Therapy Swing Opens a New World of Play for Harford County Girl

Before 13-year-old Avaleigh Vacovsky boarded the bus to school on Monday morning last week, she said one word over and over to her mother: “swing.” 

That afternoon, Avaleigh knew, a special motorized one from the University of Maryland would be delivered to her family’s home in Jarrettsville, Md., in northern Harford County. It would be installed on their back porch just for her, providing an opportunity for play to a girl who’d never been able to use standard swings found in playgrounds and backyards.

“She is a spunky 13-year-old girl who honestly doesn’t do much on her own,” said her mom, Danielle Harrison-Vacovsky. “I was hoping this would give her something to do, keep her entertained for a little while.”

Avaleigh has autism and a rare genetic condition known as USP9X depletion syndrome that causes developmental delays; she walks independently, but can’t ride a bike or play sports like her younger sister and brother do, said Harrison-Vacovsky. She communicates through American Sign Language (ASL) and attends a school for kids with special needs. 

Thanks to UMD engineering students, mechanical engineering principal lecturer Vincent Nguyen and the IMAGE Center of Maryland, Avaleigh now has a custom-made motorized swing that responds to her movements. The development and building of the swing were part of Nguyen’s undergraduate class, “Entrepreneurial Design Realization for Projects of Positive Impact.”

Over the years, the IMAGE Center of Maryland, a nonprofit supporting people with disabilities, has received a number of requests for mechanical swings. “Swing therapy is super common among the clients that they see,” said Nguyen, because it can help with core muscle development, engage the vestibular system (responsible for balance) and have a calming effect. 

But designing a swing that could work for various users was deceptively tricky. It would need to withstand a variety of weather conditions, plus accommodate a wide range of people—adults and children—who might use the swing. So Nguyen put his students on the case. Together, they worked for two years to create a swing that would work almost anywhere, for almost anyone.

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Once it’s turned on, Avaleigh’s swing calibrates itself based on the user’s weight. A sensor attached to the seat measures forward and backward movement, and a small motor atop the swing’s frame pulls the chains accordingly. 

“This is a design that fully senses what’s going on,” said Nguyen. “It’s adaptable and adjustable to different user sizes and different length swings. Even with the same user, if they slouch or sit up or move around, it’ll automatically adjust to push or pull depending on what the user is doing.”

Mechanical engineering major Teddy Hersey ’26 helped install the swing last week. He was mainly focused on electrical work and coding for the computerized bits. 

“It’s just amazing to finally be able to deliver this project after four semesters of teams working on it,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.”

After Avaleigh tested out the device on her porch, she gave it a thumbs up and passed out hugs and fist bumps to the UMD team. Then she asked her aide if she could swing on it again later.

“It’s staying here,” her aide told her. “It’s for you.” Avaleigh smiled.