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Lynbrook students make 'Magic' for local boy

Four students create innovative toy to help ease friend's Fragile X Syndrome symptoms

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Four Lynbrook High School students, motivated by a passion for helping others and close friendships with one student’s brother, have created what they hope will be a way to help children with autism and fragile X syndrome.

Lynbrook High School Senior Ben Moelis, sophomore Sarah Moelis and juniors J.D. Gebbia and Hailey Silver, created a toy they call Magic Arrows to help Silver’s brother, Justin, 13, who was diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome as a child. “I’ve been very close with the Silver family my whole life, and Justin is like a little brother to me,” said Ben Moelis, 17.

“After he was diagnosed with Fragile X, I noticed that he would get really anxious and upset when switching from task to task, so I decided to try and create a toy that would make those transitions as easy as possible for him.”

Fragile X syndrome, also known as Martin-Bell syndrome, is an inherited disorder, caused by a mutation in the X chromosome. It is distinguished by an elongated face and protruding ears, and can cause learning disabilities, cognitive impairment and social anxiety. According to the National Institute of Health, it is more common in boys than girls, with roughly 1 in every 4,000 boys and 1 in every 8,000 girls being diagnosed with the disorder. Boys usually experience more severe symptoms. Women with the mutation have an increased risk of having a child with Fragile X, while men can only pass the syndrome on to their daughters.

Moelis explained that the toy was designed to help Justin Silver transition from task to task by making the changes into a game. “Spending so much time with Justin, I saw how much he loved to play games, so I thought that would be the best way to help him,” Moelis said.

The toy has two parts. The first is a track, with different stations for different parts of the day. The user moves a peg, symbolizing himself, around the track as the day goes on. “Turning these transitions into games really helped Justin,” Moelis said, “because it turns [them] into … an achievement.” The second part of the toy allows for parent or other adult supervision to establish the activities that are part of the user’s track.

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