Great Item for Special Needs Kids

Photo 1: American Sales Inflatable Pull Sled

I came across a sales flyer today that had a great item for special needs kids. This is a 33 Inch Inflatable Pull Sled. The reason that I think it would work well is because it has a tall back. If you look at the photo, the back comes to the top of the child's head. I checked the reviews and they said that it was perfect for an 18 month old child. You may need to review the dimensions to see if it would work for your child. This sled is offered by American Sales. The regular price is $29.99 and it's on sale for $19.99. You can see this sled and purchase it here. This sled comes in two styles-see the photo above and the photo below.

Photo 2: American Sales Inflatable Pull Sled

The reason this sled would work well, is that if you have a child that has poor trunk control or poor head control, the sled would support the child's head and body and it would be soft. A child with poor trunk control or poor head control needs more support not less. This sled allows for maximum support. You can see that a bit in the first photo, where it looks like the child is almost leaning back; that is how a special needs child would look in the sled whereas in the second photo, you can clearly see that this child can sit up on his own. I would imagine it would help if you had a strap of sorts to secure your child even more. If your child receives any kind of physical therapy, you probably already have something like that.

I went on the internet to see if I could find other sleds that had a tall back like this one, however I could not. Most of the sleds that have "any" back at all, only come to the middle of the child's back. You can see in this next photo how the back is not tall enough to support a special needs child's torso nor is it tall enough to provide support for a child's head. If you do choose a wooden sled like this for a child, you would need to make certain that the wood is strong enough to support a child. Many of these wooden sleds have sides that are flimsy and aren't designed to hold a child in place.

This is so aggravating to me because it wouldn't take a lot for manufacturer's to make sleds with taller backs to support the kids. What I have learned over the years, is that when you make items that work well for special needs kids, it's also preferable for all kids. I remember years ago taking Dear Son to the park to swing. He required one of the swings with the tall backs that would support his torso and head. While there were many regular swings available, most kids and parents preferred the swings with the taller backs. It would be wonderful if manufacturers started with a concept of universal design then designed toys for kids based on that.

As for the sled, this goes without saying however I imagine you will be pulling your child in this sled, not sending a special needs child down a hill in it. I doubt a special needs child would have any skills to be able to stop themselves if they tipped over in it. I would also recommend a helmet as well.

I remember taking Dear Son sledding around the house in one of the wooden sleds with a back on the sled, similar to the photo above where the back only went up half way. This was all they had some twenty years ago. It didn't provide enough support and when I pulled the sled, it stuck a bit and the first thing that happened was that he went face first in the snow and he hated sledding after that, lol. That's all part of experiencing new things. As parents of special needs kids, we have to walk a fine line between letting our kids experience things like snow and sledding and understanding that the sled might tip over and they might get snow on their faces. This is very different however than sending them down a hill on a sled. If you want them to experience that, then the mother or the father gets on a toboggan, holding the kid securely in front and you go down a small hill.

Here's hoping you get a chance to get outdoors a bit and enjoy the winter weather.

Best Toys and Gifts for Special Needs Children

Back in 2006, I wrote a blog post titled, "Best Toys and Gifts for Special Needs Children". Since that time, it's been one of my most popular posts. Last year, I updated it and I thought I might reprint it again. I poured over the toy catalogs and websites looking for those toys that I thought were really good. I was amazed to find that there still wasn't a lot to pick from so I decided to do a few things to make it easier. First, I created a link at the top of my blog for "best toys and gifts" and I've added all of the toys I'll talk about today. I have included pictures and links for each toy along with a description of why I like the toy and how I think the child would use the toy or an explanation of how Dear Son used the toy. Disabled children enjoy many of the same toys that normal kids do however when they play with the toy, they play with it whatever way is easiest for them. In Dear Son's case, he had poor trunk control, couldn't sit up, no use of his arms or hands but liked to play with things with his legs, feet and/or mouth. I have also included a link for all of the toys today to the Amazon website. If you can use this link, I'd appreciate it-it doesn't cost you any more for the toy than going to Amazon directly, but Amazon pays a small referral fee and I use this to help with Dear Son.

Some of the best toys can be found in a few places:

1) The 0-24 month aisle typically has the best selection of toys that severely disabled children can actually do. Most of the toys in this aisle require gross hand or foot movements to activate.

The down side of this aisle is that often disabled children's chronological age exceeds their developmental age so sometimes these items might work for the child however the child is too large or tall for the item.

2) Many stores such as Target or Walmart have these cheap toy aisles where you can get toys for $20 and under. In these aisles, you'll find things like musical keyboards, etc. What is great about these aisles is that these toys are kept "simple" which means they are easier to operate for disabled kids. Often times, toys can be too complex for our kids. In this aisle, you'll find a simple keyboard that plays entire songs when you press one key. In the more expensive aisles, you'll find keyboards where the keys light up to show a child where to press, in hopes of helping them learn to play. Or the keyboard will come with a microphone for the kid to hold and sing. Often times, you don't need any of those things. Simple is best.

