Sometimes cuddly teddy bears just don’t work in calming a child or young adult being transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Bill Carey, a firefighter/EMT with Newington Fire Department, was recently watching a TV program about autism that talked about stimulation devices.
An idea was born, and with a few inexpensive items purchased at Walmart, Carey invented a gadget that he hopes will work with patients who have autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or anxiety.
“I grew up with a brother with physical and mental disabilities, so this is close to my heart,” Carey said. “Children and even adults with those types of diagnoses respond to different stimuli.”