Special needs toys - where to buy??

[Lola10]

I am trying to buy special needs toys, I was told by few other childminders that Ofsted likes to check that on the inspections. I am newly registered and never had an inspection for grading before so now I am looking, and looking to buy, but honestly I have no idea what and from where to buy.
Please help.
Many thanks

I am a special needs nanny and anytime I want to get something new for my boy I usually use Spacekraft (www.spacekraft.co.uk/shops/sk/Default.aspx). I've heard other SEN nanies say that they use Total Sensory (www.totalsensory.co.uk/).

My eldest (B4) is SVI and sufferes from global delayed. For his birthday I got him his nuts and bots set from spacekraft as it helps tune his fine motor skills and sorting skills. Books are another great thing. My little girl (2) loves to read but the way I include them both is getting books from Clearvision (and RNIB online-ish book library) as they have the typo you can see and read and the braille or Moon depending on the book. so they can both partake. The book also inclused touchy-feely parts that directly correspond with what was talked about.

But these sites/tryps of thing can be a bit pricey. The Clearvision books I get are £12+. But there are cheaper things you can get like balls with bells in them so the children can hear them. But it does depend on what kind of special needs your trying to cater for.

Could you perhaps borrow them from your local children's centre if the need arises? Is there a local childminders' network that you could join to organise swapping of special needs items?

Have you got a childcare advisor who could help you with local resouces?

I don't think you need to have specific special needs toys unless you have a child who would particularly need them - I have things like multi-racial dolls, the little Tikes school bus with wheelchair, a large selection of books etc. and Ofsted have always found these to be enough for my setting.

You may find that as you have more children to mind you buy things that specifically interest them - for instance I had one child obsessed with dinosaurs, another with trains. We had a huge range of items relating to their particular interests.

eduzone , fine solutions, hope education is good for special education toys

I use www.fledglings.org.uk/ and they are very good.

When ds was young I used to always buy things that were designed for SEN but these days I have an eye for strong toys.

Bubbles seem to be very popular and calming and pop up tents with fabrics inside are a fab safe space. Homebase do acrylic mirrors at a fraction of the price of SEN versions which are fine on the wall (not sure about in mouths so would have to be careful).

Just say your part of the toy library (even if your not) they wont promp you

I don't think you will be expected to have toys specifically for children with particular special needs until you actually care for them. My inclusion policy says that I will consider the resources required to cater for any special needs in consultation with the child's parents or carers and then buy, borrow or otherwise procure them at the appropriate time.

What you do need to have in place, I understand, is play resources -toys, books, dvds etc - which portray children and adults with special needs in a positive and inclusive way, just as you would have multicultural play resources.