When the school she worked in posted a picture of Miss Maplethorpe with her tennis ball chair invention, little did she think it would be viewed by a hundred thousand people around the world.
The teacher who works at Raymond Ellis Elementary School in Illinois, came up with the idea for the special chair to help children with sensory disorder, autism and Down syndrome.
The Facebook post explained:
“Sensory seating is used for students who may have difficulty processing information from their senses and from the world around them. Tennis balls on the seat and backrest provide an alternative texture to improve sensory regulation. Tennis balls on the seat and backrest of the chairs provide an alternative texture which can improve sensory regulation”
And the reaction has been overwhelming. The post has been shared over a hundred thousand times and it has also provided a bit of a forum for parents who think their child would benefit from such a genius idea:
Rebecca Crow says:
“This teacher needs to go right now and get a Utility and Design Patent. This is BRILLIANT!”
Deb Hoover adds:
“Thinking out of the box with sensory student’s is a wise idea. It’s all trial and error. They all have different needs and likes. We had a student who loved to sit on a water fill pad. No one made them till I found a way too make one. Good Job. A sign of a great special needs teacher. After 25 years of working with these student’s it’s nice to see others sensitive to their needs”
Mary Magers says:
“My autistic daughter, who is also sensory seeking, will purposely stand in bowls of legos or wooden blocks. We have also had to find alternatives to her wrapping cords, leashes, and strings around her neck and pulling, (fortunately wearing a cape provides the necessary sensation she is seeking). Sometimes there is no telling what will calm a sensory seeking child.”
Now that is someone who is passionate about what they do.
