It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas/ Hanukkah.  Some of the more traditionalists take issue with the fact that these Holidays flat out trump Thanksgiving.  But the truth is you have to accept trees over turkeys so  you might as well just decorate your turkey with a Santa hat and move on.

So with the Holiday season on my mind already, my friend told me that she was planning on going toy shopping for her grand-kids and she was headed to some big chain stores to start checking things off of her list.

This got me thinking about the stress and effort that went into Christmas shopping for Elizabeth when she was young.  Elizabeth has Sensory Processing Disorder ( SPD) and Dyspraxia.

Back when she was young, there were only a handful of sites that offered items for special needs children.  And the items were limited and fell into the therapeutic category  with a few toys at best.

Like my friend is doing, John and I would set out shopping and easily find many options for Emily, who is our oldest. We would load the cart and then we would change our mental direction and try to find items that would be fun, easy to use and helpful for Elizabeth.

And we would look.

And look.

And look some more, only to come away rather unsuccessfully.

You see her SPD makes trying new things hard due to textures, smells or other sensory components.  And her Dyspraxia, makes manipulating new things a huge challenge.  So just pulling a craft kit off of a shelf and thinking it will be “fun” and ” accomplishing” just did not happen.

Typically, there would be the presentation of the gift, the attempt to get her to just try it, the resulting anxiety, the repeated ( sorry, I did repeat a lot) attempt to get her to try it, more anxiety, a meltdown and the toy/craft went on the shelf.

Suffice to say, toy shopping was not an easy ride back then.

But flash to current day and all the options that surround us!  The increased awareness of special needs and its community have made this possible.

Our site is one that would have been a veritable life saver for us when Elizabeth was young.  I just needed to say that I have written many blogs about items available on the site because I am so excited by what is offered here! I want others to know because I did not have these options.

Christmas shopping for your special needs child can be done here without the added anxiety.

One thing that makes me proud of this site is that the options on it cover the special needs of so many.  From utensils to make self-feeding successful to weighted vests to fidgets and more. And toys!  Ones that are not only fun but “with a purpose”

There are items to fill a stocking to add to a sensory bin to use on snowy days and more.

So start your holiday shopping with a look at our site to see what item fits your child’s wishes and needs.

Again, this site would have been a life saver to me and I hope it is to you too!

I wish everyone a peaceful week.

Michele Gianetti author of “I Believe In You: A Mother and Daughter’s Special Journey” and “Emily’s Sister”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement