Special Kids - Celebrating The Uniqueness of ALL Children

Dorothy Hamill Helps Disabled Kids Break The Ice

The adaptive skating program was established in November 2009 so that children with physical disabilities could enjoy recreational ice skating. Part of the physically challenged sports programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute, I-Skate provides these children a unique opportunity to get involved with physical activity, which improves their health, as well as providing a chance for important social interaction with their peers. It also helps participants learn an activity they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

The Program typically runs late fall through early spring, and over the course of those four or five months, the participants work on developing their skating skills. At the end of the program, the kids showcase their hard work with a show for friends and family.

Learn More: http://i-skate.kennedykrieger.org/

Toys For "Differently Abled" Kids

Having appeared on the cover of the Toys"R"Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, NBC Today Show' co-host(ess) Meredith Vieira delivered a very nice feature on holiday toy giving for children with special needs.

Thousands of parents, relatives, friends and caregivers have used theToys"R"Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids to find everyday toys that help spark imagination and build critical skills for the special needs child in their life. The Guide is developed with the National Lekotek Center, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to making the world accessible to children of all ages and abilities. 

Traveling with Special Needs Children

Pediatric Therapist Aviva Weiss Offers Ten Tips to Prepare for Good Times Together This Holiday Season

The chaos of packing, airport crowds and security, lengthy car rides and yes, even overexposure to family and friends is enough to erode any holiday traveler’s festive spirit. Add traveling with children into the equation, especially when special needs are involved, and some parents might wish they could just stay home. But a few preparations, says Fun and Function LLC founder Aviva Weiss, can go a long way toward ensuring a good time for everyone.

Traveling disrupts routines and removes children from familiar surroundings. This can be especially stressful and difficult for children with special needs notes Weiss, a certified pediatric occupational therapist. A mother of four, including a daughter with sensory processing disorder, she says parents of special needs children can pave the way toward less stressful trips by observing these ten guidelines:

1. Prepare the child in advance as much as possible. Practice for the trip for a period leading up to the actual travels. Talk about the upcoming experience to help your child overcome anxiety. Act out or role play anticipated events in advance, from taking off shoes for airport security to applauding after a toast.

2. Redirect anxious energy into constructive activity. To take the edge off the potential anxiety of seeing many less familiar faces all at once, make the event a fun and educational by creating a special activity. Create a small photo album featuring people who will be at the event, and help your child play “Family Bingo,” checking off each person he or she greets or sees across the room. Or, create a pictogram of your itinerary or agenda and help your child follow along.

3. Encourage creative expression. For those able to write or draw, a pocket journal or sketchbook for illustrating what they’re experiencing can provide another useful outlet. Children who are more observers than participants may appreciate assignments such as taking pictures with a digital camera.

4. Don't expect perfection. Whenever you travel with children, it’s best to “expect the unexpected,” or at least leave room for something to pop up to divert you from your agenda.

5. Secure an extra set of hands. Try traveling with a friend, family member or caregiver to help keep things in order when you’re on the move, provide manpower for carrying belongings and an extra set of eyes, and even make bathroom breaks with multiple children an easier task.

6. Manage expectations for you and your hosts. A pending visit from a special needs child may produce stress for the host as well as the child and the parent. Prepare everyone by communicating your child’s needs in advance and asking for some general ground rules for inside the home, as a gesture toward making the visit as pleasant and peaceful as possible.

7. Bring along some “friends.” Pack a bag of objects that are fun and familiar. Sensory gadgets/fidgets, noise reduction headphones, weighted vests, or favorite belongings from home will help filter out outside stimuli and provide a comforting connection to “home.”

8. Minimize changes to eating habits. Try to keep your child’s diet consistent to prevent constipation, indigestion, allergic reactions or other adverse developments. Feed your child something satisfying to comfort them before a long trip, and take along favorite utensils as a connection to more familiar situations. Don't expect your child to sit for an entire meal. Rather, prepare a spot where he or she can rest, play or calm down while the meal continues.

9. RX for safer travels. Ready a medicine kit with prescriptions, medical information and OTC products to confront fevers, allergies, cuts and other issues that may surface when you travel out of your home.

10. Preserve the moment but reserve time for breaks. The ingredients of posing for pictures – people huddled close together, bright flashes, noise and the need to stay still – can lead to overstimulation. Don't oblige your child to participate in all the photos, and be sure to take breaks in between.

“Traveling with a special needs child – or any child, for that matter – needn’t be a stressful event,” Weiss says. “In fact, it can be a great experience, offering lessons and fond memories for all. The keys are to prepare everyone in advance, include a few fun and familiar items and activities, and above all remember that it takes time and patience to learn how to manage change.”

SpecialKids readers will receive $5 Off their first online order by clicking here and entering the discount code "CERD%" at checkout.

Reprinted With Permission
Aviva Weiss, a pediatric OT and founder of Fun and Function LLC, offers tips for traveling with special needs kids.

TOOBEEZ - A Therapeutic Toy For Special Kids

A wonderful therapeutic and FUN toy for kids of all abilities was brought to my attention by Greg Pitkoff, a great friend and one of the most sincere public relations professionals in the country. TOOBEEZ, a suburban Philadelphia company makes giant "Tinkertoys on Steroids" (per The Big Ideas's Donny Deutsch) really, truly understands  the special needs marketplace.

The company focuses a part of their efforts promoting the fact that TOOBEEZ assist children (and older adults) with teamwork, concentration, cooperation, coordination, occupational therapy, listening skills, motor skills, perseverance, responsibility, and time management.

