Sylvester Sweeney, a university graduate and aspiring product designer has teamed with the National Autistic Society to help autistic children across Scotland develop their social skills through play.
A young designer has embarked on a mission to get his puzzle projector, a product designed to help autistic children play, into schools across Scotland.
Sylvester Sweeney, a university graduate and aspiring product designer has teamed with the National Autistic Society to help autistic children across Scotland develop their social skills through play.
Called the Aid Autism projector, Sweeney’s product is designed to encourage teamwork by solving puzzles and powering up the projector kinetically, in order to display images of the puzzle illustrations.
The idea originated from a project Sweeney was tasked with while studying at the University of Dundee, but went on to scoop a win in a young innovators competition as well as a £2000 grant to develop the project further.
Sweeney’s project has since gained him media interest ranging from local papers to TV appearances.
“I was proud of my creation, but I didn’t expect to see such a good reaction to it,” Sweeney told ToyNews. “I have had a lot o media coverage and I am now confident that it has the potential to go above and beyond just a university project.”
“I have had interest from schools and I am even teaming up with the National Autistic Society – the UK’s largest Autism Charity – to get my toy into schools across Scotland.”
Sweeney is now preparing to pitch for further funding for the project to help him pursue to the goal of seeing the product become a commonplace item of Scotland’s school itinerary.
“I am looking to get my toy into more schools in Scotland and we’ll see where it goes from there. If I end up with an investment then that is also a bonus, but I have plans for it myself, too."
