Anakha Menon’s design project addresses the importance of play activities in early childhood for children diagnosed with autism. Play is instrumental for children with autism, leading to improvements in language, expression of needs, attention, and a decrease in sensory defensiveness. Anakha has designed a series of cloth puzzles with buttons, zippers and Velcro for developing fine motor skills in 3–5-year-old children with autism. These cloth puzzles aim to motivate children to play more as well as assist with the daily activities of dressing and using zippers, thereby helping with sensory integration, motor skill development and communication.
