Purpose: Great in generating the sensory stimulation in the brain many people with ADD/ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, etc are craving.
Having ADHD drove me to pick at my fingers and nails until they were painful and bleeding. Having something I can use to redirect my fidgeting has allowed my fingers to heal and become healthy.
The goal of starting this business is to eventually have the sales of Bike Chain Fidgets support donating these to places like mental health clinics, rehab centers, and special needs classes.
Construction:
- 1”(25mm) nickel-plated silver steel round-edged rings.
- Re-purposed bike chain link and spacers.
- Latex-free silicone O-ring bead spacers.
In 2011 I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This brought great relief when looking back at all the difficulties I had growing up that continued into adulthood. This also drove me to learn as much as I can about the “disorder”.
One of those difficulties I still have today and will have for the rest of my life is fidgeting. A continuous barrage of toe-tapping, leg bouncing, cheek biting, pencil twirling, and nail picking.
I pushed myself to frustration when trying to stop because after a few seconds I would forget that I was trying to stop and unconsciously start up again.
After reading “Fidget to Focus: Outwit your boredom: Sensory Strategies for living with ADD”, I was educated on the true reason we fidget. Not to unleash the pent-up energy or nervousness we have, but to stimulate the brain into a state of alertness and focus. So the book teaches to stop fighting the fidget. Instead, just redirect and control the fidget.
"Fidgeting to stay focused . . . Imagine that! Sounds counter-intuitive, but that is just what Dr. Roland Rotz and Coach Sarah Wright are recommending in their new book, Fidget to Focus.
Advocating repetitive sensory-motor activities as a fundamental strategy for improving attention and other cognitive abilities, they present a unique and fun way to turn outer chaos to calm focus." Patricia O. Quinn, MD, Director, National Center for Gender Issues and ADHD, author of a number of books on ADD.
PLEASE NOTE:
These are handmade because I enjoy making them and hopefully this helps someone as much as it helped me.
Since these are handmade with the links and spacers being from re-purposed parts, each toy will be slightly different with the specific parts used and imperfections in the metal. The chain links might be different color metals than those seen in the photos.
