Sensory Puzzle

The Need:

The William E. Carter School provides education to students with severe disabilities, affecting both their cognition and their bodies. There is still a need for more toys at the school to help students experience that they have agency and the power to change things in their environment. Current jigsaw puzzles on the market are generally comprised of small, plain pieces, which offer very little stimulation to a user’s senses other than creating a two-dimensional image. Our puzzle should incorporate feedback that allows for multiple students with different disabilities to enjoy it.

The Solution:

Our puzzle includes visual, auditory, and tactile sensory feedback in order to allow students at the Carter school to reinforce the idea that their actions can influence the world. The puzzle forms a three-dimensional shape out of four pieces, so the students experience building a structure or design, and feedback from LEDs allows students to get a sense of enjoyment from placing a correct piece. Speakers gives audio feedback when the client places a puzzle piece in a correct position. Different textures on the base and smaller pieces guide and reinforce the correct locations of the pieces.