Problem Statement
Our clients are a mother and her child. This child in particular has numerous neurological diseases. In order for us to accommodate to both her needs as well as the child’s we must examine his condition and deduce what will satisfy both. The child has a combination of neurological diseases so with each individual diagnosis it is difficult to find an enjoyable toy for a child. This is where the need for a personalized development toy was introduced.
Our client had initially approached the bioengineering department in the Volgenau School of Engineering for a quick fix for one of his toys he enjoyed playing with. She wanted to add a simple switch in order to be able to turn off the toy if for instance the child would refuse to let go of it. At this time, we are trying to improve her initial request by taking it a step further and help our client. In essence, a toy for him which will adapt to his development needs and help reinforce information he receives from his therapies as well as give him a toy that is enjoyable. We are assisting the mothers needs in helping her give him a personalized toy that is fun for him and easy to use.
For the mother, we had to take in her specific needs since we will be testing the device through her. As a mother who has gone through many different toys for her son we would need to be sure to customize it to her needs as she is the primary client. The mother had asked to make the toy collapsible or easy to store away. She also informed us of her previous experience with overly noisy toys and wanted to point it that the toy not become a nuisance if on for a long period of time. She also asked to make it enjoyable for her son, along with stimulating his motor and visual sensations. From her sons therapy she also wanted to encourage a positive feedback if something was completed properly although not to ask for repetition to make sure he does not become discouraged.
As we had learned about her son we also realized he also has specific needs of his own. Because of his medical conditions he is not able to sit up properly, so we would have to make the toy for him so that it is best suited if he is in his wheel chair or on a play mat. As a child of course it must be enjoyable for him.
When approaching this problem we will need to take into consideration the neurological conditions of the child not only separately but also as a unit to see where his development stage is currently at, as well as where it will further reach. In an attempt to target specifically motor skills, ocular stimuli, something enjoyable, and most importantly something that will assist the mother to help with her child’s further development.
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