Project Description:

Around 1,354,000 children between the ages of eight and twenty-two are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with 30% of these children displaying Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB). ASD is a developmental disorder of the brain, and SIB is the act of behaviors that could result in physical injuries to one’s body. Children with autism who present SIB are recommended by their physician to wear splints that span from below the armpit to above the wrist and contain metal stays to maintain rigidity and restriction. Current splints are expensive and lack long term durability, only lasting around 6 months, leading to a total yearly cost of $1,240. This is where The Splintstones comes in!
Our splint is made of thick, durable, duck cotton fabric and leather to withstand wear and tear. It is equipped with 4 stay pockets that can fit up to 5 metal stays in each, fastened with metal buttons to prevent anything from falling out. The metal stays are topped with rubber end caps to aid in durability. Our splint is fastened with a combination of velcro and belt attachments for quick don- and doffing time. A detachable inner material is made of soft dry fit fabric and is completely machine washable.
We ensured that the device has long term durability by applying at least 5 pounds of force to the elbow joint when fastened to an arm. The splint was able to restrict the bending whilst also maintaining its integrity. None of the stays poked out or degraded the pockets while the rubber caps were attached. We also calculated our cost of goods sold to be $192 by adding materials, labor, packaging and fixed costs. This is only ⅓ of the current market products! The Splintstones can yabba dabba doo what others can’t!