I know that personally, when I walk into a toy store looking to buy a gift for our 14 year old special needs son, I’m instantly overwhelmed with the HUGE selection of toys. Why can’t the toy store just have a section on what toys would be good for special needs kids? I know, that’s asking waaay too much. Not in their best interest, profitability wise.
So I don’t go to toys stores anymore. You can get pretty much everything you need online, right on Amazon. I’ve also managed to stop being so overwhelmed with the selection, and occasionally venture away from the typical gift. I’ve written a Squidoo Lense on the subject, complete with TONS of suggestions on what to buy. There are even a few YouTube videos in there to keep things interesting. So if you’re having a tough time deciding on what to buy, head on over to my lens. You could also help out your friends and family that plan on shopping for a special needs kid, too. Just shoot them the link. Oh, and give the page a minute to load. There’s so much info there that it takes a minute :0)
http://www.squidoo.com/specialneedsgifts
Here’s our son, Nick having a wonderful time playing his Dad’s keyboard. Music and swinging are his favorite past times, and we get such a response from him with these activities that we use them as tools during therapy. All of the aids at his school have even been trained in incorporating the swing during the school day. Cool, huh?
Hope you find it enjoyable, and helpful. I started a thread on twitter about it, too. I thought it would be interesting to see how many people decided they liked the lense and passed the info along. You can join in, too. Just go to the bottom of the Squidoo Lens and you’ll find the twitter info there. I have to admit, I’m beginning to become one heck of a twitter fan! Too much fun!