son, Joshua. When the boy got anxious, he needed to be held tightly to calm down.
Many people with autism find deep-touch pressure soothing. There are various machines and devices to help. But they are expensive, oversized, and awkward to use in a home or classroom—the places where autistic children are most usually found.
Mr. Jackson had an idea. The Overland Park, Kansas, dad consulted a creative engineering group for help. He approached the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) in the Blue Valley School District of Kansas City.
There, a group of high school juniors and seniors tackled the assignment: Create a piece of furniture that soothes an agitated child and fits aesthetically into a home or classroom environment. The students were also told to keep the final product affordable.
The CAPS team started with existing resources. They used a papasan chair, a swim noodle, an inflatable air bag, and a remote-controlled air pump to build their designs. Then they tested their inventions, the Sensory Chair and the Sensory Lounger, with actual kids.
One of the testers was close to a frantic meltdown when his turn came. He crawled into the chair, and it inflated to apply gentle pressure around him—like a big hug. CAPS instructor Keith Manbeck told the Kansas City Star, “He just calmed right down.”
Four additional children had similar responses. The CAPS team and Mr. Jackson believe they have a solution. The students applied for a patent. Next, they will create a business model—a plan for producing and selling the chairs, with estimates of potential profit for investors. With that, they will then seek funding to begin manufacturing the chairs—or sell their idea to another company already in operation.
The project shifted one student’s focus on how to use his engineering interests. Senior Zach Naatz told the Star, “I really wanted to be on the aerospace project. But then I read about this one and changed my mind. . . . I knew it was going to help people, and then when I saw the impact it had, I really wanted to see it succeed.”
Life is full of challenges, but God gave people determination and creativity. Even young people like the CAPS students can bring merciful solutions to hardships in our sin-corrupted world. What might your role be?
