Proprietor:
Dee Carrick started
OZMO with her husband in 2005 "to help our son and other people with autism. We want to give people with autism, and the people that care about them, a safe and easy-to-navigate a website to buy interesting toys and other items."
Business Description:
"OZMO is a website to provide fun stuff for people with autism and also cool stuff for special interests," says Carrick. "We wanted it to be easy to use, truthful, fun, without puzzle patterns, without therapy talk, and also to be appealing to older kids, teens, and adults. We carry books, sensory toys, puzzles, and even gross stuff! (My son's favorite.) The one rule is that it has to be fun."
Parenting Connection:
Carrick was inspired to start OZMO, in part, as a way to get her adult son with autism interested in working. "None of his interests seemed to lend themselves to a job -- especially with his OCD bugging him. I wanted something that could allow Paul to travel a bit and get out of the house. We also needed something that could be low cost to start and operated from home. I also had always wanted to help parents make their life a little easier. So, I combined everything and made a webstore to sell all the things Paul liked!"
Time Investment:
"OZMO does take a lot of time," says Carrick. "I don't know which takes more time -- Paul or OZMO! Visit my house and you'll see how little time I spend on housework. Fast-food places have memorized our orders." The best thing about having this business, she says, is "imagining the faces on the recipients when they get my box of fun stuff." The hardest thing? "Getting a complaint. I hate that because it means I did not make someone's life easier and more fun."
Getting Started:
Carrick got OZMO started with "community college and university free business info, for the how-tos. The internet for products. And credit cards for $$!" She'll know it's a success "when the credit cards are paid off and I actually start getting paid!" In the meantime, comments from satisfied customers make it all worthwhile. Her son is also a fan of the business ... most of the time. "He thinks it is cool and loves to go stay at hotels when we exhibit. He does not like it when he wants to talk and I am busy with OZMO!"
Future Plans:
"Lots of plans!" Carrick exclaims when asked about the future of OZMO. "I want a virtual autism mall for autism businesses. I want an easier payment system on my site. I want more cool stuff. I want to add sound and video. I want more free helps and life guides and articles. I want a downloadable catalog. I want to be able to afford exhibiting at national conferences -- and for them to be close enough to go to. I want more input from autistic people."
Have Fun!:
One of the goals Carrick has for OZMO is to "emphasize to all that fun is important!!! Don't wait until he is a little better, or wait until his therapy is done, or make him work more with less fun than other kids. Paul detested school. Many times that was due to his anxiety, not using rewards, not teaching with his interests, and not having fun."
More Inspiration and Advice from Dee Carrick:
When did you find out your son had special needs?
He was diagnosed at almost five. That is pretty early for the 1980s and also since he was high-functioning.
How did his diagnosis affect your family?
It made us very close-knit and more tolerant. We also put my work on hold -- there was no child care or after-school care in those days. My mother would tell me that I was wasting my college degree, my relatives just said to spank my son more, and going out socially was impossible. Kinda forces you to become close-knit ... Our daughter, my son's best friend, is in college now and engaged. She is a wonderful person and I think being around Paul helped at least a little to make her that way.
How is your son doing now?
Not too well. Paul is 23 and doesn't want his autism to go away because he doesn't want to lose his special interests. However, he also has severe OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and he absolutely detests that. Therapy and meds help ... but he still needs a better life somehow. If he did not have OCD he would have been in his own apartment and fairly independent by now.
What advice would you give to other parents about raising a child with special needs?
Love them and have fun with them always. Making them normal is not the goal, making sure they are happy is.
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