Sensory toys

[jesseejohnston]

Hi all,

Our gorgeous boy finally saw a specialist yesterday who said that they think he can’t see anything, apart from lights, he doesn’t fixate or track anything other than bright lights. We will have an eye test within the next 1-2 weeks and after that we will have a follow up where she will test for genetic disorders as he’s slow and it could be to do with that but need to sort out his sight first as it’s urgent..

They told us to get lots of noisy toys etc and he loves sensory kind of things, has anyone got any suggestions? We've been looking at the Little Senses Giant Lights And Sounds Activity Dome but they're £120!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Check out cheapdisabilityaids.co.uk they have some great sensory tips and some aren't too expensive.
What age is he? I'm a sen teacher, one that my kids absolutely loved was getting a big ikea box (it was for an armchair) we opened it up taped it together, cut out a door and then put a black out blanket over the doorway. Inside we had light cubes that changed colour, fibre optic light wands that stood up by themselves and colourful fairy lights taped to the roof of it. The lights could flash or just stay on all the time. A lot of it was from poundland, although be aware that they don't always last that long. We also got a big comfy giant turtle pillow for inside for them to sit on.
It was our "quiet space" but you could also put in noisy toys for your son. Mine loved the lights better because it was dark in the box.

The glow company also sells some sensory toys...mostly light up. They have something called a mini spinner (but its out of stock) it projects colourful flashing lights and is very cheap, sure you could also find it on ebay....think they might also be called galaxy spinners.
My daughter had some eye issues as a child and the doctors would use these spinners to get her attention. Good luck

Some areas have toy libraries where you can borrow specialist toys. Might be worth asking any professional you are involved with if your area has one. You might have to ask a few different people as not everyone knows about them. Some special schools also have special baby and toddler sessions were you could chat about specialist resources.

Thank you everyone! I'll look into all of those suggestions 😊

He's 8 months old

Have you looked into sensory rooms near you? Where I used to live there were sensory rooms aimed at sen babies at a couple of children's centres. Where I am now there is one at the local YMCA. They are usually dark and have soft padded flooring and a range of tactile textures, squishy cushions etc as well as optical fibres that the children can handle and lava lamp type things. That might help you work out which stimulus he enjoys best and help you decide what to get for home. Also they are often lovely places to spend time with your baby,

Have you got a specialist toy library nearby?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support/accessible-toys-play-learning/

I have 2 kids with complex needs and i buy loads of light up spinners at places like the bookpeople and card factory. Literally a few pounds each. Stock up when they are in store.
If your child has cortical visual impairment it means the eyes are working but their brains are not interpreting the signals so you have to fire them up with lots of stimulation.
You do not need to spend loads. Buy a cheap bubble tube . A pop up tent with fairy lights inside works well.
I bought a ladybird that projects stars around the room and a pillow that changes colour for about 25 pound each.
Fairy lights in a see through plastic box is a favourite and a metal collander with red fairy lights inside is v effective.
Do lots of tracking of lights etc christmas lights and decorations are a cheap solution as well.
Our child has made massive progress doing these things so before spending loads make use of what you already have
Hope that helps. Good luck x

Ps the book Little Bear Sees is a good resource.

Hi all,
I haven't tried looking into sensory rooms I'll check that out see if we have any near by. We live in Leicestershire so hopefully some close.

I've never heard of a toy library, I'll see if I can get onto that

And thank you, I've tried the little bear sees before but he doesn't follow or track it. I think it's to dark for him to be able to see it but not sure 😊
We have another eye appointment on the 3rd so hopefully we will get some advice and know the extent of his eyes a bit more.
Thank you everyone for your help and advice I really appreciate it, every suggestion is helpful I'm going to look into it all now :) x

I've found a sensory group in leicester on a Wednesday which I'm going to try out next week 😊

That’s great, being able to meet other parents facing challenges is really useful.

In our area there is a local Trust who give small grants to children with additional needs to purchase specific items that would make their lives better. My friend got an iPad for her daughter with a visual impairment as it was something she could access unlike the TV.

We have an outreach worker coming round tomorrow to give us help and advice so hopefully she will be able to tell us about anything like that we could get 😊 definitely feeling more prepared now knowing what's going on

Do you know about this organisation? They may be able to help you.
www.familyfund.org.uk

How about led light strips. You know the ones people buy to stick on the back of their tv. You could buy loads of different colours and stick them all over a wall. I think they also do flashing/colour changing ones too x my daughter went to a sensory room when she was having baby massage classes. She loved the colour changing tubes with the plastic fish in. I think they are only £30

@jesseejohnston Roompa has a catalogue and they have really good sensory items. It can be pricey though.

Amazon is quite good and cheaper and Etsy has nice ones.

Led strips are a good idea! Thinking about turning his bedroom into a sensory area, so could use them for that! And I'll look through amazon etc for different things, and I'll look at that catalogue see how much things are, even if I just get ideas it all helps :) thank you everyone! X

I'll look into family funds, that seems like a good place to start for a sensory room. It won't hurt to ask! Hopefully they can help :) thank you everyone it means so much to me for your advice x

Get yourself to some groups for kids with special needs and ask the other parents if they have any sensory toys theirs have outgrown you could buy from them. Check Gumtree and eBay. Apply to the family fund too. Ask about any grants you could access. Apply for DLA (may not be successful at this age depending on how it affects him since most babies of that age need constant care anyway, but if he needs more care than others his age you may be successful)

If you have a 'Tiger' store near you, they do fab light spinners for £3 or 'B&M' also often have cheap projecting lights (e.g. 'disco bulb projecter' for £3). IKEA often also has great resources (see web link below to 'think outside the box'!).

Anything fluorescent is much brighter to see, such as stick-on 'glow in the dark' plastic stars - great inside a cardboard box (painted black inside, make a cutout and place over little one to bring light source closer to them)? Also lots of great colourful 'garden/outdoor' string lights in shops right now! You can also get floating lights for bathtime for added sensory interest (look on Amazon)?

Strong black and white contrast on the easiest 'colour' to see - look for patterned material with black and white spots/stripes. You can get free downlaods of simple black/white patterns and images to print and display where little one can see them (e.g. side of changing table/on wall beside cot?).

Silver reflective 'space/safety' blankets (try outdoor-type shops/Poundland camping section) are fab - noisy when rustled to attract attention/great for little one to lie on and make sounds when they move and fab to reflect sensory lights!

Richard Hirstwood (SEN Specialist Teacher, now Trainer) has amazing cheap ideas on his website/Youtube videos - please take a look! www.hirstwood.com/course-notes/sensory-ideas/

Hope that helps (best wishes from a specialist SEN TA)!

Vista is one of the oldest and largest local charities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We're there at the point of diagnosis, supporting children and adults in eye clinics by providing information, advice, guidance and support when it's most needed. We support children and adults with sight loss, providing specialist leisure activities, music therapy and professional rehabilitation support in both the home and the community.
www.vistablind-cyp.org.uk/

Thank you everyone 🤗 I really appreciate the help x