Ideation Stage
I originally came up with this idea during the lockdown before this class started. A year prior I tried touch EMDR therapy to help with my heightened anxiety due to my Autism and it worked better than anything else I had tried. The idea initially started as a way for me to be able to receive EMDR therapy when my therapist went virtual and morphed into a way to make therapy less scary for children. But before I could begin building, I first had to create a plan as to how I was going to do it and receive feedback from my peers that may know more about some aspects of the project than I do.
Problem definition: Current mental health services are expensive, inaccessible, and don't always work for neurodivergent people.
Before I could make a plan I had to first start by doing research about what else is on the market that might be similar to the solution I'm creating. Turns out that the closest product on the market is a purring stuffed animal which doesn't have the benefits of sensory therapy, or EMDR bilateral stim wearables, there are also weighted and compression blankets and clothing items that are expensive and hard to find. This cemented my goal of creating a product that is accessible to therapists and everyday people alike.
The research also included finding out what parts I'd need for my project order list and looking up code on YouTube and GitHub that provides a similar function to what I'm trying to code.
Problem Research
Children with autism find it hard to adapt to changing environments which can lead to an increase in self-harm and stress. Children with ADHD have an increase of hyperactivity that can lead to heightened impulses. Children with OCD can experience heightened compulsions related to fear of infections and hoarding tendencies. Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations
“At least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom was reported by more than one-half of respondents who were aged 18–24 years (74.9%) and 25–44 years (51.9%), of Hispanic ethnicity (52.1%), and who held less than a high school diploma (66.2%), as well as those who were essential workers (54.0%), unpaid caregivers for adults (66.6%), and who reported treatment for diagnosed anxiety (72.7%), depression (68.8%), or PTSD (88.0%) at the time of the survey.” Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020 | MMWR
“A significant reduction of PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, and autistic features concerning social motivation and communication following EMDR therapy, on top of the TAU condition, was found. Moreover, the participants experienced a significant lower level of daily life impairment related to the traumatic events following EMDR therapy.” Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy as a Feasible and Potential Effective Treatment for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a History of Adverse Events | SpringerLink
EMDR therapy for children sometimes utilizes a stuffed animal as a controlled form of dissociation. Stuffed animals also help combat self-harm in children due to them being instructed to cuddle or hug the plush toy every time they get an impulse to self-harm. This study found it was effective when a child is in a stressful situation in absence of a nurturing parent. (PDF) Stuffed Animal as a Source of Comfort in Group Psychotherapy
“Despite autistic people being at significantly increased risk of mental health problems and suicidality than the general population, they appear to be less likely to be able to access support and treatment for these difficulties.” 'People like me don't get support': Autistic adults' experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality - Louise Camm-Crosbie, Louise Bradley, Rebecca Shaw, Simon Baron-Cohen, Sarah Cassidy, 2019
The code from this video was the very first code I used in my project and what I put for my initial project proposal/progress update.
Progress update
My peers and I took turns going over our initial plans and gave feedback. My plan initially started with coding two motors to respond to two potentiometers that control both. One controls the rate of the motors' alternating taps, and another controls the intensity of the taps. I also told them the final goal of putting the circuit inside the stuffed animal and allowed them to comment on it.