Oche

Last crawled date: 1 year, 11 months ago

Take something simple, something ordinary, something “everyday”—for example, a school desktop. Note that it has a sense of monotony to it; no student walks into a classroom and feels relaxed and comfortable at that desktop, and this is especially the case for special needs students. These students often enter classrooms where the desktops are too small, or too cramped, or their environments too mundane, and these children often suffer, some having outbursts that can cause harm to them and their aids. Recognizing this, the idea for a specific desktop to perhaps stimulate these students—especially those on the autistic spectrum—came to mind. And thus, Oche was created.

Being designed similar to normal school desks, however, implied that Oche should be of a certain size so that these students could sit comfortably at them without feeling cramped, and also be available to mass produce and reduce cost. The desktop should also feature some form of a stimulus for the students, and be interchangeable. The desktop features a vertical orientation, so as to “grow with” the students as they go through the years for school, and makes mass production easier; now the desktop can be produced to fit on elementary, middle, and high school desks. In addition, Oche has pockets of 2.5” x 2.5” x 0.5” with magnets at their bottoms lining the desk outside. Sitting in these pockets are fidgets—objects designed so that children on the special needs and autistic spectrums may otherwise distract themselves, vent out frustration at being uncomfortable due to their environments, etc. The fidgets are designed to have the same base—with corresponding magnets in their own bases—, be interchangeable, and feature both fidgets originally designed by Oche or by a third party.

The benefits of fidgets seem to be endless, according to Friendshipcircle.org, a website designed to aid parents of autistic children by offering advice on how to handle these children during an episode they may have, along with other skills. Special education teacher Melissa Ferry, who before teaching had done research for and volunteered at Friendship Circle for seven years, considers the idea that if movement can be directed, it can enhance learning in children on these spectrums, and that movement is essential for learning because the child is must utilize both hemispheres of the brain, increasing brain activity and in some cases even aiding in the development of the brain, depending on how early the child is introduced to fidgets, in addition to how severe their special needs condition is, such as mild versus severe autism in a child at age three as opposed to a child age 7. That’s why children really need Oche—they need this type of stimulus in an environment that is often so overwhelming to them. Picture a child with autism, sitting in an ordinary classroom, participating as actively as they can in every activity, so long as they have this desktop that allows them to release any pent up anxiety or stress they have in that environment, or letting that be a signal to their teacher that they may need some help or one-on-one help. Doesn’t sound like something every child deserves? A chance to not be ostracized and accepted by their peers, while not facing all the stress that normally comes with it?
Liverpool High School
Advisor: David Chartrand