3) Be sure to check out Walgreens and drugstores for toys. One of the best toys Dear Son ever owned was this train that I got at Walgreens. It went around a 36 inch round track. I set the train and tracks on the family room coffee table and he would lean on the table and use his arm to knock the train off it's track. Then he would laugh. He loved working hard to get his arm over enough to knock the train off. I wished I could have had a tunnel for the train too; he would have enjoyed that. I tried to purchased nicer trains after that but the Lionel ones didn't work as well for Dear Son-the track was too sensitive and the train kept coming off. With the Walgreen's train, Dear Son could be a little rougher and knock into the table and the train would keep moving.

4) Amazon-It's often hard to get out and shop with a disabled child so it's easier just to shop online with Amazon and have it delivered to your door.

Without further delay, here are toys that I recommend. For your convenience, I attached a link to Amazon and have also listed the current price of the toy as of today.

Electronic Talking Silly 6 Pins by Hasbro $44.95

I can't say enough good things about this product. This is a great product for special needs children who have poor arm/hand control or poor trunk control. They can knock the pins over several ways-with their hands, their head, their arms or by bumping the table. My son couldn't roll the ball but loved knocking them down by the ways I described. He loved the music it played and got such a kick out of things crashing. In addition, it was a great way to help him learn to use his hands/arms in occupational therapy by knocking the pins down.

Musical Hands Mat $39.95
My son used a musical mat similar to this when he was a baby and learning to roll over. The physical therapist would lie my son on the mat and then help him roll over. As the child rolls over, the music is their reward thus helping them work on rolling over. This mat allows you to set it up to hear each note or to hear complete songs. When babies can't move at all, you want a maximum reward for a small movement, meaning you want to activate the music with the slightest movement. I don't think they'll use it like the child shows in the photo, meaning placing their hand on it but rather as a tool to help them learn to roll over.

Fisher-Price Precious Planet Kick and Play PianoFrom Fisher-Price $29.99

This toy would be great for a child who had good foot/leg control but limited hand control. It would encourage them to move their feet. Also, if placed in their crib, or even on the floor, it would be easy to activate with the slightest movement.


Vtech Little Smart First Words Plus Toy From vtech

Five stars for this toy! I used this toy when my son was very small and I wasn't sure if he even knew what was going on. I would hit the Mama button and after a while, he was able to find that button and hit it. He was able to learn where the Mama button was and also some of the other buttons. This was great because he couldn't speak. I did work with him on this toy every day so it wasn't like he learned it by himself. When he pushed on the buttons, he did it with his mouth/chin, not his hands (Dear Son didn't have any use of his hands/fingers.)

Here are two examples of these bounce back dolls. The base is filled with sand and the toy is made of vinyl.

Rocket USA Bozo Bop Bag $16.99From Rocket USA

This product is great for a child who can't sit up but can use his legs. They can lay on the floor and use their legs to kick the Bozo down and it bounces back up. It's important to remember that special needs kids need ways to release energy just like regular kids do. My Dear Son didn't have use of his hands or arms but his legs and feet worked well. He loved this. The other reason this is good is because as they are kicking and moving their legs, they are strengthening their core which is great for kids with low trunk control or for kids who can't walk. Any time you can help them increase their core muscles, it will help them for walking.

Rocket USA 46 Inch Bam Bam Bop Bag Obama $34.98From Rocket USA

See Bozo review for comments.

Easy-Twist Play Tent House: Premium JUMBO Size Six Sided Hexagon $38.60From eWonderWorld

This toy is great if your child can't sit up. My son had no trunk control but good use of his legs. He loved to lie down in the ball pit and take his legs and press down on the sides of the tent to try to knock it over. Often times, he'd play and then get tired and liked to fall asleep in there with balls on him of course! This ball pit is similar to the one he had and he was able to lie on his back in there and not choke on anything. I would not recommend lying a child who can't roll over face down in there. I never did! That being said, I believe it to be safe or I wouldn't recommend it. This was one of my son's favorite toys. **You need to order balls to go in here! 200 Plastic Pit Balls for Play Tents: 4 Colors - Red, Yellow, Green, Blue $42.60From eWonderWorld

These are the balls to go in the ball pit.

Alex Ready, Set, Go! Red Trike $49.99 on sale (Regular Price $199.99) From Alex Toys

Love this trike! Oh, how I wish they had something like this when Dear Son was young! I like the fact that it has a tall back, has seatbelts and straps, has a umbrella to protect against the sun and has a handle to push them. I think this would be a five star toy! Great for a child with poor trunk control but legs/feet that move.

Playskool Chuck My Talking Truck $31.58 From Playskool

Dear Son loved Chuck the Talking Truck, especially when he crashed into the wall or something. It's been upgraded since then and Chuck "comes" when you call him, meaning it's voice activated. Regardless, I think this would encourage vocalizations of some kind with the kids. Even if your child couldn't vocalize, you could call the truck.

Photo of Dear Son listening to, "Twas the Night Before Christmas Story" by Mr. Christmas.




