A team of university students has designed a backpack to help students with autism excel at school.
Children with autism often have difficulty processing sensory information and the backpack aims to keep them as comfortable as possible.
The Nesel Pack features straps that mimic the feeling of being hugged, as well as pouches for weights which can often be soothing for children with autism.
It also has a slot for a name card to help with identification and clips for any sensory tools a student may require.
The backpack was created as part of a yearlong program called Entrepreneurship in Action undertaken by six students at the University of Minnesota.
Graduating senior and Nesel Pack CEO Martha Pietruszewski told ABC News US a fellow student from a foster family background came up with the idea after seeing lots of students with autism and other learning disabilities.
“We thought something as simple as a backpack would be beneficial because they could bring that to school and be comfortable,” she said.
Occupational therapist Lydia Brodegard told ABC News US the weight feature and hugging straps could possibly lead to “improving poor attention and self-stimulatory behaviours”.
“[Deep pressure] increases their arousal level and helps sustain their attention in the classroom.”
The students have partnered with a local autism services provider to bring the backpack to the market and have started a Kickstarter campaign to help them bring down the production costs of the bag.
It will undergo further testing but is already available for sale.
Parents are advised to speak with their child’s occupational therapist before using any devices related to sensory issues.
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/technology/2016/03/20/09/33/university-students-design-backpack-to-make-students-with-autism-more-comfortable-in-the-classroom#Ku7DciW6rsI8klZm.99