Posted by Rosie Reeves on December 13, 2010 · 2 Comments
Raising kids is expensive, but raising special needs kids can be VERY expensive. Holly Robinson Peete even cites that fact as one of the reasons she and her husband created their Holly Rod Foundation. As the holidays arrive you might want to give your special needs child a gift that doubles as a therapy item (or suggest the item to Grandma or Uncle Richie). As this article by special needs mom Marj Hatzell points out, many therapy items can be found for a lot less than in those medical catalogs.
As you look around for items to help your child with his or her challenges, think about the skills they need to practice. Last Christmas while my daughter was working on her fine motor skills I gave her a Disney Princess craft kit, which involved scrunching up colorful papers and sticking them to a pre-printed picture. She loved it and scrunched happily for a long time, blissfully unaware that she was building her hand strength and coordination. Another year I found a collapsible play tunnel and a balance board in the clearance section of sporting goods at Target. When one of my daughter’s therapists saw it she actually ran out to see if they had any more.
Hatzell has great ideas for creating your own therapy toys, too. She’s also a fan of the prices at Target, and also of IKEA. Find your local IKEA store.
Other financial resources for families with special needs kids:
Although my son doesn’t have special needs – and I’m immensely greatful for that – this post made me think of creative ways that I can select gifts to stimulate his development.
Glad you found the article inspirational!