I design "stuff" to help my aspie

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I'm new here to Wrong Planet but am really looking forward to learning from you all! My son turns 6 next week and has Aspergers/HFA.

I'm wired as a designer so I've used our OT experience to design some sensory help to help our little guy.

I'd love to hear any ideas you might have on products (which don't already exist) I could make or sew to help other aspie kids!

Maria

What sort of stuff have you designed?

I am interested in interfaces for people with motor and as a result communication problems, which is common in ASD. The most I done so far is design some touch screen software for reading pdf files. The idea was to test a concept of interface other than WIMP, which we have got rather stuck on but can be very inaccessible to many people. The pdf reader was just an application of this.

Interface is the most important thing really. You do need to get the physical interface right first, before anything else like software. We take interfaces like keyboards for granted. I have a few ideas but can't be sure whether this will work until they are tried. Unfortunately the so called accessibility market is basically getting unsuitable "boys toy" like PDAs and sticking some superficial packing on them, in some case attempting to limit the function so it can’t be resold, and then niche marketing them to parents of disabled children.

So far, I am selling my visual schedules and weighted products. I have a lot of other ideas, but am trying to keep business balanced with our home needs. I'll try to post a link to my site. I'd LOVE to see more appropriate software, but that's not my area of expertise. My design skills are in paper and fabric products.
Maria
I'm new here so it'll be a few days before I can post a link. We limit electronics with our little guy.

I can understand why you might limit electronics, however if it is to be your sole means of communication that is a different situation. Besides task dedicated system would be preferable in many cases to limit breakdown and problems.

I prefer heat to pressure. There are places where you can get large heat pads. However non-scented ones are few and far between, and even if they are non-scented because they are made in the same place the sent is strongly infused. Lavender is extremely powerful stuff. You need to keep to separate, if you don't want the sent to be everywhere. You can wash the cover but there is nothing to can do to get it out of the pads.

As you develop a list I would love to know where its posted so I may look for more concepts and ideas to use with those important people in my life.