Selecting the Right Toys for Kids With Disabilities
Walking through a toy store during the holidays seems like a visit to the sets of “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” all rolled into one. With a dizzying array of toys competing for our attention, finding just the right gift for a child can be daunting--especially if the child has a physical, mental or developmental difficulty.
But with forethought and careful evaluation, grown-ups can often give kids with disabilities the same kinds of popular toys and games as their friends, even a Luke Skywalker laser sword or Monopoly. And these youngsters can reap the same benefits, too. The right toys encourage learning, develop motor skills, coordination and balance, improve cognitive ability and concentration and strengthen muscles.
No matter what the child’s needs are, experts say, certain general principles apply in selecting a toy or game, such as first identifying the child’s abilities and interests and determining what is age appropriate given their mental or physical impairments.
“Parents should use common sense,” says Dr. Sherry S. Vinson, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Just ask yourself: What will this toy require my child to do? And is he or she capable of that?”
Take an inventory of his or her skills and limitations. Consider whether the child can sit up in a chair, complete a sequence of steps or push a button. Some children, for instance, may have problems turning knobs because their fine motor skills haven’t developed. But if they can press an object with an index finger, select a toy with large buttons activated by a simple action. And figure out what the child enjoys, whether it’s listening to music, playing with dinosaurs or building things.
Angelica Lopez of Sacramento loads up her 9-month-old son, Miguel Angel, in a cart and walks around the store. He was born three months premature and is developmentally delayed.
“We test out the toys on him,” she says. “He loves music and the color red and things that rattle or have textures that he can grab and hold. We put toys in his little cart. If he plays with them for more than 15 minutes, then we know that’s what he likes.”
Because children may be delayed in their physical or mental development, parents should select what is appropriate for their developmental stage rather than chronological age. “If a 6-year-old only understands language at a 3-year-old level, for example, gear toys toward the 3-year-old level,” Vinson says.
Simplicity is important because it sparks imagination. If a toy does everything, says Martha B. Bronson, a professor of developmental and educational psychology at Boston College, “it doesn’t stimulate the participation and interaction that is essential to learning.”
And the toy or game doesn’t need to be costly to be fun. Play-doh and modeling clay are often recommended for kids with attention deficit disorder because moving their hands helps them to focus. Similarly, coloring books and finger paints can help them develop fine motor functions. Balls, yo-yos, jump ropes and Hula Hoops strengthen muscles and improve balance and coordination. Even familiar standbys such as Lincoln logs, Legos, Tinker Toys and blocks promote fine motor skills, visual acuity, problem solving and creativity, experts say.
“Don’t capitulate to the whine factor and buy the expensive toy of the moment,” says Claire Green, executive director of the Parent’s Choice Foundation, a nonprofit consumer group in Baltimore that evaluates children’s toys and books. “Look for something that will sustain an interest beyond ripping the paper off the package.”
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Tips for Choosing Toys
* Look for toys that appeal to more than one of the senses. Those with lights, sounds or movement are more likely to engage a child.
* Weigh the complexity of toys. They should provide a challenge, not frustration. For example, a child with weak muscles may not be able to operate a toy requiring physical strength.
* Be sure the toys can be used in different positions. A child who uses a wheelchair needs toys that fit on a wheelchair tray; one who can’t sit up needs toys that can be used lying down.
* Look for versatile toys. Items that can be played with in more than one way let the child adapt them to individual styles and abilities.
* Buy popular toys. A child with toys like his or her friends’ feels more like “any other kid.”
* Pick toys that encourage self-expression and imagination. Toys should allow a child to be creative in his or her own unique way, so provide tools for reading, drawing or manipulating blocks.
* Be sure the toys can be adjusted, whether by height, sound volume, speed or level of difficulty.
* Look for toys appropriate for the child’s developmental and chronological ages.
* Check to see if the toys are sturdy and can be used safely. There should be no loose parts that could be swallowed.
* The best toys require that a child be an active participant. But because social interaction is important, especially for children with disabilities, make sure the toy encourages play with others.
Source: National Lekotek Center
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Resources for Toys
National Lekotek Center, a national nonprofit organization, sponsors a help line on how to choose toys for children with disabilities. (800) 366-PLAY, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
* “Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids,” developed by the National Lekotek Center and Toys R Us, is free at Toys R Us stores or by calling the National Lekotek Center.
* “Guide to Toys for Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired,” a catalog created by the American Foundation for the Blind and the American Toy Institute, features toys and games for children of all ages. (800) 232-5463 or www.toy-tia.org.
* Toys for Special Children makes toys, robots, trains and scooters activated by touch, sips or puffs of air. (800) 832-8697.