Christmas Gifts for Children with Disabilities

Shopping for the right gift for a disabled child takes some creativity. Below are links to some sites with suggestions that make the task easier.

 

Christmas is a time of parties, food, lights, decorations, and music. Families are often in a hurried, harried mode getting ready for one of the most anxiety-ridden holidays of the year. And let's not forget the gifts. Selecting just the right gift can be nerve-wracking. Anticipating opening presents is exciting. Everyone enjoys something about the Christmas season -- special treats, lights throughout the neighborhood, familiar upbeat tunes -- it's all fun, especially for the kids.

Christmas means so much more for the kids: new toys, games, special personal gifts. There are nearly 6 million disabled children in the U.S., and I think they would all like a fun gift. Have you ever shopped for a gift for a disabled child? Shopping for the kids is difficult because there are so many things and so many variations of those things. Buying for a disabled child adds another level of complexity. Pajamas are always an option, they are nice and usable, but every kid wants something fun for Christmas.

Parents may or may not know what their disabled child would enjoy and what they can handle. Even moreso, grandparents or aunts or friends may have problems finding options appropriate to the child's developmental skills. There is help available on the Internet.

The National Lekotek Center was first established in Sweden as a non-profit organization that uses interactive play experiences to promote the inclusion of children with special needs into family and community life. They offer tips about what to consider when choosing toys for children with disabilities. The Disabled Living Foundation (DLF) in the UK offers top ten gift ideas. These are more specific, naming particular toys and types of toys. Used together, the Lekotek list and the DLF list should make gift giving to a disabled child a bit easier.

I wrote about Lekotek's AblePlay in Vicki's Blog and listed Lekotek's Top Ten Tips for buying gifts for children with disabilities in Down the MS Path.

Christmas is fun, but it can be tough on kids. The child with disabilities may feel left out when a sibling goes out to ride a new bike or play ball. But let's not forget the other kids. The able-bodied sibling may feel left out because of the extra attention required by his disabled sibling. Here is a story by a girl who grew up with an autistic brother. It also includes recommendations for books starring kids with disabled siblings. The holiday season is a great time to ensure all the children participate and feel part of the family festivities.

Now that we have the children's gifts settled, let's get in the right frame of mind.The most important part of Christmas is to relax and enjoy the family. Finish the shopping, put last minute touches on the decorations, delegate tasks so dinner is not hectic, take a deep breath and tour the neighborhood for sparkling light displays. Relax and have fun. It's Christmas.