FLORIDA — Swinging equals serenity for Selah Bryce who is autistic. Her mom, Arden, said the motion has a calming effect and allows her daughter to enjoy being outside.
However, parents of children with disabilities often face challenges at playgrounds that don't have adaptive swings.
Amber Knotts, whose daughter Elisabeth also cannot sit in a standard swing, said the struggle is real: “It is harder to find swings that she can be in because she lacks the trunk control to be able to sit up independently.”
Elisabeth and Selah’s moms placed orders for RelaxSling, a portable hammock-type swing attachment. “We were excited to have something that she could use to go out on the playground and swing just like everybody else,” Knotts told ABC Action News.
They are two of half a dozen parents who told ABC Action News they placed orders for the RelaxSling, which runs about $140 but never received it.
RelaxSling creator Brian Durk, who is based in the Tampa Bay area, interviewed by ABC Action News in 2021, said that he came up with the idea for the device after noticing a lack of special needs swings in public parks. At the time, he said he and his then-wife had filled thousands of orders.
We tried reaching Durk by phone and went to his last known address. He responded by text, saying he was working on rebuilding after going through a tough time and that the orders we asked about would be shipped.
Since we first contacted him, Durk has delivered several RelaxSlings, and two other parents confirm they got their money back after filing a dispute with their credit card companies.
If you are anyone you know has had an issue you can contact Brian Durk via email.
