babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Some of the child models from the Toys 'R' Us Guide for Differently-Abled Kids.
I’ll admit, I was intrigued when Toys ‘R’ Us sent me a link to their Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids. The retailer has been publishing the guide since 1994, billed as an easy-to-use resource featuring toys specially selected based on research from the National Lekotek Center that encourage play for children with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. The 2011 guide features actress Eva Longoria on the cover, who also created a video in support of the initiative. Longoria’s sister, Liza, is developmentally disabled and inspired Longoria to found Eva’s Heroes, an organization that “helps teens and young adults with special needs to integrate and flourish in society.”
At first, I assumed this catalog was simply a marketing ploy, since after all, it’s filled with the same toys that are in the regular catalog. But once I saw that each toy included in the guide was evaluated individually to determine its ability to help special needs children learn and grow, coupled with the care Toys ‘R’ Us took to interview the families of the children featured, my cynicism softened. As you flip through the wonderful photographs of these children with special needs and read what their parents have to say about them, you’re sure to be inspired by each family’s strength. Continue reading »
Photo of Joshua Robb provided by San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office.
Joshua Robb, 8, squeezed through the bars surrounding the playground at Grandview Elementary and ran away. Twenty-four hours later, the missing boy was found, thanks in part to rocker Ozzy Osbourne.
Joshua, who has severe autism, left his school on Monday and walked right into the San Bernardino National Forest. Searchers began looking for him, but the search was limited due to lightning storms that night.
They resumed Tuesday, but his family was concerned that any use of helicopters or other loud and unfamiliar sounds would scare Joshua away from rescuers because he is afraid of loud noises. They suggested playing a couple of his favorite songs over a public announcement system to help draw him toward rescuers, including Ozzy Osbourne’s ”No More Tears”.
An iPad can be a great educational tool for children of all capabilities.
I don’t have an iPad, but both of my kids do. While it may seem like the ultimate unnecessary luxury for children — and it is a luxury — I keep telling everyone I meet that it’s the best educational tool I’ve ever come across.
My kids use their iPads all the time, and most of the apps they are using are educational. From Jungle Time, an app that my 5-year-old daughter is using to learn how to tell time, to Rocket Math, an app my 10-year-old son uses to practice math, they are engrossed in learning thanks to clever developers who’ve created neat ways for kids to play and learn at the same time.
Parents and teachers of children with special needs are big fans of iPads as well. USA Today is reporting on school districts around the country that have purchased iPads for their special needs students this year. David Barry, superintendent of schools in Zeeland, Mich., explains why educators find them so helpful: “Video can be used to practice social skills. Speech recognition aids students who have writing difficulties. The touch screen makes use easy for children who have dexterity problems.”
[Make sure to read more to find out about the best apps for kids with special needs!]
Broadway's "The Lion King" has been adapted for autistic children.
Broadway’s Theater Development Fund (TDF) has kicked off a fantastic new program called the Autism Theater Initiative, with the goal of creating a more conducive environment for autistic children and their families to enjoy the Great White Way.
The program has two key components. The first is to review Broadway shows for children and find ways to soften portions of the shows that may be upsetting to children on the autism spectrum, such as sections of very bright light or loud sound.
The second is to run the shows entirely for an audience of special needs children, so that, as TDF’s director of accessibility Lisa Carling explained to the New York Times, families can attend “… and not be afraid of judgment from other theatergoers who might not understand why a child is doing repetitive movements, or rocking back and forth, or why a child might need to wear headphones or get up in the middle of a song and take a time out in the lobby.”
Do charter schools cherry pick their students?
Charter schools can be a godsend to kids in failing public school systems. They’ve proven time and again that they can take students and give them a solid education, bringing them at least up to grade level in most subjects while their peers in traditional neighborhood schools fall further and further behind.
But are they really playing on a level field? An interesting NYT article looks at the ways charter schools may cherry pick their students to inflate their success rates. Some families contend that their kids have been pushed out of charter schools because they didn’t fit in or had special needs.
Counting on fingers well past grade-school: normal or a sign of something else?
Plenty of kids struggle with math. Some have a hard time grasping the concepts. Others just haven’t practiced enough. Still others have never had good enough instruction.
Then there’s 5 to 7 percent of the population whose brains are wired in such a way that; even adults are unable to count backwards from 10, or estimate the height of a room, or do anything but guess at which card in a deck is larger — the 5 or the 8. Unless they’re allowed to count the symbols. Continue reading »
Is your child an orchid or a dandelion?
Orchid children are in the headlines again, with a Globe and Mail piece on how to help these highly sensitive kids bloom. The orchid child theory holds that some kids are more sensitive than others: sensitive to sensation, to social stimuli, to criticism.
These are the babies who cry uncontrollably at the feel of an itchy tag, the toddlers who won’t wear socks with seams and the preschoolers who meltdown at the slightest hint of disapproval from a teacher. Those who support the theory claim that these kids, if given special care, can blossom into extraordinary adults. If neglected, their sensitive dispositions make them prone to learning disorders like ADHD, mental health problems like depression and anxiety, and a host of other physical and behavioral health issues.
They’re not talking about a small number of kids. Researchers believe 15% to 20% of children are “orchids”. That’s a lot of fragile flowers in classrooms and playgrounds
Or is it? Like most theories, the “orchid children” hypothesis has its detractors. Every article on this topic draws comments decrying the preciousness of parents who see their children’s “bad” behavior or hypersensitivity as a sign of hidden talents. The counter-argument goes something like, ‘These are just normal kids with over-involved, worried parents. It’s the parents who need to grow up, not a problem with the kids.” Continue reading »
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
2