Mr. Christmas Winter Wonderland Village Christmas $55.60

This is the item that I ordered for Dear Son this Christmas. It's a train that goes around the village which is comprised of a church, townhouse and Christmas tree. It plays 15 Christmas carols and 15 year round classics. This also comes with an A/C adapter. This items typically retails for $80 or more however I found the best price at Amazon. The A/C adapter can drive up the price a bit on these products however it's really great. Dear Son listens to these so much that I'd have to replace the batteries constantly so the A/C adapter is appreciated. This item is fairly small, only 10.75 inches wide which will be perfect for his nightstand since he has to lie down a lot since he can't sit very long. Also, he loves trains so this product will be perfect for him. He'll love to watch that train go round and round and the music will be very soothing. One thing I personally like about Mr. Christmas products is that the music is really nice and doesn't get on your nerves after hours of non-stop use. As with all Mr. Christmas products, they come with a volume control.

Mr. Christmas Symphony Surprise
My son loved this item. Mr. Christmas makes high quality musical items that my son would watch for hours. What's great about Mr. Christmas musical items, versus other musical products, is that they have a volume control and the sound quality of the music is good. Cheaper musical items have poor sound quality or the volume control is really loud and scares the kids or is annoying. Mr. Christmas items have been a favorite of my son's for years. While this one is currently unavailable on Amazon, I have purchased Mr. Christmas musical toys at Target, American Sales or home improvement stores. Each year, Mr. Christmas develops new musical items. You can check the Mr. Christmas website and then locate a retailer from there. If I recall, that’s how I located the Mr. Christmas Symphony Surprise; we got it at Menards for $79.99.

Child's Rocking Chair - Espresso Brown Finish $55.99From Table & Chairs


Child's 2-Slat Rocking Chair – Red $47.78 From Kid Kraft

Angel Line Country Adult Rocker $137.49From Angel Line

My son had poor trunk control and no use of his arms and hands, was wheelchair bound but had good use of his legs and feet. He loved using a rocking chair. The rocking chair gave him the freedom to move around the room and offered support. He would sit in the chair and scoot the chair by moving his feet. The rocking chair helped him practice his balance by constantly working his torso. What is important is that you need the back of the chair to be tall enough to support their back and their head. The top of the child's head should be even with the top piece on the back of the chair since they need head support. You can not leave a child unattended in this chair nor use it near stairs obviously. My son loved to sit in it and scoot over to the window, lean his head on the window and look out. There are many wooden rocking chairs to pick from on Amazon so be sure to check them out and get the right height.

Radio Flyer Pathfinder Wagon Red From Radio Flyer $59.54

My son had poor trunk control and was wheelchair bound. He loved the red flyer wagon and this one is great because it has a taller back which would provide support for kids with poor trunk control. It also comes with a seatbelt. I walked my son every night in his wagon and he enjoyed it more than walks in his wheelchair. You want to make sure that their head is supported by the backrest. I've read some comments on turning and I don't know about that. When my son was small we had the Red Flyer with the wooden sides. I would think you should be o.k. I would recommend the umbrella for days when you want to take a special needs child outside. Often times, they can't wear sunglasses or they fall off so an umbrella would make it easier on them especially if they can't move their head to keep their eyes out of the sun.

Radio Flyer Umbrella Accessory $17.82 From Radio Flyer

You may want to consider this accessory to add on to the wagon. If your child is special needs, they may not want to wear sunglasses or may not have enough head control to keep their eyes out of the sun. Also, on really hot days, you want to keep them from getting sunburned so this is a great idea. I have to wonder if you might also be able to clip this umbrella to their wheelchair.

Elmo Farm Fun Video Play-A-Sound $17.95From PIL

I like this book for several reasons. First, Dear Son loved it when I read books that had some sound for the different animals or characters. From a developmental standpoint, I liked it because he soon learned to "anticipate" when the sound was coming in the story, especially for sounds he liked. That helped me understand what information he was processing in his head. This book goes a step beyond that and not only gives the sound of a horse galloping but shows the horse galloping on the LCD screen. Often times it's helpful for children with disabilities to learn new information when they get information from different senses; in this case, they can "hear" the horse and "see" the horse. I'd recommend this book or other books that are "press and play" so to speak, even if they don't have the LCD screen.

Baby Einstein Press and Play Pal Toy, Panda $34.98 From Baby Einstein

This toy is similar to a toy my son loved. By pressing the hands or feet of the toy, different instruments are activated. My son had no use of his hands but I imagine he would press on the toy with his feet or bite on it with his mouth. You would soon learn which sounds are pleasing or interesting to your child. Also, the music calms them. My son had a similar toy that he used at bedtime and he pressed it often as a way to soothe himself to sleep or when he had seizures.

Cat-One of the best things Dear Son really enjoys is our cat. A cat makes a great pet for a severely disabled child who can’t walk or move much because the cat is active and can do things that will make the kids laugh. The reason I would choose a cat over a dog is simple. With a child in a wheelchair, it’s often too hard to walk a dog with the child or there are many times when you can’t leave the child in the house to go out and walk the dog.

