Smartmax

Frequently Asked Questions

Some of the frequently asked questions regarding toys that we've been asked. As usual, these are our personal opinions and not medical advice etc

• How do toys help with cerebral palsy?

  The simple answer to this for us was that toys provide entertainment and learning opportunities for children in general. Engagement is key in therapy so it made sense to use toys as the basis for our therapy activities to keep interest and enthusiasm especially when kids are younger, whilst making sure we were selecting toys that helped meet our therapy goals.

  We found it useful to essentially keep our "CP therapy toys" as items we'd bring out during times we were doing focused therapy to keep interest in those toys high, whilst also having regular toys as usual mixed with some that also provided for indirect skill building and just play in general obviously.

• What to consider when choosing a toy for a child with cerebral palsy

  We found that age recommendations went out the window for toys for our daughter as her cerebral palsy and right hemiplegia meant alot of fine motor and two hand toys were not suitable for use. So instead it is useful to consider things like (on top of usual considerations like safety, durability, price):

  • The child's motor abilities - how does cerebral palsy affect their movement? There are so many considerations here with all the different levels and impacts of CP and every child will be different, but for toys we were looking at upper body function mostly so it's good to consider whether the child has movement of one or both arms, is there any fine motor function (ie grasping, opening/closing their hands or a single hand) suitable for the function of the toy, can they do partial use of the toy with assistance for other parts. In our situation we had to look for toys that were mostly either one hand toys for general play, or bimanual (both) toys that we could help with or she could use with gross motor movement of her affected side. Anything that encourages movement of the affected side ended up being our approach.
  • Cognitive levels - each child is different so tailor this to their own levels, and again, you may end up buying toys that are recommended for children under your child's age - whatever helps them and keeps them engaged or interested.
  • Sensory needs - are there any sensory considerations that need to be taken into account? Some children may love loud toys, others quiet toys to avoid becoming overstimulated. Is the child okay with lights or flashing lights that can often come on toys. Texture and feel of toys is also worth considering.
  • Therapy Goals - again, this will be different for each child. Are they working on gross motor skills to encourage movement of their arm/s with reaching, movement, supination, extension of their elbow or shoulder movements, are you wanting to work on and encourage fine motor skills like grasping or releasing items. Is it a "therapy toy" or is it just a fun toy - all things to consider.

• Where can I buy toys suitable for children with cerebral palsy?

  We've found that we didn't need to shop at specific shops or fancy stores to find toys that are suitable for cerebral palsy therapy and we've purchased toys from all of the usual places you would if you were buying toys normally.

  What is more important is having a clear picture of the goals you are working on and how that may equate to the types of toys that would be useful in helping achieve those. Once you get into a routine of viewing toys from a therapy opportunity perspective it removes the stress as you, like I have, may get good at working out different ways to use toys to help encourage the movement you're training while strolling the aisles or websites of stores.

  If you're working towards gross motor skills of just initiating movement of an arm or arms you may look at blocks to stack and knock over to encourage movement, balls to move and roll, push down toys, whereas if you're working on fine motor skills you'd look at toys that require holding or releasing to encourage engagement of the fingers.

• Adaptive toys for cerebral palsy

  Adaptive toys for cerebral palsy play a great role in encouraging gross motor skills and play, often for electronic toys through the use of adaptions to initiate the function of the toy.

  Adaptive toys can take the form of switch activated toys, as well as existing toys with large buttons, toys that require a light touch to make noise which is good for those with low tone, or even motion activated toys. If you are looking for a switch adapted toy, we have seen groups in some areas that offer either training on how to DIY switch activated toys, or who may convert toys for you.

  Whilst we haven't had any switch adapted toys, we would choose toys that required a light touch to encourage success of movement of our daughter's affected side - things like Fisher Price piano, stacking blocks, balls etc.