Buckyball Ban

sensorysquids:

This isn’t really a political blog, but this is important and topical:

One of the first things I reviewed on this blog were my buckyballs. These small magnets are an AMAZING fidget for us adults who have sensory needs. They are not only extremely useful for keeping my fingers occupied and helping me think, but also they look professional which means that I can use them in the place where I spend nearly every hour of my day: the office.

Although they are dangerous if swallowed and should be kept away from small children, there are some adults for which these things are actually medically helpful. People like me, who have dermatillomania and trichotillomania, need sensory inputs to help us avoid gouging at our skin and pulling hair out of places where we really should have hair. Without that input we are at risk for social and professional problems (due to visible sores or bald patches) and even serious infections. They also help me stay on task at work (I also have attentional difficulties, especially when trying to digest auditory-only information).

As I said in my original post, children and people with pica should not play with buckyballs. But buckyballs need to stay available for those of us who aren’t at risk of swallowing them. While there are other toys available, anyone who’s spent long amounts of time searching for the perfect fidget understands that sensory needs vary from person to person - what is satisfying and useful to one person may not be for another. I have a set of buckyballs already, but at some point I might have to replace or augment them, and it’s very important to me to have that option.

So, if you care, please go to the buckyballs site and sign a petition and/or buy a set to show support. Thanks. 

EDIT: I actually had failed to notice there’s no petition on the site (that I can see). But do feel free to circulate this, buy buckyballs to show support, and/or sign a petition if/when one does appear.