Many children with autism go to school. All of the sensory stimuli that other students find mundane, such as the sound of a school bus or loud music, can be overwhelming for children with autism. Children with autism face a more difficult challenge going to school compared to the students without autism.
For these reasons, a group of students at the University of Minnesota have decided to start a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise funds for a special backpack they designed for children with autism, The Huffington Post reports. The special backpack is called Nesel Packs, which can be used by children with autism when they go to school or when they travel.
"We had hundreds of meetings with parents, occupational therapists, teachers, and leaders in the autism community to learn what exactly we could do to most benefit the students," University of Minnesota senior student Martha Pietruszewski wrote on the Nesel Packs Kickstarter page. "Our backpack is designed for students on the autism spectrum, ages 6-12."
Congrats @Nesel_Packs 4 surpassing $10k goal on Kickstarter! All can check out the backpack at #FraserWalk April 16 pic.twitter.com/E9rAVRGLML
— Fraser (@FraserMinnesota) March 23, 2016
The Nesel Packs backpack for children with autism consists of different features. It has pockets for electronics, sensory tool clips, weight pouches, security strap, hip straps to distribute weight, hugging straps for the chest area, reinforced and durable bottom area and name card holder.
The Nesel Packs backpack for children with autism currently costs $115. "$115 seems like a lot to spend on a backpack, but because of the extra features the Nesel Pack offers, as well as the increased durability, it's a great deal," Pietruszewski explained. "With your help, we want to get these bags into the hands of as many students as possible."
Students with autism can definitely benefit a lot from the Nesel Packs backpacks. Children with autism are easily overwhelmed by different sensory stimuli and have communication difficulties, feeling empathy for others, learning disabilities and lack of interest in different kinds of play and other activities, according to WebMD.
