Before writing their names, before penning quick letters and doing homework— a child’s first foray into writing is likely to be with a crayon.

Having been a special education teacher for over 20 years, schoolteacher Barbara Lee saw the need for a simple tool that was also accessible to kids experiencing any learning disabilities or developmental delays. So, with some inspiration after attending Jan Olsen’s ‘Handwriting Without Tears’ program, Lee set out to create a crayon that would help children naturally, easily develop the tripod hold that uses the thumb, fore and middle fingers in a triangle formation around the crayon.