Children love toys. Toys are more than something your child plays with, even if the child doesn't realize it. Toys help teach interaction and communication, and with a little imagination, they can transport the child from his or her everyday life into another realm. Toys can open up endless avenues of learning that could spark an interest in a future career or simply provide the inspiration for children to be greater than they are.
But what about disabled children? When we think of children playing with toys, images of happy, healthy children usually come to mind. We might not consider the child bound to a wheelchair or one confined to a bed due to a debilitating disease. These children need toys, too.
Buying toys for disabled children shouldn't be any different than buying toys for healthy children, but for some reason, the thought of a disabled child sometimes brings a mental block. You might feel like you don't know what toy to get a blind child or one who is deaf.
Selecting a toy for disabled children is really not that difficult. All you have to do is try to look at the toy from a different perspective. The National Lekotek Center, a non-profit organization, devotes its research to making toys for children with disabilities. Here are a few tips the center has for those looking for toys for disabled children:
1.Consider how the toy would appeal to a child on more than one level of sensory perception. A toy that has a unique texture might appeal to a blind child, while one with lights or movement would be wonderful for a deaf child.
2.How user-friendly is the toy? Make sure that the toy is not so complicated that a child with a disability will be frustrated. Think about how many steps the child will have to go through to activate the toy. Will it work with a simple push of a button, or are there several things the child must first do before the toy works?
3.Can the toy be used anywhere? Will a bedridden child be able to use it while lying down? Will a child in a wheel chair be able to play with the toy in his or her lap or on a tray?
4.Does the child like toys that can be used however he or she likes? Is it a game with a specific goal, or can the child make up his or her own games as he goes along?
5.Disabled kids want toys that everyone else is playing with. Is the toy based on a current popular movie or book? Is the toy something that everyone else has that the disabled child can have too?
6.Does the toy allow for self-expression and creativity?
7.How adjustable is the toy? Try to account for height, volume, speed and difficulty. Will the toy grow with the child or is the toy for a very narrow age range? Does it have the potential as a collectible? Is it something that the child will come back to repeatedly or will the child outgrow it quickly?
8.Safety is always a consideration whether the child is disabled or not. Take into consideration the child's size and strength, as well as the durability of the toy. Does the child have the dexterity to handle small moving parts, or do bigger pieces become necessary for the child to manipulate the toy? Can the toy get wet without being ruined? Is the toy easily cleaned?
9.Is the toy appropriate for the child's developmental and chronological age?
10.What is the level of interaction between the child and toy? Is it an active toy, or is it a toy that requires very little effort on the part of the child? Does the toy have the potential to encourage social interaction with other children?
Disabled children are no different from other children. These children still like to play, and they still need toys. With these tips in mind, you should have no problem finding that special toy for that special child.
Flimsy vinyl or plastic toys or balls with squeakers and bells in them usually don't hold up. Some shih tzu will just tear at the toy until they get the squeaker out. The squeakers and bells also pose a problem of your shih tzu choking on them if he tries to swallow the objects.
Shih tzu like to carry around stuffed toys in their mouth. Get stuffed toys made especially for dogs. Children's stuffed toys will usually have noses and eyes that can be easily chewed off.
Kong toys are made of heavy rubber and are very durable, which makes a nice choice for your shih tzu to chew on without worry of him chewing off small pieces of the toy and choking. They can be packed with small dog biscuits or bits of cheese to encourage the dog to play with them. They can keep your shih tzu busy for quite a while as he works to get out the treats.
I do not recommend rawhide for shih tzu at all. Stay away from rawhide with the shih tzu. Avoid commercially made pig ears and calf hooves as well. HealthyPetNet has an excellent product called "Porky Puffs." Visit my website at Stain Glass Shih Tzu to find a link to the HealthyPetNet website for purchasing these. My shih tzu are just crazy for Porky Puffs. Once you have tried the Porky Puffs and see how your shih tzu love them, you will forget all about any other kind of pig ears, calf hooves or rawhide treats that actually can be dangerous to your shih tzu if those small pieces get hung in their neck or digestive system. You will end up in the emergency vet clinic. Try the Porky Puffs from HealthPetNet, I promise you they are safe, excellent and have that smell dogs just can't resist.
Nylabones is another excellent product to have for your shih tzu. You can get Nylabone in edible flavors, a huge variety of flavors actually. You can also purchase Nylabones in the plastic form in all kinds of flavors. You really should have Nylabones at all times for your shih tzu. They help during teething periods and times you want to train your shih tzu to chew on something appropriate - a Nylabone is an excellent choice to use during these training sessions.
Never, never give your shih tzu chicken bones or any other type of bone that might splinter.
A very special treat is Marrow Bones. You can buy Marrow Bones from a butcher or in the meat department at your grocery store. They are fairly inexpensive. Select them carefully. Avoid those cut at an angle that have sharp, boney material inside. Choose instead marrow bones that are cut straight across and are circular with soft marrow inside. If you can have your butcher to cut them this way for you, Marrow Bones are always a special treat for your shih tzu. Boil them for about 20 minutes, then cool. Scrape off any sharp gristle on the outside that the dog might otherwise chew and ingest. Give the dog one bone, and freeze the others for later use. Shih tzu love to work at getting out the marrow and this can help to keep them busy, and free of boredom. Once the marrow is gone, fill the bones with peanut butter. Marrow bones also can be filled with dry dog food made into a mush with water, freeze the bones with this filling, then thaw them a bit before giving them to the shih tzu. If the marrow bones get grungy after your shih tzu eats out the treat in the middle, put them in the dishwasher. Toss the bones when they begin to show signs of wear.
Both Veronica Scott & Connie Limon are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Veronica Scott has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Birthday Party and Arts. Visit the place for dollhouses and miniatures. Find everything from play dollhouses for young children to grand mansions for collectors. We specialize in