When choosing a cat, I referred to the book ASPCA-The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to help me find a cat that met our needs. I looked for a cat that was: 1) good with kids 2) lap cat 3) liked to play.

To this day, Dear Son loves our cat. The cat meows when he wants Dear Son to pet him. I lift the cat up to Dear Son’s bed and then take Dear Son’s hand to pet the cat. The cat kisses (sniffs) Dear Son. The cat also loves to sit on the armrest of Dear Son’s wheelchair before and after school. The cat also loves Dear Son’s art projects from school. He likes art projects with pipe cleaners (now called “fuzzy sticks”, lol). Dear Son gets a kick out of the cat playing with his projects.

Original Slinky $6.87
by Poof Slinky

Plastic Slinky (Colors May Vary) $6.82
by Slinky

Dear Son's occupational therapist recommended a slinky and he loved it. What's great about a slinky for disabled kids is that it doesn't require much movement from the child to get the slinky moving. If a child has difficulty moving or controlling their arm, this is perfect for them.

Stocking Stuffers

Veggie Tales Silly Songs Brush-a-long Musical Toothbrush $3.99 From Veggie Tales

This musical toothbrush runs for 2 minutes-the recommended brushing time. What is great about these toothbrushes is that the handle is wider which would make it easier for a child with special needs who has poor hand control to grip. While you may still need to add padding to make it easier, it's a great start. I used these for lab blood draws to, to distract my son while the tech was drawing blood. I liked musical toothbrushes versus other toys because they were slim and easily portable versus larger toys that were musical.


Spider Man Musical Toothbrush $6.95

Great for a stocking stuffer. Music plays for two minutes. Comes in red or blue. Not only is 2 minutes the recommended amount of time to brush your teeth but I took a musical toothbrush along to a blood draw. I held the toothbrush in front of my child and pushed the button; he was distracted by the music and the lab tech was able to draw his blood without any crying!

Sesame Street Finger Paint Bubble Bath $6.95From Sesame Street

Nice stocking stuffer. This is something to make bathtime fun. The way I would use it for my disabled son was to use the paints to write "I Love You" or something on him at bathtime. It's hard when your child can't play with something but you still can do things to make bathtime fun for them.

Hohner Kids Single 5" High Cage Bell, Assorted Colors $4.80From Hohner Kids

Nice stocking stuffer. This price is for one bell. Dear Son liked this type of bell-he would pick it up between his toes and shake it.

These are my absolute best toy/gift ideas for special needs children. I hope this list will help you find some gifts or give you some ideas for your special needs child. In the future, you can click on the store link at the top of my blog and it will link you to any and all gift ideas.

Note: Dear Son is twenty two years old and suffers from seizures, dystonia and is severely delayed as a result of a random mutation of the ARX gene. He also has a progressive neurological disease.

Best Toys and Gifts for Special Needs Children

I remember it very distinctly. I was standing in the Toys R Us store trying to find “one” toy that I could buy Dear Son for Christmas. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford more than one toy, it was rather that with his disabilities, there weren’t any toys that he could do himself, that we didn’t already have. I walked around for quite some time, when I got stuck in one of the aisles behind two young boys fighting over all their toys. They had an entire cart full of toys and were begging for more. Somehow, at that moment, life didn’t seem too fair. I just needed one toy, that didn’t require the use of your hands, your fingers, that didn’t require you to be able to sit, to be able to roll over or to use your voice. I needed something that didn’t flash or vibrate (since he had seizures and these could bring them on). I wanted to surprise him, to make him smile. I was, after all, Santa.Many of the toys I saw, didn’t work for one reason or another, or I had already purchased them. Most of my family, preferred to give me money, so I could select the toys. Typically, this would mean a two hour shopping trip, only to come home with a few five dollar toys, but nothing exciting or of any consequence. I should also explain that some of the challenges parents of special needs children face, is finding toys that match their “developmental” age especially when their “chronological” age is much larger. I decided to put together a list of Dear Son’s favorite toys over the years, in hopes that I might be able to assist other parents of children with severe disabilities, in finding toys for Christmas. I will also show you a picture when I can and tell you what types of things you should look for or what made this particular toy a favorite.To give you a little history, Dear Son is severely developmentally delayed (retarded), has no use of his hands or arms, is non-verbal, can not walk, can not talk, can not feed himself and is totally dependent on someone. For many years, Dear Son could not roll over. As time passed, he was able to walk on his knees and roll over. Today, he can do neither.

