A team of Brigham Young University students has created a stuffed animal toy featuring technology that provides autistic children with visual cues for upcoming tasks, according to an October 3 report.
The company, Sensory Solutions, produces stuffed animals called Merfies that sync with an app to help parents align timers with a child's schedule.
The innovation addresses the difficulty many autistic children face when transitioning between activities. Ryan Andersen, a student in the exercise sciences program, noted that children with autism often hyperfixate on specific activities, making it difficult to switch tasks or leave a comfort zone.
Ben McBride, an entrepreneurship student, stated that the team found transitioning to be one of the biggest problems for parents and caregivers of autistic children through their interviews. The Merfies toys aim to bridge the gap between clinical tools and everyday usability by integrating structured visual cues into a child-friendly design.
The project received funding through the BYU Crocker Innovation Fellowship. The team includes students such as Andersen and Taylor, who noted that the university provides a great environment for driving such missions forward.
During the trial phase, some families found the prototype effective for managing daily routines. One participant, Brandee Hansen, and her daughter Quinlee requested to keep the prototype until the final product is released to the market because of how effective the innovation was for them.
The team's work is informed by research into the stressors faced by families, including the high cost of therapy and the strain transitions can place on marriages. Andersen contributed a science-informed perspective to the team by applying concepts like technology push and market pull from his studies.
Sensory Solutions has already seen promising results during the testing phase. Several clinics in Utah have indicated a willingness to adopt the product as the team works toward its objective of improving lives for neurodivergent individuals and their parents.
The team aims to bring the Merfies innovation to the commercial market to assist neurodivergent individuals and their caregivers.
