Hello, my name is Tom Wallace. I'm an architect and a single father. I have an amazing son named Sam, who is eight years old. Sam's world is a unique and wonderful place; he has autism. He’s bright and incredibly creative, but sometimes, communicating with him can be like trying to tune in to a very faint radio station—you need the right equipment and a great deal of patience.
For me, fatherhood comes with a constant, low-hum of anxiety. My greatest fear is losing connection with Sam, even for a moment. He can become overwhelmed by a loud noise or a bright light, and in that state, he might wander off, lost in his own world, unable to hear me calling for him.
The Unreachable Channel
I'll never forget the time at the Natural History Museum. The place was crowded and echoing with noise. I had only turned my back for twenty seconds to read a display plaque. When I turned back, Sam was gone.
My heart stopped cold. The kids' smartwatch I bought him? He dislikes the feeling of anything on his wrist, so he had taken it off and put it in his pocket. A security guard finally found him in the shadow of a dinosaur skeleton, captivated by a patch of light on the floor, completely deaf to the world around him.
That experience made me realize I didn't need a complicated gadget. I needed a direct, reliable line of connection.
Okradi: The Bridge to His World
During a parent support group meeting, another father recommended Okradi to me. "It's dumb, Tom," he said. "It only does one thing, but it does it incredibly well."
I bought a pair. The design was the ultimate in simplicity: a single, large, tactile PTT button. I clipped it to the strap of Sam's backpack and told him, "Sam, if you want to hear Dad, or talk to Dad, just press this."
Something miraculous happened. The Okradi had no screen, no games, nothing to distract him. It was just a "box"—a box that could make Dad's voice appear. He accepted it.
Now, the Okradi is an invisible safety rope between us. When he's playing in the backyard and I need him to come in for dinner, I just press the button: "Sam, it's Dad. Time for your favorite spaghetti." Moments later, I'll see him running back from the far end of the yard.
A Moment of Calm at the Farmers' Market
Last weekend, we went to a very busy farmers' market. In the past, I would have avoided a place like this, as the overload of sounds, smells, and people can be overwhelming for Sam. But this time, we brought our Okradis.
Sure enough, at a strawberry stand, he became fascinated by the colorful fruit while I was briefly distracted by a cheese sample nearby. When I looked for him again, he was gone.
But this time, I didn't panic.
I took a deep breath, picked up my Okradi, and spoke in the calmest, gentlest voice I could manage. "Hey, champ. It's Dad. Let's play a game of hide-and-seek. If you can hear me, just wait right where you are, and I'll come find you."
A few minutes later, I found him in a small nook by a flower stand. He wasn't panicked or completely lost in his own world. He was just standing quietly, clutching the Okradi on his backpack strap, as if waiting for something.
He looked at me and whispered, "Dad, you found me."
The Okradi didn't just help me find him; more importantly, it had kept him company and soothed him with my voice until I found him. We had avoided a potential meltdown.
More Than Just Peace of Mind, It's Connection
For me, Okradi has become far more than a safety device. It's a bridge into my son's world. On days when he is non-verbal and avoids eye contact, I can use the Okradi to tell him, in the simplest way possible, "Dad's here. Dad loves you."
It has transformed me from a parent on the constant edge of panic into a more confident, calmer father. I have given Sam more freedom to explore, because I know that no matter where he wanders, my voice can always reach him.
And every time I pick up my Okradi and press that simple button, I don't just hear the crackle of a connection; I hear the sound of my own peace of mind.