Wooden Rocking Chair- We purchased a wood rocker at a furniture store many years ago. We happened to find this rocker while we were looking to purchase some dining room chairs. Dear Son was getting fussy in his wheelchair so I put him in this child's maple rocker while we purchased our chairs. The rocking chair worked so well, we purchased it for Dear Son. What was great about this rocker was that it had a tall back, which supported his trunk and the back of his head. This rocker was made of maple, but was still light enough for him to scoot around the house on the carpet with it. He took his feet and scooted side to side to move it and then loved to lean forward and look out the window. I liked it because he could get around the house easily and independently. It was much better than sitting in a wheelchair all day or lying on the floor. We’d take this rocker to family outings or simply when we went somewhere, like to see fireworks on the fourth of July. It’s the only seat he was able to stay in. A regular chair didn’t work because he would fall off the chair and because he couldn’t move the chair around the room. Many physical therapists have never heard of a child using a rocker to get around in like this, but once they saw him, they agreed it worked. From a therapeutic standpoint, the rocker also helped his balance. He still uses a rocker today, only he can’t get around in it like he once did and it’s now much larger. I found some child rockers at this website. I like the one pictured here because it has a higher back. I understand that Cracker Barrel has some nice rocking chairs and I have noticed some of the best ones (and best price too) at a large antiques market in our area.When selecting a rocker, it’s important that the rocker isn’t too tall, that the child’s foot can rest flat on the floor so he/she can maneuver the chair around the room. Finally, stay away from the combination wood and wicker rockers since they are often too heavy for the kids to maneuver. The all wooden ones work best. Dear Son had one from a furniture store that was done in a maple wood with a clear finish that we loved. If your child has the use of his hands, select one that has horizontal slats on the back, uniform in nature, so they can grip the slats and pull themselves into a standing position. If they are severely disabled, this won’t matter and vertical slats would work just as well. Dear Son has enjoyed a rocker from ages three on up.Microsoft

Acti-Mates Barney-This is the original talking Barney that Microsoft made and then discontinued in 2000. Copies are still available on eBay.Why it works? Because Dear Son was non-verbal, this toy became his best friend. It could talk when he couldn’t. If you pressed Barney’s hands, he would sing and if you pressed his feet, he would talk. It didn’t require a lot of pressure to activate him. The reason it worked for Dear Son was that he could use his mouth and bite on Barney’s hands to get them to work. If Dear Son was sitting, he would take his left foot and step on Barney’s feet and he would talk. This toy was worth every penny. We have had about six of these in his life. There are so many severely disabled children who love this particular Barney, that it’s truly amazing. None of the newer type Barney’s work as well as this one. If you wanted to select a similar toy, look for a talking toy that does not require your hands or arms to operate and that could be activated by a foot, a child biting on it or by light pressure. Some of the talking toys that I have seen, require you to press on the chest of the toy or to press a disc in the hand. This is not something that a severely disabled child could do.

Bedtime Barney-This particular Barney has a star on his chest and is actually called a Bedtime Barney. When you press on the star, Barney sings several bedtime songs that help Dear Son fall asleep. Each song gets softer and softer and has lots of yawns in between. The lights get dimmer and dimmer until they fall asleep. What’s great about this Barney is that the star on Barney’s chest is large enough and made of a hard plastic so Dear Son could take his head or his chin and press on Barney’s chest to get it to work. He loves to sleep with Barney in his arms. The blue stocking cap night cap that Barney wears is very soft and Dear Son likes the feel of it against his skin. You don’t even have to be disabled for this one, since many kids love it. I have seen this Barney available in most toy stores and the retail section of Target and other discount stores however I had trouble locating it on a website.

Ball Pit-Dear Son loved a ball pit. He loved to lie in the ball pit and would often fall asleep in there. They are pretty safe and you can wash the plastic balls in the dishwasher to sanitize them. What to look for: You want one that is open on top (unless you want to chase the balls all over your family room when they kick them out) and one with a large enough door that is zippered so you can lift the child into the ball pit. I would try to stick with one around four feet by four feet so it doesn’t overwhelm your family room. I have seen some of these used outdoors however I would only recommend them for indoor use since things could crawl into it if it were outdoors.

Cat-You may wonder why a cat would make a good pet versus a dog or another animal. The reason I like a cat for Dear Son is that it is easier to take care of-as a single mother, I can't leave Dear Son unattended while I take the dog for a walk. He enjoys the cat because the cat is playful and gets into things. Dear Son can't get into things so he enjoys watching the cat do this or watching the cat "get in trouble" doing something he shouldn't. The cat provides a lot of enjoyment for Dear Son. Currently, our cat will stand on the edge of the edge of the bed and meow when he wants Dear Son to pet him. I'll bring the cat over to Dear Son, take Dear Son's hand while holding the cat with the other one, and then pet the cat. Dear Son really likes it. It's important to note that you want a cat that is playful, a lap cat and one that is good with children. We have a Munchkin cat (breed) and that is perfect for him. They are smart, great with kids and a lap cat.

Pop-up Tent-Any pop-up tent will do providing the size is right for your child. Dear Son would lie on his back in the tent, and then take his legs and kick the ceiling of the tent, practically knocking it over. It was great exercise for his abdominals and a great way to get rid of extra energy. If your child is Special Needs, see if you can get a child’s sleeping bag to put on the bottom of the tent to make it softer for them to lie on (it also helps to have it there in case they have an accident i.e. diaper leakage). You can find these at most toy stores. For an older child, GapKids makes one every spring and they also sell a child’s sleeping bag to match. I tried to find some examples of this type of tent and I see that they have a lot of them out there. There are three things you want to look for: 1) the tent should have a bottom (many of the ones I viewed did not) 2) it should be a pop-up type with no assembly required and 3) it should have a fabric door that closes off the front. While I left the fabric door open most of the time, Dear Son loved that it would fall half way closed. As an added bonus, he nearly always took a nap in his tent. It remains one of his favorite toys to this day and he still takes a nap in it.

