A Revolution in Action at Club Armstrong
Armstrong resident Mickey Williams is using the quiet hot desk workspace at Villawood’s Club Armstrong to develop a mechatronic device that could revolutionise how neurodivergent kids are supported.
Her Mimbalu handheld device brings into one platform many tools and aids traditionally used to support kids but often difficult to keep organised.
As many as one in five Australian kids are neurodivergent. Families search for support but are left on waitlists for years, and when help arrives it is late and costs tens of thousands of dollars, with up to 80 per cent of parents experiencing critical levels of stress.
Working with Sahil Yadav, a software developer and mechatronic engineer, the pair have built an offline tablet that is simple to use, handling morning and bedtime schedules, daily and weekly routines, social activities, stories and more.
“We spoke to over 420 families, and over 85 per cent said the support tools fail because they’re paper-based laminated systems, or apps on distracting tablets and phones,” says Mickey.
“Mimbalu runs the child’s daily support autonomously, helping them celebrate and understand their beautiful brains as they move through their day, and teaches the adults around them to do the same,” Mickey says.
“The world wasn’t built for neurodivergent kids. Mimbalu is changing that.”
Link: https://www.mimbalu.com/
