SpecialNeedsGifts.com Skill Building Holiday Gift Guide Nov. 2013 | Page 18

Choosing a Skill Building Toy for
Your Special Needs Child
Regardless
of
the
unique
challenges your child faces, the
right toy can help them develop and
hone essential skills. Fine and gross
motor skills, sensory processing
skills,
language
development,
spatial awareness, and a host of
other skills can be encouraged with
the right toys.

their actual age. If a seven year old
is working on their fine motor
skills, they don't necessarily need a
toy that has been designed for a
seven year old. Instead, they need
one that has been designed for a
preschool age child who is also
working on fine motor skills.
Finding Sensory Appeal

Playing is the work of childhood,
but it shouldn't ever feel like
grueling work. The most successful
toys are ones that capture the
interest of your child. A child will
return to interesting toys again and
again until they have mastered the
skill in question. If you are having
trouble selecting a skill building
toy for your special needs child, let
the following criteria guide you.

Toys that are tactile or visual can
help a child improve how they
process and interpret sensory
information. Flashing lights, music,
and textures can all play a role in
the sensory appeal of a toy, but
keep in mind that what is appealing
for one child may be overstimulating for another child.
Encourage your child to slowly
develop sensory relationships with
the world around them using toys
that
develop
their
sensory
perception rather than toys that
overload it.

Matching Developmental Age
When shopping for any child and
especially a special needs child, it
is more important to match the toy
to their developmental age than to

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