Radio Flyer Wagon-My son loved this wagon. It was perfect for walks. What made this toy perfect was the tall sides and back of the wagon. The tall back allowed extra support for his back when sitting in the wagon. We had a wood one however the newer ones are plastic but should work just as well. Train-The best train we ever got was one from Walgreen’s. It was a battery operated small train that had a 36 inch round track that fit on the coffee table in the family room. Dear Son loved to sit on the floor and lean against the coffee table to watch and listen to the train. He loved it even more when he could take his arm and de-rail the train. This might take twenty tries and an awfully long time but he could do it. And when he did, he would laugh some big belly laughs. This toy was great from a therapeutic standpoint to encourage use of his arms. I purchased more expensive trains from Lionel but they didn’t work as well since the track was too sensitive. A tunnel is a great idea too if you can find one for the train. What to look for: Look for a train with a small track, unless you have a lot of room. I like the battery operated ones best. Make sure you can access the batteries easily. Most of these cheaper trains work best however access to the batteries are difficult due to the small screws used.

Mr. Christmas Musical Carousels-Mr. Christmas makes a great line of musical carousels. What is great about Mr. Christmas items is that they have a lot of songs, both Christmas and non-Christmas on the carousels and they have a volume control. The volume control is a big deal since many of the cheaper carousels you buy don’t have a volume control and they volume is too loud. Also, the quality of the music is great on them. When you listen to a cheaper carousel, the music quality is scratchy. Dear Son loved to listen and watch the carousel. He especially loved one with horses. I have tried other musical toys/carousels but the Mr. Christmas ones are the absolute best. Do not bother with any other brand. This year, I purchased the Mr. Christmas Symphony Surprise-Santa's Workshop. Four windows open in the house to reveal musical animated Gingerbread musicians. It plays fifty songs in four part harmony, 25 Christmas and 25 non-Christmas favorites and includes a real clock. The web site will give available stores however I was able to find this one at our local Meijer store even though the web site only gave the Grand Rapids Michigan Meijer store as one of the available locations.

Swing-An outdoor swing is essential for them. What you want is a swing with a tall back to support them. You can find them for several hundred dollars in a therapy catalog however I suspect you can now find them in a toy store or on-line much cheaper. Every child loves the tall back, not just children with disabilities. You can often see examples of this type of swing in many parks across the country. They are most often in red, have a high back and nearly every child and adult will use them, disabled or not.

Television near their bed.-One of the most surprising things that Dear Son loved was a television he had in one of the rehabilitation hospitals he frequented. This particular hospital had a small t.v. right next to his bed. He loved it. A television across the room was of less interest to him. The small size is important too-I am guessing this one was around a 13 inch screen which is just about right.

Videos- His absolute favorite movie was, “A Very Goofy Christmas”. He would laugh big belly laughs over this one movie.

Silly Six Pins-This is a bowling game where the bowling pins talk. We never used the bowling ball but instead set up the pins on our kitchen table on a placemat. I would pull Dear Son up to the table in his wheelchair, with only his lap strap fastened, and he would lean forward and use his head to knock the pins down. The bowling pins would talk to him to help encourage this action. This activity helped strengthen his trunk control and he loved it. As a reminder, the age of destruction preceeds the age of construction so developmentally, things that crash will always be a better choice than things for them to build.

IPOD-My son loves to listen to music so any of the IPODs would be an excellent choice. You do have to be careful that you watch the volume control since they can’t turn the volume up or down themselves.

Musical Mat- This is a musical mat that is about two feet wide and two feet tall that lies on the floor. When you press on the mat, it plays music. This is a great toy for an infant or toddler who is having difficulty in learning to roll over. You can practice helping them roll over and when they roll, they will be rewarded with music. Dear Son enjoyed this toy.

Musical toothbrush-Disney and several other manufacturers make a musical toothbrush that is great. I never used them for brushing teeth though. I used it to occupy Dear Son when he was getting a lab test or a shot. The song usually lasts three to five minutes or so, just long enough to keep his attention on the music and by the time the song is done, they have completed the shot without any crying. For Dear Son, he loved music and attended to things he heard vs. things he saw. The small size of the toothbrush made it great for taking along, as opposed to the size of a regular musical toy. These can also be used for tooth brushing however I tended to prefer the Oral B types for that.

Stocking Stuffers- Some great stocking stuffers include:

-Slinky-because it doesn’t take much hand control to get it to roll over.
-Bubble bath.
-Bath paints-you can squirt it on the child and write his name or “I love you” on his chest when you give them a bath. The color makes it fun.
-Other fun gifts ideas include movie gift cards, museum gift cards or in our state, we have a wonderful Arboretum with some fantastic trails. A membership card is a great gift.
-Babysitting coupons so the parents can go out to dinner is always appreciated. So often with Special Needs children, none of the family wants to babysit since they are afraid or it’s too much work. While that may be true, there is often a time when the child is sleeping, that the parents can go out for a quick dinner.

