Adaptive Toys

Dear Friends,

Do you have a special child at home to buy gifts for? If so, I've just scoured the World Wide Web for the latest in adaptive toy companies. Every time I look, there is so much more available for special kids with special needs!

Abilitations
www.abilitations.com
Abilitations is a 192 page catalog with a focus on children's rehabilitation and therapy. Products are available for sensory integration, movement, positioning, exercise and play. Every product sold is guaranteed for up to one year. For a free catalog call 800-850-8602.

Ableplay
http://www.ableplay.org
Ableplay is a toy rating system and Web site that provides comprehensive information on toys for children with special needs so parents, special educators, therapists and others can make the best choices for the children in their lives with disabilities. Developed by the National Lekotek Center, Ableplay provides parents and professionals access to the most useful, product-specific information about the top play and learning products and toys for children with disabilities free of charge.

Come Play With Me
http://www.comeplaytoys.com
A wide variety of developmental toys for all age groups

Downi Creations, Inc.
http://downicreations.com
Beautiful dolls that have features of Down Syndrome children; each one has a different ethnicity or race and has its own name.

Dragon Fly Toys
http://www.dftoys.com
Offers toys for children with special needs, targets skill sets, and lets you search based on your child's developmental profile.

Electrically Adapted Toys
www.scienceshareware.com/toys.htm
Here's an engineer who will help you adapt toys you already have.

Enabling Devices
http://www.enablingdevices.com
Offers a diverse toy chest

The Family Village Accessibility Shopping Mall
http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/at/adaptive-toys.html#vendors
Lists a directory of adaptive toys

Jim's Jungle Play and Design
http://www.jimsjungle.com
Custom designed play systems that are fun and colorful

L.A.T.A.N. (Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network)
www.latan.org/facts/facts4.html
Offers a very thorough fact sheet about choosing appropriate toys for various skill sets.

National Lekotek Center
www.lekotek.org
The National Lekotek Center provides family play centers and toy lending libraries that give children with special needs access to play that brings both joy and learning into their lives. Toys, books, and computer software and hardware are selected or adapted to fit the way their minds and bodies work.

Tack Tiles®
http://www.tack-tiles.com
Braille Systems are a sophisticated teaching tool for all ages based on LEGO®-type blocks. These Braille blocks provide a unique bridge, a smoother, shorter, more interesting path to Braille literacy. Now in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian literary Braille Code as well as Nemeth Braille Code for mathematics, Braille code for music notation, and computer Braille code. True to their nature, TACK-TILES® have shown themselves to be valuable tactile aids in several settings wherein of sensory stimulation, not vision, is the central issue to be addressed.