Meet Ben, Keagan & Jane
The Authors of Beyondthelabel's Story
Our Story
Meet Ben & Keagan — or as our family calls us, Eenie & Oodie
We’ve always had nicknames in our family — Peanut, Pumpkin, you name it — but somehow Eenie and Oodie just stuck.
We do a lot of things a little differently than most.
We type to talk — not just when we text, but all the time. We have food allergies to practically everything (seriously, it’s wild), and we can hear like Superman. A gentle breeze? To us, it can sound like a full-on tornado.
We love basketball, rock music, and meeting new people — but making friends hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes we need a way to calm our brains when life gets noisy, stressful, or just plain overwhelming.
That’s where Fidgetpockets comes in.
We designed them for ourselves first — something quiet, non-distracting, and easy to keep in your pocket — and then realized… other kids might need them too. And not just kids who are nonverbal like us. Everyone gets anxious or restless sometimes. Why not give your hands something to do while your mind chills out?
Here’s the bigger thing, though — we wanted to show that communication comes in many forms. People call AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) a disability, but to us, it’s just another language. Who decided what’s “normal” anyway? Geography? Majority rules?
When kids who speak typically learn to communicate, they have the whole world modeling it for them. For us, we mostly only have each other to model from. That’s not ideal — but it makes us determined to prove that using AAC is just as real, valid, and normal as speaking English, Spanish, or French.
That’s why we created Beyondthelabel — to tell our story, and the stories of others, in a way that shows difference is not something to fix, but something to celebrate.
So, try a Fidgetpocket. Pass it along. And remember — live life and support others Beyondthelabel.
Jane Odem
Jane Odem was a woman who taught speech and AAC to nonverbal communicators, but more than that, she became a mentor to us! She lived life fully and joyfully. She was a wife, a mother, and the dearest of friends. One of the things we loved most about Jane was how completely present she was. She danced on stage with Bon Jovi and treated everyone she met as if they were her only priority—because in that moment, they were. Jane always had time for you. She met you exactly where you were and encouraged you to share more of who you were and who you hoped to be.
We read The Wonky Donkey to children at our friendship fairs, and somehow—even at a crowded splash pad in ninety-degree heat—every child was listening, forgetting all about the water. That was Jane. She had a way of drawing people in, making them feel seen, safe, and excited to connect. AAC was never a limitation to her; it was simply a tool to help you reach for the stars, and she made you believe you truly could.
Throughout our website, you’ll spot a little nun sitting side-saddle on a three-legged donkey, popping up in the most unexpected places. She’s there to remind you to be unapologetically yourself, soak up every moment, and always reach for the stars. Jane—and her friends here at Beyond the Label—wouldn’t have it any other way.