And the best gift of all-a note from Santa! When my son didn’t hit any milestones his first year, I was devasted. I had nothing to write in his baby book. I decided to write him a letter from Santa every year and include in it, the two or three things that he did accomplish. Santa would tell Dear Son how proud he was that he was able to work so hard and accomplish these things. The letter would be written on construction paper, in crayon and end the same way, “All my love, Santa”. I would roll up the letter and put it in his stocking. He loved to sit on my lap while I would read the letter.

These are my absolute best toy/gift ideas for Special Needs Children.

12/20/10-Recently, I compiled a list of toys/gifts for special needs children. Click here to see them. I will also tell you why I think a particular toy is good for these kids as well as tell you how the child will play with it and/or what to look for in a particular toy. I have included links to Amazon so you can order it and have it delivered to save you time from having to go out. I will be adding additional items throughout the year, that I think would work for these kids. Please be sure to save this link for all future gifts (both birthday, Christmas and otherwise).
*I originally published this on 12/4/06 however due to the high number of google requests for gifts for special needs children, I am reprinting it.

Best Toy & Gift Ideas for Special Needs Children

I
remember it very distinctly. I was standing in the Toys R Us store trying to find “one” toy that I could buy Dear Son for Christmas. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford more than one toy, it was rather that with his disabilities, there weren’t any toys that he could do himself, that we didn’t already have. I walked around for quite some time, when I got stuck in one of the aisles behind two young boys fighting over all their toys. They had an entire cart full of toys and were begging for more. Somehow, at that moment, life didn’t seem too fair. I just needed one toy, that didn’t require the use of your hands, your fingers, that didn’t require you to be able to sit, to be able to roll over or to use your voice. I needed something that didn’t flash or vibrate (since he had seizures and these could bring them on). I wanted to surprise him, to make him smile. I was, after all, Santa.

Many of the toys I saw, didn’t work for one reason or another, or I had already purchased them. Most of my family, preferred to give me money, so I could select the toys. Typically, this would mean a two hour shopping trip, only to come home with a few five dollar toys, but nothing exciting or of any consequence. I should also explain that some of the challenges parents of special needs children face, is finding toys that match their “developmental” age especially when their “chronological” age is much larger.

I decided to put together a list of Dear Son’s favorite toys over the years, in hopes that I might be able to assist other parents of children with severe disabilities, in finding toys for Christmas. I will also show you a picture when I can and tell you what types of things you should look for or what made this particular toy a favorite.

To give you a little history, Dear Son is severely developmentally delayed (retarded), has no use of his hands or arms, is non-verbal, can not walk, can not talk, can not feed himself and is totally dependent on someone. For many years, Dear Son could not roll over. As time passed, he was able to walk on his knees and roll over. Today, he can do neither.

Wooden Rocking Chair- We purchased a wood rocker at a furniture store many years ago. We happened to find this rocker while we were looking to purchase some dining room chairs. Dear Son was getting fussy in his wheelchair so I put him in this child's maple rocker while we purchased our chairs. The rocking chair worked so well, we purchased it for Dear Son. What was great about this rocker was that it had a tall back, which supported his trunk and the back of his head. This rocker was made of maple, but was still light enough for him to scoot around the house on the carpet with it. He took his feet and scooted side to side to move it and then loved to lean forward and look out the window. I liked it because he could get around the house easily and independently. It was much better than sitting in a wheelchair all day or lying on the floor. We’d take this rocker to family outings or simply when we went somewhere, like to see fireworks on the fourth of July. It’s the only seat he was able to stay in. A regular chair didn’t work because he would fall off the chair and because he couldn’t move the chair around the room. Many physical therapists have never heard of a child using a rocker to get around in like this, but once they saw him, they agreed it worked. From a therapeutic standpoint, the rocker also helped his balance. He still uses a rocker today, only he can’t get around in it like he once did and it’s now much larger. I found some child rockers at this website. I like the one pictured Dear Son was that he could use his mouth and bite on Barney’s hands to get them to work. If Dear Son was sitting, he would take his left foot and step on Barney’s feet and he would talk. This toy was worth every penny. We have had about six of these in his life. There are so many severely disabled children who love this particular Barney, that it’s truly amazing. None of the newer type Barney’s work as well as this one. Here is an newer ones are plastic but should work just as well.

Train-The best train we ever got was one from Walgreen’s. It was a battery operated small train that had a 36 inch round track that fit on the coffee table in the family room. Dear Son loved to sit on the floor and lean against the coffee table to watch and listen to the train. He loved it even more when he could take his arm and de-rail the train. This might take twenty tries and an awfully long time but he could do it. And when he did, he would laugh some big belly laughs. This toy was great from a therapeutic standpoint to encourage use of his arms. I purchased more expensive trains from Lionel but they didn’t work as well since the track was too sensitive. A tunnel is a great idea too if you can find one for the train. What to look for: Look for a train with a small track, unless you have a lot of room. I like the battery operated ones best. Make sure you can access the batteries easily. Most of these cheaper trains work best however access to the batteries are difficult due to the small screws used.

