ELLO - toy for child motor skills development.

• Main Author: Wee, Yen Lynn.
• Other Authors: School of Art, Design and Media
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Visual arts and music::Design::Product
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52492
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The development of healthy motor skills is a vital stage in a child’s life as his physical ability depends on how well he can control his movements. However there are children who experience difficulties in developing their motor skills due to various reasons and hence fall behind their peers in terms of growth milestones though they may not necessarily be lacking in cognitive functioning. With these children in mind, research was done on improving their development through the application of technology, taking into consideration the interactions between the child and his caregivers, especially during physiotherapy sessions conducted by the child’s physiotherapist. Notably, such interactions greatly affect the progress of the child due to varying degrees of leniency and the child’s temperament. As with all other children, learning is most effective when the mind is actively engaged with minimal distractions. Through first-hand observations and detailed readings, the core problem of communication was identified. Frequent consultations with practising child physiotherapists also helped to confirm this. Together with the use of sensory stimuli, the idea was to engage the child during the critical timeslots when therapy was being conducted, while being a form of entertainment for the child at other times of the day. Hence such a device functions as a therapy toy that is safe, enjoyable and user-friendly, bridging the gap between caregivers and child.