AIBU to think that over pricing special needs toys is just poop.

[harrasseddotcom]

Ok, prepared to take that I am BU as it is a free market but Im just a little shocked at the prices some companies are charging. DS is autistic (finally officially now) and though I would have a look around at grants and stuff to help with creating a little sensory room/area for him at home and looked at some websites specifically for SN/sensory areas. And the prices are astronomical! Just one example - a play parachute on a SN site is over £57 but a quick check on ebay the same thing new is £13.50. I kinda felt a little bit sad, and it feels like exploitation of SN. I mean I understand they have to make a profit but im pretty sure selling at £13.50 or even a bit higher still makes a profit. And its a lot of stuff of these sites. I look at the product then look at the price and they just dont seem justified! Hundreds of pounds for what looks like fibre optic lights which could be picked up elsewhere for a fraction of the price. Yet because they have marketed it for SN they have hiked the price up. I know that I could shop anywhere but I, and i suspect many others, are new to this and look for sites that are specifically for SN.

Pet shops can be good for toys with different textures etc, they are designed to stimulate but withstand being thrown, pulled, bitten etc.

You do have to be careful though. Some of these toys won't be safe for chewing by a child, if pieces come off then they could be choked on.

My ds has socks that cost a fortune, because he is very sensitive to the feeling of them, has a tendency to overheat and he wears splints, so the comfort is really important.

We are fundraising for a trike for him, which is nearly £2000 - I know they are custom made, but it is so expensive.

I have been looking today for sensory stuff for the child I work with, the prices are astronomical - and we can't risk things that haven't been tested rigorously.

I think the limited audience and safety/risk aspect are much of the reason that the prices are so high.

This is an area I work in. Good quality sensory products are well made and generally have to stand up to a different kind of wear and tear.

A bubble tube from eBay for example that can be bought quite cheaply may costs hundreds from a specialist supplier but will be infinitely better quality and safer for a child with additional needs.

Fibre optic harnesses you have to be really careful with. Cheap ones are not good because they are not usually pvc coated. This is essential for babies and children that are very hands on and put them in their mouth. Also the plugs and light sources are not always great quality and the safety of some I have seen worry me.

I genuinely don't think it's done to exloit the SEN market rather specialist suppliers create more superior robust products.

I send hours researching where to get my school resources. Often very expensive and bought specifically for one child. I'm currently setting up a sensory room so I'll be taking careful note of the ideas.

This place is really good.

Is it like Steiner Waldorf?

I work in a SN school, and we went on a 'course' by Sensory + (one of the SN companies trying to charge you loads of money for stuff...) some of the day was about trying to get us to buy their expensive stuff, but one part was about home made/cheap alternatives.

Pet shops were highly recommended (cat teaser toys, squeaky and bouncy balls, tug ropes etc)

Fairy lights or rope lights from electrical shops or B&Q etc

Ikea push lights (they used to do a traffic light one)

Torches and umbrellas and coloured cellophane can provide lighting effects

Sensory play stuff like rice, dried pasta, lentils, etc with sieves spoons funnels etc
Or ice cubes and crushed ice (£1 from supermarkets)
Or Shaving foam to smoosh about.

Will see if I can think of any more....

I use many of those things, where appropriate, but things that can go in the mouth have to be of a quality to withstand some pretty heavy duty chewing without breaking off. It is the stuff like vibrating cushions (bought a cheap one - it was crapola), weighted blankets, pressure vests that cost so much - but I can see that the quality has to be such that I can see why they are so expensive.

I understand the price hike where items are made to a high quality specification, but sometimes it's the exact same plastic tat you can buy in the pound shop or wilko for significantly more than a pound!

And sometimes, even the specially made stuff is not high quality. We were given caring cutlery for one of the boys and it was all sharp edges. When DS1 was a bit older, we bought a set of Bistro cutlery for him to use, on the recommendation of a private OT - nice rounded edges, grown up looking enough for a self conscious pre-teen and even DS2 can use the spoons, while he couldn't get the hang of the caring cutlery at all. 4 place settings cost less than I've seen a single knife/fork/spoon set of adult size caring cutlery for.

Junior caring cutlery is the most bizarre stuff . We had to pay for ours and it was something like £15 an item. That and the non slip bowl with one high side and one low side and her dinner set cost more than the rest of the family put together... The bowl was genius though...

It's the same with wedding things and builder things. When I got married any product with the word 'wedding' in the name was massively bumped up.

DH is a bit of a builder/all round DIYer. Those flexi bucketss, you can pick them up for about £3-£4. But builders flexi buckets are more like £6-£7

I have no experience of buying SN toys etc, so I hadn't a clue that the prices would be so inflated. It's utterly ridiculous and does seem like it's exploiting SN. It's quite shocking really.