Mr. Christmas Musical Carousels-Mr. Christmas makes a great line of musical carousels. What is great about Mr. Christmas items is that they have a lot of songs, both Christmas and non-Christmas on the carousels and they have a volume control. The volume control is a big deal since many of the cheaper carousels you buy don’t have a volume control and they volume is too loud. Also, the quality of the music is great on them. When you listen to a cheaper carousel, the music quality is scratchy. Dear Son loved to listen and watch the carousel. He especially loved one with horses. I have tried other musical toys/carousels but the Mr. Christmas ones are the absolute best. Do not bother with any other brand. This year, I purchased the Mr. Christmas Symphony Surprise-Santa's Workshop. Four windows open in the house to reveal musical animated Gingerbread musicians. It plays fifty songs in four part harmony, 25 Christmas and 25 non-Christmas favorites and includes a real clock. The web site will give available stores however I was able to find this one at our local Meijer store even though the web site only gave the Grand Rapids Michigan Meijer store as one of the available locations.

Swing-An outdoor swing is essential for them. What you want is a swing with a tall back to support them. You can find them for several hundred dollars in a therapy catalog however I suspect you can now find them in a toy store or on-line much cheaper. Every child loves the tall back, not just children with disabilities. You can often see examples of this type of swing in many parks across the country. They are most often in red, have a high back and nearly every child and adult will use them, disabled or not.

Television near their bed.-One of the most surprising things that Dear Son loved was a television he had in one of the rehabilitation hospitals he frequented. This particular hospital had a small t.v. right next to his bed. He loved it. A television across the room was of less interest to him. The small size is important too-I am guessing this one was around a 13 inch screen which is just about right.

Videos- His absolute favorite movie was, “A Very Goofy Christmas”. He would laugh big belly laughs over this one movie.

Silly Six Pins-This is a bowling game where the bowling pins talk. We never used the bowling ball but instead set up the pins on our kitchen table on a placemat. I would pull Dear Son up to the table in his wheelchair, with only his lap strap fastened, and he would lean forward and use his head to knock the pins down. The bowling pins would talk to him to help encourage this action. This activity helped strengthen his trunk control and he loved it. As a reminder, the age of destruction preceeds the age of construction so developmentally, things that crash will always be a better choice than things for them to build.

IPOD-My son loves to listen to music so any of the IPODs would be an excellent choice. You do have to be careful that you watch the volume control since they can’t turn the volume up or down themselves.

Musical Mat- This is a musical mat that is about two feet wide and two feet tall that lies on the floor. When you press on the mat, it plays music. This is a great toy for an infant or toddler who is having difficulty in learning to roll over. You can practice helping them roll over and when they roll, they will be rewarded with music. Dear Son enjoyed this toy.

Musical toothbrush-Disney and several other manufacturers make a musical toothbrush that is great. I never used them for brushing teeth though. I used it to occupy Dear Son when he was getting a lab test or a shot. The song usually lasts three to five minutes or so, just long enough to keep his attention on the music and by the time the song is done, they have completed the shot without any crying. For Dear Son, he loved music and attended to things he heard vs. things he saw. The small size of the toothbrush made it great for taking along, as opposed to the size of a regular musical toy. These can also be used for tooth brushing however I tended to prefer the Oral B types for that.

Stocking Stuffers- Some great stocking stuffers include:

-Slinky-because it doesn’t take much hand control to get it to roll over.
-Bubble bath.
-Bath paints-you can squirt it on the child and write his name or “I love you” on his chest when you give them a bath. The color makes it fun.
-Other fun gifts ideas include movie gift cards, museum gift cards or in our state, we have a wonderful Arboretum with some fantastic trails. A membership card is a great gift.
-Babysitting coupons so the parents can go out to dinner is always appreciated. So often with Special Needs children, none of the family wants to babysit since they are afraid or it’s too much work. While that may be true, there is often a time when the child is sleeping, that the parents can go out for a quick dinner.

And the best gift of all-a note from Santa! When my son didn’t hit any milestones his first year, I was devasted. I had nothing to write in his baby book. I decided to write him a letter from Santa every year and include in it, the two or three things that he did accomplish. Santa would tell Dear Son how proud he was that he was able to work so hard and accomplish these things. The letter would be written on construction paper, in crayon and end the same way, “All my love, Santa”. I would roll up the letter and put it in his stocking. He loved to sit on my lap while I would read the letter.

These are my absolute best toy/gift ideas for Special Needs Children.

12/20/10-Recently, I compiled a list of toys/gifts for special needs children. Click here to see them. I will also tell you why I think a particular toy is good for these kids as well as tell you how the child will play with it and/or what to look for in a particular toy. I have included links to Amazon so you can order it and have it delivered to save you time from having to go out. I will be adding additional items throughout the year, that I think would work for these kids. Please be sure to save this link for all future gifts (both birthday, Christmas and otherwise).