Top 5 Toys for Special Needs

Hi! I’m Chris Truby and I’m an autism dad. Learning Resources' products have been a part of my family ever since my boys were young because of the seamless way they connect learning with fun. It then became a more important part of my life as “play therapy” when my youngest was diagnosed with autism at age 2. Special needs toys can be hard to find, but Learning Resources has many options for play as well as developmental aspects.My son is now 12 and we still use Learning Resources products to have fun while learning. I want to share some of the items that have been beneficial and enjoyable over the years in case others in the special education community may find them useful. Enjoy! 

Daily Schedule Pocket Chart

-Great for school or home- Reduces anxiety by providing a visual schedule/forecast of the day’s activities-Helps develop an understanding of the concept of time, like recognizing morning activities vs night activities or the appropriate amount of time spent on a task- Helps with telling time and transitioning from activity to activity- Improves time management skills- It is customizable, making it easy to create your own unique activity cards  

Snap-n-Learn™ ABC Elephants

-Develops fine motor skills- Can be used to reinforce early speech by practicing vowels and consonant sounds-Thinking of words that start with each letter of the alphabet- Great for teaching about similar and different attribute. How are they the same? How are they different?- Sort by color or letters 

Primary Science Sensory Tubes

-Versatile, can be used in a variety of ways depending on sensory needs (My son uses them with water, in the pool, in the bath tub, with the garden hose)- Great for making wave bottles (oil, water, food coloring and make sure the caps are tight)- Perfect for sand and water tables- Introduce non-preferred sensory items, like unique textures or strong smells, in a non-threatening way-  These are known as "calm down bottles"- great for relieving sensory overload- Can be given as rewards or motivators to encourage finishing non-preferred tasks  

Conversation Cubes

-Instant icebreaker, just throw the cubes and answer the questions-Easy game for peer groups, mentors, and buddies to play to get to get to know each other-Encourages social interaction and communication skills-Provides topics that promote personal interests, interaction, and discussion-Promotes social skills  

Froggy Feeding Fun™

-Encourages turn taking-Develops fine motor skills in a fun way by squeezing the frog-Squeezing can be soothing and relaxing (like a stress ball)-Helps teach attributes-Quick, easy game to play, no long instructions-Introduces early math concepts 

Children with special needs enjoy engaging and fun activities, and these toys have proven to encourage learning and conversation while having fun!

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