SN gifts thread

[Gentlygently]

Last year there was a very good thread (or part of thread) with requests and suggestions for gifts for children with various SN. I can't find it so I thought I would start a new one.

I am looking for ideas for DS10 who has ADHD and is dyslexic. Audiobook suggestions welcome, also anything to make spelling fun, and easy-read but interesting for his age books.
Are there any 'fiddle toys' that people recommend for older children?

Do add your own requests!

Ohh I love this kind of thread!!

My son is 8 and autistic and ADHD.

We have a playaway door swing! It’s awesome and will hold my 11 year olds weight too (think it’s up to 12 stone). Worth knowing it’s also tax exempt if you have diagnosis

www.sensorydirect.com/playaway-4-piece-combo-kit.html

Scooter board. My 11 year old (ASD) uses this constantly!

www.springboardsupplies.co.uk/products/gonge-floorsurfer

This is great! My 9 yr old ds with a learning disability loves ride ons and was desperate for a quad. He really could have done with one of those nice little electric ones scaled up to his size. As an alternative we bought a second hand mobility scooter for £100 and blinged it up. It’s dead easy to drive, speed can be limited and it’s very safe. Might be useful to some x

I need help buying Santa presents for a group we attend for children with special needs and there families. Need some ideas for those kids who aren’t really into toys. £5 max. Something sensory perhaps?

So far I have bought my ds a big pop up tent. Vouchers for a trampoline place and a toasty maker. He is getting a retro games console with pacman and other retro games on it for his birthday. My mum is getting him a 'magic moment' voucher for the zoo where he will get to spend some time with the animals and zoo keepers.

Austrosaurs books? My DS doesn’t have SN so may not be appropriate, but he was a very reluctant reader and these were the only ones he would read. They are very fun and easy to read.

Thanks guys, great ideas! Hedgyhoggy what age or development level are the children?

Agree with Astrosaurs book/audiobooks- my DS is 9 and loves them. Also Eoin Colter's Worst Boy in the World, and Legend of Spud Murphy audiobooks are v v funny (I listen to them even when DS isn't around )

Colfer! Sorry, my phone keeps correcting it, unhelpfully.

My DD also has asd, and doesn't like toys. She often has art or craft sets and materials, because she does love making things. Plus music/instruments, and she likes games so we often try to get games she can play either with us or solo.
Hedgyhoggy what about those little colour change LED lamps (DS has a stormtrooper one, that was in his stocking last year) they're usually around a fiver in supermarkets?

Little stamping sets have gone down well in the past- Wilko often have really good stationery, including "boyish" ranges, not just flowery/pink.

My DS has severe ADHD. When he was younger, he adored LEGO. Kept him occupied for at least 15 minutes, and he always went back to it.

@Hedgyhoggy how about fibre optic lamps?

Thanks for this thread, hoping for some ideas for dd who is physically disabled and also has autism, dyslexia/calculia dyspraxix amongst other things. She’ll be 10 after Xmas but very young in her play age and still loves toys - she’s obsessed with lol dolls though like a lot of young girls - she can’t understand why she doesn’t get the exact ones inside that she wants though and typically only likes a season that has been discontinued lol.

For fidget toys, my dd loves the tangle toys from zuru here you can get them at b&m or amazon and Argos cheaper than specific sensory websites which I find are quite expensive. I also saw a fidget pen at home bargains I think like this which could be good, and the works always have little fidget toys at the counters.

Dd has a light up LED board that she can doodle on and she absolutely loves it here
I’ve also seen bed tents with little lights which would be fab, thinking of getting one for dd if anyone has tried it? here

I’d also love to find something that will get her to enjoy reading. She actually has an orcam reader which is fab but she still finds it hard.
Does anyone’s dc with SN enjoy audio books? I was thinking perhaps an echo dot to play audio books on, but I really don’t know how it will be received.

Sorry I rambled must be excited by your thread Gentlygently

Wubble Fulla Marbles
Bigjigs magic tube
Playfoam
LED fingers
The Glow Company
StarCube
Kinetic Sand
Kaleidoscope
John Adams Glowpad
Water speakers
i-Top
Twin Mirror Coaster Ball
Martian sand
Bubbleezz Animalzz
Bubble machine
Super colour deluxe Aquadoodle
Pocket morphers
Gigantic keyboard playmat
Music toys and microphones
Planetarium and room projectors

Going to follow this thread as my DS is 5 just after Xmas so I need ideas for both Christmas and Birthday.

The things he likes are DVDs, picture books, music and duplo. He only likes duplo with instructions This is his favourite as it has picture cards he can copy

Ooh is there anything like that Duplo set but in Lego?

Ds1 has asd, and sensory issues.
As a toddler we had
• play tent that closed so he could hide away
• pop up tunnel (great for crawling/coordination/shoulder strength)
• ball pool (actually an inflated birthing pool which was sturdy enough for him to trash about in and had thick inflated sides so he couldn’t hurt himself
• bouncy castle (can’t remember the brand but searched for ages to get one with enclosed sides
• slide
• ikea swing
• sand table
• box to stand in while at the sink or helping cook
• wooden blocks
• marble run
• play doh
• water tower for bath
School age
• trampoline with enclosure
• rope and pulley
• metal detector and spade
• climbing ropes
• den kit
• kapla

We also have excessive amounts of lego, wooden trains, Thomas tracks,

As a toddler he enjoyed real objects more than toys and played with a padlock and key, a plug and socket, torch, winding a clock

If I could afford them I’d buy imagiplanks

I can recommend listening books www.listeningbooks.org.uk which is a charity providing an audiobook subscription service for people who find reading a challenge for a number of reasons.

Oh by the way the one thing we have that is actually MINE and v pricey but DS loves playing with is my Hape marble run.
DS loves board games and I'm thinking about Creationary or another Lego game - anyone got any experience of any of them?

Creationary is fun drspouse. My two sons aged 8 (ASD) and 5 really enjoy it.

I would LOVE a Hape marble run - especially the musical one! We've got the Hape domino set and it's great, as is the mosaic puzzle. Both have been used over and over again.

I have 2 with complex needs so I stock up on lots of sensory stuff this time of year as lots of lights and Xmas stuff works well for sensory play.
I fill a stocking full of lots of light up things that are cheap this time of year . The card factory and the works are great for light up spinners and rubber tactile toys that have lights inside. Spinners are 1.99 or 2.99 and I bought a large blue gel shark which lights up when whacked. It was a pound ! Real bargain !
Through in some party poppers, light up balloons ( v cool ) and a couple of wind up toys ( see Hawkins bazaar for a great selection ) and the stocking is sorted. I then buy one or two bigger bits and job done.

We think we might get a gorilla swing this year

gorilla-gym.com/en/

DS1 has ASD and is hypermobile, with really poor upper body strength. This looks like a fun way to build it up.

I think I might ask for the musical add-on for my own Christmas!
And I didn't know about the dominoes, that is a real possibility.

Oh has anyone else had any of the other Lego games?
DS doesn't really make Lego models and the Creationary models look like they might be a bit hard (I was hoping it might be a bit easier than the regular models but it sounds harder!)

Oh I also just spotted this

www.ebay.co.uk/p/Lego-Creator-Game-The-Race-to-Build-It-Complete-Good/646596116?iid=173540998397&chn=ps

It looks different to Creationary and might be better for teaching DS to build things.

We have the Lego Atlantis game, a Lego racing game, the shave a sheep game, and a Lego Ninjago game- they're all great tbh.