Hart & Rushmoor Branch

Merry Go Round Toy library

This is a toy and leisure library for children and adults with any special need. Based at Frimley Childrens Centre, Frimley, Surrey, GU16 5AD

Open Monday - Thursday 10am - 12 noon. £3 membership fee per year + 50p - £2 per item or toy.      01483 782936

Sensory Occupational Therapists

For advice specific to your child’s needs, please seek professional advice from a sensory OT

0800 389 4873         www.otip.co.uk

A few suggestions of things that might help…

Fidget toys

These are a great tactile way to keep fingers busy and help reduce stress. If throwing things is an issue, attach a spiral keyring to the toy and to an item of yours child’s clothing.

Lap pads and weighted blankets

Weighted blankets and lap pads apply an even weight and deep pressure that some of our children need and positively enjoy. The weight and pressure can help them to slow down and "chill out" which in turn can lead to better concentration, better sleeping habits and less stress and tantrums. Blankets come in a range of weights and the weight chosen should depend on the body weight of the child or adult who will be using the blanket. (The general method of choosing a weight is to take 10% of the users bodyweight and add a further pound in weight.)

Other weighted items

These include weighted shoulder pads/scarves which are great to put on your child’s shoulders to calm them. A weighted back pack on a child’s back may help centre them, alternatively giving a child a few heavy books to carry from A to B as part of a task may also work. Weighted vests can be bought or try using a “fishing vest” or gillet with pockets that you can add weights to. A weighted belt is another idea that might help your child stay centred.

Most weighted items are available from the same sites as the weighted blankets, but if you go to an online search engine and type in the item you are looking for, you will find several links. Prices always vary depending on sizes and weights.

Cushions:

Air filled - An inflatable cushion that mimics movement and shape – very similar to sitting on a giant ball. These can be used for balance training in standing, kneeling or seated – especially to give improved sensory feedback when used as a seat cushion for children struggling with concentration or fidgeting.

Wedges - If your child does not keep still when writing, then a wedge cushion might help. It may also help if your child tips the chair onto the front legs.

Pens

Give a young child a huge variety of pens and pencils, all sorts of shapes, sizes, textures etc. and let them discover which they find the easiest to handle. It’s also useful to practice writing on a tray in different substances; sand, shaving foam etc.

Pen/pencil grips

These are placed on a pen or pencil to position the hand in the correct position. Again, there is a wide variety of types available, so it’s just a question of finding the one that helps your child the most.

Sloped writing board

A simple writing slope enables children to work and write at a better angle – stopping the child having to lean forward. Alternatively try using an A4 lever arch file as that won’t stand out as being “different”.

Body Sox
These lycra “body bags” that are designed to provide spatial awareness through balance and resistance. They are available in various sizes from extra small up to extra large (for adults). For more details and prices go to www.specialneedstoys.com 
 

Ear defenders

If noise is an issue for your child then try a set of ear defenders. Although they won’t block out all of the noise, they will reduce it and hopefully that will enable your child to cope with noisy situations.

Remember: Check to see if items you are ordering are eligible for VAT relief.

Useful reading for sensory issues:

-Building Bridges through Sensory Integration, by Ellen Yack, Shirley Sutton & Paula Aquilla.

-Out-of-Sync Child, by Carol Stock Kranowitz

-Answers to Questions Teachers Ask About Sensory Integration, by Jane Koomar, Carol Kranowitz, Stacey Szklut, and others.

Suppliers (not all exclusively for special needs children)