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Playtime for All

Pamela Brill -- Gifts and Dec, 12/1/2011 2:00:00 AM

LONG BEFORE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS SUCH AS AUTISM AND ADHD BECAME CULTURAL BUZZWORDS, KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS HAVE ALWAYS SHARED A UNIVERSAL CHILDHOOD TRAIT: THE DESIRE TO PLAY. However, because they lacked the social or cognitive skills of their similarly aged peers, parents were hard-pressed to find toys that fit their individual abilities.
But all that has changed. Today, there is a comprehensive roster of resources available to parents of mentally-and physically-challenged children in search of playthings designed to engage - not frustrate - young minds. In this exclusive report, a dedicated community of developmental play professionals, toy manufacturers and specialty retailers explain how their efforts serve this niche market.

Able, Not Unable
When determining the factors used to define a toy as special needs, look no further than your average child. "Finding toys for kids with special needs begins with the same criteria for finding toys for any kids," explain Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim, child development experts and co-founders of toyportfolio.com. "Good toys need to fit your child physically, intellectually and socially."

Creativity for Kids' My First Scissors Kit. $15.99. Creativity for Kids. 800.642.2288.
	Exploration Blocks. $34.99. PBS Kids Shop. 888.957.9696.
The WikkiStix Book of Wiggles, Squiggles and Curlicues. From $3. WikkiStix. 800.869.4554.

     With this in mind, the Oppenheims created their Special Needs Adaptable Product Award (SNAP), a program that has been in inception since 1989, and a separate list of toys for kids with ADHD, which began in 2004. Among the beneficial factors they stress is age-appropriateness. "A toy car for a toddler looks and plays differently than a toy car for a preschooler," explain the Oppenheims. "The car may be a tempting novelty, but it may have more bells and whistles than a child can handle."
     A young person with a sensory-related challenge, note the Oppenheims, "generally develop other senses to a greater degree than the child with no disabilities. Musical toys, toys with textures and toys with auditory feedback are going to build on the child's strengths."
     Also focusing on a child's abilities - rather than disabilities - is the National Lekotek Center, a not-for-profit organization that helps special-needs families find creative ways to play. Toys are evaluated during designated play sessions and are assigned an AblePlay rating based on four categories: physical, sensory, communicative and cognitive.
     "Our Web site [ableplay.org] is where retailers and consumers can easily research and purchase rated and reviewed [...] products," explains Raiko Mendoza, director of business development. "Each product is listed with such exclusive, extensive information that retailers, educators and families will have more [...] before purchasing."

Supplying Special Needs Market
Manufacturers also recognize the importance of promoting play for special-needs kids. Fisher-Price.com features a special needs component within its Play and Learn section. "We provide recommendations [...] emphasizing play stages, rather than ages, because all children develop at ditterent rates," explains Kathleen Alfano, senior director of child research. "During the experience stage, children discover ways to use a toy and its pieces: where to touch, turn or twist it; where to put things in or take them out." She notes the Little People Animal Sounds Farm and Little People Zoo Talkers Animal Sounds Zoo playsets, both of which have been recommended by therapists for their tactile and auditory benefits.

	Little People Animal Sounds Farm. $39.99. Fisher-Price. 800.432.5437.
Funny Phone Early Listening Game. $34.99. Learning Resources. 800.333.8281.
	Where's that Chipmunk? game. $24.99. Haywire Group. 413.543.3020.

     Omnicor, makers of WikkiStix, relies on feedback from its occupational and speech therapists to understand how their products benefit challenged kids. According to president Kem Clark, The Wikki Stix Book of Wiggles, Squiggles and Curlicues is "ideal for children who have fine motor issues and can't turn the pages of a regular book."
     The core Wikki Stix products, notes Clark, "are a quiet toy for those ‘movers and shakers' who need to have something in their hands for them to be able to listen, focus and pay attention in the classroom. They are also helpful for the wide spectrum of autism, allowing non-verbal children a means of communication."
     To relay the effectiveness of their product in the special-needs space, Omnicor provides retailers with bag stuffer samples and supports play days featuring a WikkiStix-related activity. "We show moms how clean and easy the product is, and how versatile it is for children of all abilities," adds Clark.
Also taking great efforts to educate its retail customers on special needs is Learning Resources. "We've really done our homework to make the jobs of our retail partners easier," explains Wendy Zachrisen, educational marketing manager. She cites the company's product matrix that aligns over 350 items with multiple developmental skills, areas of intervention and certain disabilities. "It's important for our customers to have access to a resource with depth and breadth because many children with special needs have multiple challenges," says Zachrisen.
     Because of her extensive involvement in this sector, Zachrisen recalls a particular instance when she had spent the day at a local center for children with special needs. "We saw Anthony, an 8-year-old boy with autism who had been using our Pretend & Play School Set for the past year, and on that day, he demonstrated for the first time that he could write the entire alphabet," she remembers. "His therapist was in tears, and she called his mom on the spot. It's one of the most inspiring experiences for me professionally."

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