Best Toys For Developmentally Delayed Children

Does your child have some kind of delay in their development? Choosing the proper toys for them may not be the easiest to do. If you look on the boxes of most toys, they have an age bracket that they are made for, but with a child that is developmentally delayed you may have to look further in to whether it is appropriate for the child to have and play with. Think about it, toys are not just something to keep a child occupied, they are also used as a teaching tool. Should a child not be at the right stage of learning, a toy that is fit for their age may not be teaching them a lot, but it may be frustrating them as they do not understand how to use or play with it appropriately.

There are many reasons a child may be delayed in development. Some are maybe due to a birth defect, prematurity in birth or even that they are just a bit slower at learning then other kids. But for whatever the reason may be, look into what you are buying for them and when you do get them toys, try to work with the child while they play. You will want to observe your child and see their patterns, and see things that interest them. If you notice they like lights, music and different shapes, then pick a toy that deals with all of those aspects that the child enjoys.

Deciding Which Toys To Buy A Developmentally Challenged Child

Before jumping to any kind of conclusions you may want to try having the child checked out by a specialist to determine how severe or how minor your child is delayed, it may just be that the child is going at their own pace and just taking a bit longer to do things. Just try hard not to push them into doing things, it may frustrate them or make them feel bad that they can not preform the tasks that you are requesting them to do. Below is a list of toys that may be suited for a developmentally delayed child.

1. Blocks are always a great toy for children that are delayed. You can tell them what is on the block, rearrange them to make words or show them pictures and work with them on making different things out of them.
2. You can get one of those plastic boxes that has different shapes cut out and the blocks that are their shapes help them place them in to the right holes.
3. You can try stuffed animals that sing and talk. If the child is prone to seizures do not try to get anything with flashy lights, this may cause them to have another seizure.
4. Books are great, especially books that have things in them with different textures. Even if the child can not hold it you can rub their hands on the different textures and tell them what it is.
5. Different kind of toys that have balls. Most all children like to watch things spin around or roll on the floor. You can set them on the floor and with your help roll the ball, sit them on it (of course holding them securely) and lightly bounce them on it, let them feel how soft or hard the ball is.
6. Coloring utensils and let them scribble on paper. You can even help and draw a few things and tell them what you have drawn.
7. If they are not able to walk and are in a wheel chair, a rocking chair makes for a great toy, if they can sit on it and enjoy rocking gently.
8. Different kinds of puzzles may suit their interest if they are able to put it together, even you can help them if they want you to.

These are just a few ideas you can try for your child. This is a very complex situation to deal with, but as their parent you have to remain strong, not only for them but you as well. If you drive yourself to the ground trying to figure what is the best for them then they will not have you around to help them and they very much depend on you for support. I hope this has helped you in some small way to determine which toys to purchase for your child.