Did you know that there were toys that speak to autistic kids? We did not, and this is why Moms' Buzz is dedicating this post to toys for differently-abled kids. We thought this was important to know because you never know when you need to make a present to an autistic kid; more so these days that the number of kids with autism has grown significantly. It is the nation's
fastest-growing serious developmental disorder, with a new case diagnosed almost every 20 minutes -
this is really sad to learn.
Quickly defined, Autism is a neurological disorder that impairs communication, behavior and social skills. The early signs are:
1. no big smiles or joyful expressions by 6 months
2. no babbling by 12 months
3. no back and forth gestures, such as waving, by 12 months.
4. no words by 16 months;
5. any loss of speech or babbling at any age.
Toy R Us and National Lekotek Center together produced
The Toys R Us Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, giving parents and friends of children with disabilities an easy-to-use selection of toys that offer them the best opportunity for fun and learning.
The Toys Guide includes 10 toys which help the kids in different developmental areas (social skills, thinkg, visual, language, gross motor, fine motor, creativity, auditory, tactile, thinking). It is properly indicated in which areas these toys help in their development. Here are some samples, but the complete list and guide can be found
here.
Thomas & Friends Tower Figure 8: fine motor, creativity, visual, thinking and language
Classic Tinkertoy Construction Set: creativity, visual, thinking, fine motor
Shake N' Go! Speedway and Racers: Gross motor, visual, auditory
To learn more about autism, please visit
www.AutismSpeaks.org.
Now you know what to look for and where to find it when you need/want to give a gift to a differently-abled kid - a v
ery thoughtful gesture...
- The Moms' Buzz
source:
www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled www.toysrus.com/autismspeaks
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