A mother was seeking help for her daughter whose emotional support item began to fall apart. Valerie is now 21 and has had a special rattle since she was a baby. The rattle is a red, puppy design with a built-in handle and is made from hard plastic. The rattle began to break at the handle joint, so Valerie’s mom attempted to repair it multiple times when she realized the rattle is nearing its life.
The rattle is special to Valerie, as it provides emotional support during times of anxiety and stress. While it offers a calming technique for Valerie at home or out in the community, the rattle also serves a purpose of low-tech communication. When Valerie consistently shakes the rattle without any pauses, she lets her parents know that she is not feeling well.
Valerie’s mom tried to locate the same rattle to purchase anew, but she had no luck finding an existing product, given it had been 21 years later. Mom did purchase a variety of other rattles, but none of them served the same purpose for Valerie. Valerie’s mom learned about the Illinois Assistive Technology Program and the Makers department, while attending the Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professionals (QIDP) conference, when she inquired about creating a replica of the rattle.
The Makers coordinator, with a background in occupational therapy, held a call with Valerie’s mom to gather all necessary information and answers following safety of fabricating a replica. After concluding a safe solution to fabricating a rattle, the engineering team designed the rattle using measurements and images of the rattle that Valerie’s mom designed. The rattle was 3D-printed in red filament then cured with a food-grade safe epoxy, providing durability and making it safe when Valerie seeks light oral stimulation.
The rattle replica made its way to Valerie, and she instantly took to it without access to her original one. Valerie and her parents expressed high gratitude for working hard at finding a solution that can work. The Makers program are also providing a backup rattle just in case! The rattle replica serves its overall purpose for Valerie, but it also provides her parents with ease not having to worry about when the rattle will have to be repaired again.
