Balance Bean

Happiness House is a program based in Monroe County, NY, that provides autistic children with the freedom to learn through playing. The center needed a new product that could be used in conjunction with its play curriculum. The current class curriculum allows students to play freely, but teachers seek a way to foster playing together.

How can I design a sensory station that encourages parallel play?

My goal for this project was to do more than jsut develop a table top with fidget toys. I wanted to design a piece of furniture that provided students with various sensory and play options. The Balance Bean acts as a table top filled with different play options or a rocker that offers a calmer, stimulating environment.

Duration:

1 Year

Tools:

Woodworking

Fusion 360

Adobe Illustrator

Sewing

Client Background

The Golisano Autism Center is an exemplary program that has been developed to provide services to individuals with autism. At the Golisano Autism Center, service providers work together under one roof, providing families with a convenient and transformative one-stop approach to accessing a wide range of resources. Their team is available to assist individuals and their families, making the process of accessing care and support easier and more seamless. They value inclusivity, empowerment, collaboration, and innovation.

Happiness House is a program within the Golisano Autism Center where children with autism can learn, play, and socialize as they begin to understand the world around them. The program utilizes a play curriculum to facilitate social understanding and development. They believe in the principles of equal opportunity, independence, and the realization of individual potential.

Happiness House employees are dedicated, knowledgeable, and committed to the Agency’s mission and vision. When I visited the center and witnessed their work in person, I developed a deep connection to their energy and commitment.

Site Visits

Sensory Play

General Play

Imagination Play

Calm Corner

Through the use of a play-based curriculum, teachers at Happiness House create a setting filled with sensory opportunities where their preschoolers (ages 3-6) can learn more than just the ABCs and counting. The classroom set-up helps them develop better communication, social, and problem-solving skills. In play-based learning, the teacher’s role is to motivate and encourage the children to learn through interactions that expand their thinking.

My interview with the program revealed that students preferred anything with ABCs, numbers, mirrors, and bright colors. Teachers also use a bleach-based cleaning product and requested that materials be easy to clean.

Ideation

prototyping

After choosing the basic form, I began prototyping the overall shape. For my first prototype, I utilized cardboard to get a feel for the size and functionality of the station. My second prototype was made using plywood and 1/2” dowels. This prototype allowed me to test run the CNC machine and create a guide for the cushion.