wanted: toy designs for disabled daughter

[mickp]

Hi All

hoping someone will be able to help me. I have twin 3 1/2 yo daughter's.
one has cerebral palsy.

Am wondering if anyone has plans for toys that could be adapted for her use or if anyone has seen something that they think could/would be helpful for her.

thanks
Mick

[Carry Pine]

Have you seen the 'kitchen' stuff made by Stuart Lees? maybe you wanted something smaller. Would you like them to actually make the things with you?
Carry Pine

[scooter]

Mick, have to admit I don't know enough about c.p. to suggest anything in particular, maybe a bit of info is needed, specifically what needs to be catered to in designing toys for her?


Cheers..............Sean

[Andy Mac]

One of my girls has similar, can walk without aids etc but somewhat limited use of one arm. Fine motor skills aren't too good and she found some tasks at school really hard...like using a ruler (and recorder!:( ). I have done a few things like add a wooden handle to a ruler so she could grasp it, and put winding handles of kinetic toys on the left side to exercise it.
Basically tailor things to suit her disability, as they are all different in scale and needs. Is she in a wheelchair? Keep up the discussion as I think there is need to encourage both the kids and their carers.:)

Cheers,

[mickp]

to explain cerebral palsy a bit more it was in my daughter Nikita's case caused by a lack of oxygenat birth. It has severely effected her ability to control her arms and legs, she also has developmental delays inthat she still cannot crawl and her speech is slow to develop. she mainly communicates with her eyes. to use a phrase the lights are on but the is someone home.

what I am looking for help with is toys that she can play with that will at the same time help her to grasp things with her hands for example I made her a puzzle, like the ones were the pieces all fit back into one place only,I made it different to the commercially available ones by making the handles on each piece larger.

I've made items in the past for older people such as extra large domino's, cribbage boards.

when I make something for Nikita I also make a copy for Novita (formerly Crippled Children's Association) to see what they think of it. Am still waiting to hear back from them.

So any ideas or suggestions at all will be very gratefully accepted

thanks
Mick

[bitingmidge]

Mick,

I designed a few toys 30 something years ago as a uni project, and it was a pretty rewarding few months as we worked with a number of palsied kids of varying incapacity.

There's no formula, and you seem to be pretty right. Basically scale everything up a bit.

Look to baby vs larger kid toys for inspiration. Not in an intellectual sense but a motor skills one. Little kids for instance can recognise a car or a truck, but don't have the skills to handle smaller ones, so we give them bigger versions of the same thing. Big balls are easier to play with than small.

Sometimes purpose built handles or grasps will do the same thing, (like the ruler for Andy's daughter).

The trick here is that her body can't keep up with her brain, so try to discover toys that are suited to her age, and recreate them bigger, or easier to grasp.

Now you'll send me scrambling for my sketch pad again!

cheers.

P

[masoth]

Not certain this is useful, but I've just made a die from a 90x90 off-cut on which I glued the numerals 1 to 6, and varnished. I'ts purpose is to encourage my grand daughter to recognize the numerals and associate them with fingers, toes, biscuits, dolls.
A little blackboard is also covered with numerals and the letters of the alphabet. If my lovely correctly picks a numeral she rolls on the die, she get rewarded with the corresponding number of treats.

[docwood]

Hi,

You might have a look at the book "Making Toys That Teach" by Les Neufeld. It has some plans for stacking blocks, shape cubes, etc., that might be helpful.

Good Luck,

Rob

[Andy Mac]

Hi Mick,
On the subject of books, I just did a search here at the uni library, there are a couple of titles that might be OK. They are: Easy to make toys for your disabled child by Don Caston; and Play helps: toys and activities for children with special needs by Roma Lear. I'll go and check them out and report back if they seem worthwhile, but you may be able to get them from Amazon.com?

Cheers,

[CameronPotter]

...and put winding handles of kinetic toys on the left side to exercise it.


I don't know much about C.P. either, but this sounds like a good idea if it is relevant.

Another possible idea might be to shape the handles that you put on things differently. So that each handle is an experience in itself??

As for Midge's idea of making big toys. When I was a kid, I know which I would have preferred between a big truck and a little truck... :cool: :D

Anyway, I also like the idea of sending copies to the Kids Assoc., but it is a shame that they haven't replied yet. :(

Best of luck with it!

Cam

[Stuart]

Could we perhaps ask for pics of those toys that are good - would like to make some, (for whatever the local organisation is here), but would rather see some suitable ones, rather than just guess.

[Bob Willson]

Big balls are easier to play with than small.P

Woudn't want that one quoted out of context would you Peter. :D

[Stuart]

Glad someone said something..... ;)

[mickp]

thanks all for your ideas & comments. am trying to source the books mentioned.once I manage some shedtime for me (not pita customer) I'll try making a few pieces and will post pics of them

[Jedo_03]

Hi Mick
I'm a speechie and worked with CP kids for over 25 yrs.
Has your daughter been referred to occupational therapy & speech therapy & physio . . ?
Re toys - here's some links that I hope will be helpful to your family:

http://www.guiadeljuguete.com/aiju2002/Discapacitados/ingles/masinfo5.asp (http://www.guiadeljuguete.com/aiju2002/Discapacitados/ingles/masinfo5.asp)

http://www.originsofcerebralpalsy.com/05-treatment/06-playtheraphy.html (http://www.originsofcerebralpalsy.com/05-treatment/06-playtheraphy.html)

http://www.epinions.com/content_4280328324 (http://www.epinions.com/content_4280328324)

http://www.originsofcerebralpalsy.com/04-care/04-play-fitness.html (http://www.originsofcerebralpalsy.com/04-care/04-play-fitness.html)

http://www.fsma.org/toys.shtml (http://www.fsma.org/toys.shtml)

http://www.buffalo.edu/reporter/vol31/vol31n15/n1.html (http://www.buffalo.edu/reporter/vol31/vol31n15/n1.html)

http://www.heirloomwoodentoys.com/How-to-choose-manipulative-toys-p-5.html (http://www.heirloomwoodentoys.com/How-to-choose-manipulative-toys-p-5.html)

Jedo

[Paul O'H. Ingersoll Canad]

Any thing here that would help you ???
http://frontpage.execulink.com/pohallor/toys1.htm
Paul