Made in the USA, TOOBEEZ is an exceptionally charitable company and will give away thousands of FREE Kits to schools, day cares, seniors facilities, camps, therapists, social organizations, faith-based, sports, community-based, special needs, clinics and all non-profits as a means to help these types of entities experience the value and the benefits that TOOBEEZ brings to every situation. 

TOOBEEZ has a very special offer :

Purchase a 57 piece giant TOOBEEZ^® kit for $99 and receive a complimentary 15 piece set ($24.99 value) to share or keep. Simply provide a name, organization or business and an address, and TOOBEEZ will ship the present at no cost. Details here.

What are TOOBEEZ?

Often referred to as giant Tinkertoys®, TOOBEEZ are a life-sized construction building system that can be used as a toy, educational tool, a teambuilding prop or a therapeutic aid. Comprised of interlocking tubes and spheres, TOOBEEZ can be linked together to create anything imaginable, from a simple cube shape to a complex structure like an airplane or submarine. The name describes how the product works, tubes that are easy to use for work or play.

How are TOOBEEZ educational?

An open-ended product, Toobeez challenges you to think about what you want to create and how you will create it, or how you will use them in an activity. Toobeez were designed to improve problem-solving and reasoning skills as children use their imagination for pretend play. They encourage creative thought, develop speech and language skills, help improve memory, introduce math and pre-reading concepts, help lengthen attention span and improve overall focus. TOOBEEZ are a perfect fit for any child development program and were the 2005 winner of the prestigious Teacher's Choice Award from Learning Magazine and Creative Child Magazine's Preferred Choice Award.

How are TOOBEEZ used for therapy?

TOOBEEZ offers therapists a versatile treatment tool that promotes social development, refines gross and fine motor skills, improves body and spatial awareness and strengthens sensory integration and sensory exploration. TOOBEEZ are typically used in occupational therapy, senior therapy and recreational therapy settings.

How can I purchase TOOBEEZ?

TOOBEEZ are available at over 500 specialty toy shops across the country. Find TOOBEEZ near you. You can purchase TOOBEEZ online here

How much do TOOBEEZ cost?

The standard 57-piece TOOBEEZ^® kit costs $99.99. Each kit contains 32 tubes, 20 connector hubs and four slide-on curtains and comes with a portable carrying bag. Additional accessories are also available for purchase and activity workbooks retail for $29.99.

Thanks Greg - and thanks TOOBEEZ!

Learner Bikes for Children with Special Needs

Learning to ride a bicycle is one of life’s milestones, the first step to gaining true independence. And for parents there is no prouder moment than the sight of their own child pedaling away in the distance having mastered its art.
 
Children have an urge for movement and something as straightforward as a bicycle or scooter allows the child to develop their physical potential. It’s almost given that any child will love their first bike more than any other toy and it is something they will remember for the rest of their life. It’s their first independent form of transport and forms the basis to learn much more about coordination, balance, agility and the world around them. 

 
The physical development of a child is as important as their educational progress. Between the ages of two and five years old they are learning how to move their bodies, how to balance and be self-aware. This in turn helps to build their confidence and develop their personality.
 
The skills they develop at this age are called gross motor skills – activities that involve the larger muscles in the arms, legs and torso. These help to improve the child’s body awareness, reaction speed, balance and strength through actions such as lifting, kicking, running and throwing. Developing gross motor skills gives a child a sense of achievement and feeling that they are really growing up.
 
BUGABIKE
Learner bikes, such as the BUGABIKE , are the perfect introduction to the world of cycling for youngsters and help to develop this early learning skill. They have been produced for children who are too young to ride a traditional bike. The simple, pedal-less design of learner bikes means children have to power them by pushing their feet against the ground, and use their feet to restore balance. By separating the steering and balance function from the pedaling, children can learn to balance without any other distractions.
 
Children are natural learners and constantly absorb new experiences. They love to make independent progress and by having a BUGABIKE, cycling is something they can learn how to master on their own. They will discover how it works, how to keep in equilibrium and how to make it move faster. Within a short time they will have more confidence about staying upright and will soon be coasting with their feet away from the ground. 

Because learner bikes help children to acquire these skills at a younger age, the transition to a conventional bike is much quicker and more natural than those who are dependent on stabilizers' or training wheels. Although stabilizer's help children to get over their early fear of riding it is believed that they do more harm than good in developing the fundamental basics of riding. They offer a false sense of security and encourage dependency by forcing the bike to lean to one side while children are pedaling. This can still be the case once they are taken away.
 
The learner bike is also an easier method for parents who would otherwise teach their children to ride by holding the back of the saddle.
 
Since gross motor skills are improved with practice, children need plenty of opportunities to exercise these skills. Nowadays it is common for children to spend most of their leisure time watching television and playing on computer games, making outdoor play an endangered activity. Childhood obesity has become a growing concern for parents and experts agree that the decline in outdoor play has had a significant impact on this. Encouraging youngsters to undertake vigorous activities such as riding a bike will not only entertain them for hours but will also help their future health and physical development and allow them to explore a different environment.

Play is an integral part of children’s learning and is an important medium through which they develop skills, knowledge, concepts and attitudes. By playing outdoors children learn through what they do, through what they encounter and what they discover.

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But most of all play is about having fun and getting the balance of play right can give children the best start in life.

BUGABIKE is available at BUGABIKE and discounted at AMAZON.COM .