Mother creates bracelet with visual cues to help autistic patients

Quickly after her son was diagnosed with autism, Denise went to learn more about visual cues (single-image pictures that help those with language and communication challenges perform everyday tasks). This process takes advantage of the fact that people with autism think in pictures, so visual cues help them follow a schedule, manage behaviour, tolerate new activities, and communicate with others.

The mother started using visual cues with her son and realised that her son’s behaviour and language skills improved dramatically with the use of visual cues. However, the cues were often time-consuming to make and cumbersome to transport and manage. And she also wanted to share this successful communication method with other people who lived with autistic patients. This meant that Denise had to invent her own visual cues so that they were portable, fashionable and fun to use.

That’s how she had the idea to create a silicone bracelet with visual cues. “If I only had cues on a bracelet, then I could capture teachable moments in any setting”, she recalled. And that’s when the QCharm Portable Visual Cue System was born. The device displays visual cues printed on flat-surfaced charms that clip onto silicone wristbands, helping the user to get to an activity to another without a meltdown.

According to the inventor, the greatest advantage of this solution is how the bracelet helps caregivers and teachers to manage the patients’ needs more easily, allowing them to leave the house and participate in activities with others.

Denise founded her own company around this device. However, she closed it in 2014, when she and her family moved to Wales, UK.

Adapted from: https://longitudes.ups.com/qcharm/

More info: https://www.facebook.com/QCharmLLC/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIH9rqlKdww