Tips on finding toys for children with disabilities

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The newest toy in the Fisher-Price Rescue Hero line is Aiden Assist, an emergency medical technician who comes in a wheelchair and uses a saw. Associated Press

Even better news is that the more tuned in toy makers are to what all kids need in playthings, the more appeal their toys have for kids with disabilities, too.

All kids, with and without disabilities, play for the same reasons — to stimulate their brains, bodies and imaginations and, well, just to have fun. Learning, pretending and exerting energy are the important work of childhood.

If there is a child with a disability on your gift list, you will want to think first about the child's interests and abilities, and only then about the limitations that might make a toy less than friendly.

Is he or she interested in drawing, singing, building or playing house? Determine that direction first, and then look for toys that lend themselves to that activity without significant adaptation. A child with limited movement can still enjoy a ball; a child who is deaf might still enjoy a toy with music.

But the ball needs to be bigger, and less likely to disappear, and the music needs to be accompanied by color, movement and/or vibrations. Be a child yourself as you shop for kids with disabilities. Toys that bore you will bore the child, and toys that entertain you will probably entertain him or her, too.

Generally, kids with disabilities want the same toys as their friends and siblings. Toys for any child should be well-made, safe, easy to operate, have sensory appeal and encourage interaction. For a child with disabilities, the significance of those ingredients is even greater.

"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 the child to do? And is he or she capable of that?"

Angelica Lopez of Sacramento, Calif., 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. Modeling clay is 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.

Here are just a few of this year's picks to get you started; if the toy might not be readily available in major toy stores, a phone number or Web site is listed.

Music and art

• Busy boxes and musical toys abound, but the Magical Moves Keyboard (Fisher-Price, $29.99) has multiple appeal. Motion sensors enable a child with just the wave of a hand over Elmo, Ernie or Cookie Monster to direct the music (rock, classical and jazz) and add or subtract sounds. A six-note keyboard allows budding musicians to compose their own tunes, and there are interesting shapes to press and spin.
• For artists who need to sit rather than stand, the Tabletop Magnetic Easel (Alex, $54) offers hours of possibilities. Designed to sit on any table, this sturdy wooden easel is a chalk board on one side, magnetic erase board on the other. Built-in ledges hold supplies, and easel clips hold artwork in place. It comes with magnetic letters, paint brushes, and cups. (800) 666-2539.

Let's pretend

• Chuck My Talking Fire Truck (Tonka, $19.97) moves when you call him and even talks back. In the toys-that-talk line, Hasbro's Dusty My Talking Tool Bench ($34.99) encourages hard-working carpenters by talking back to them as they work with 25 different phrases.
• Many kids like to play with dolls, and dolls that have something in common with their kid owners are always appreciated. Newest in the Fisher-Price Rescue Hero line is Aiden Assist, an emergency medical technician who comes to the scene in a hip wheelchair and with a working saw. Designed in collaboration with the National Lekotek Center, leading resource on accessible play for kids with disabilities, Aiden Assist is a great nonviolent addition to the toy boxes of kids with and without disabilities. rescueheroes.com.

Other dolls featuring disability-aware accessories include Mattel's Share A Smile Becky (a Barbie doll with a sporty wheelchair) and Sign Language Barbie. American Girl dolls ($84), (800) 845-0005, continues to offer a wheelchair ($30) either as an accessory, or as part of the Doll Hospital package. If your American Girl doll is damaged, you can send her to the Doll Hospital for repair, and get her back with a hospital gown, ID bracelet, get-well balloon and a wheelchair.

Learning toys

• LeapFrog offers a number of high-quality, multisensory toys for kids of all ages. Try Turbo Twist Math ($39.99) for school-age kids, and LeapPad to help beginning readers with talking versions of popular children's books, with speaking text when highlighted with the LeapPad pen.
• The Fisher-Price Learning Sensations Play with Letters Desk ($29.99) makes learning letters and colors a fun and multisensory experience. Each brightly colored letter is a raised, textured character with the raised Braille letter beneath. Roll letters on the desk, and hear the letter name and sound — or its color — announced.

Getting physical

• The Tugboat Ball Pit (Hedstrom, $49.95) lets kids of varying abilities jump or roll around in a safe environment, and PlaySports 40-inch Fun Ball (Small World Toys, $30), has gigantic possibilities.
• For kids with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities, Hasbro's Sound Around Hoop ($12.99) will keep kids moving to 14 jamming beats.

Where to find appropriate toys

• National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization, sponsors a help line on how to choose toys for children with disabilities. Call (800) 366-PLAY on weekdays.
• "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.