TOYS/ACTIVITIES RECOMMENDED FOR CHILD WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS?

[misslala1987]

Hi mums, my 20 month old daughter has developmental delays and right now cannot walk, crawl or stand. she does have physio, play and hydro therapy and is progressing. the thing is, i still put her in her walker (even though shes clearly too tall for it) because it gives her some independance and also its something that i can put her in and know that shes in something and is safe so it makes it easier for me to walk out of the room maybe to do the washing or even go toilet. is there any equipment that i can buy for her where i know she'll be secure? ive been looking at play tents to put up in the living room thinking thats something she'll be occupied with. because if i do put her on the floor she will roll everywhere and anywhere. sorry if my questions abit strange but i know what i mean. i just want her to have something that would keep her entertained, secure. or am i just asking for something unbuyable? lol x

You could try having a look at www.fledglings.org.uk - they have a catalogue of products for children with SN. You might find something in there.

Is there any reason why she cant just roll around on the floor - this is what we let ds do. Obviously we needed to make a reasonably clear and safe space, but he was fine. I'm sure it did him good too!

I don't think walkers are supposed to be very good for development, so maybe try something else. With ds we had a standing frame issued by his physio, which helped him develop his core strength, and gave him a good place to play, while holding him in the correct position. We also have a really good reclining booster seat recommended by the occupational therapist. Ds (22 months) started crawling a couple of weeks ago, but before this never really moved around by rolling or anything, I think if your dd wants to roll around it is probably really good to let her do this, as it will really help develop. Have you got some stairgates so that you could make a secure safe area for her. The lindam or babydan playpen is really good for dividing up a corner of room.

Having said all this, ds is so clingy that he pretty much gets carried to wherever I am, be that the toilet, kitchen or wherever!

I would certainly have this conversation with the physio (who, IME can't abide walkers - they are generally considered very bad for all sorts of development.
If she has developmental delay, would toys that are recommended for - say -6month olds work for your dd ? Can she sit unaided ?
Re the rolling, can't you make the room safe and let her roll ? Perhaps push the settee round so it's infront of the fireplace / TV / whatever you don't want her to roll into, and you're away. When mine were little we had an old fashioned play pen which was invaluable for those 'few minutes out the room' when they were crawling, but she wouldn't be able to roll far in there (although further than a travel cot which people also use).
I think it might help to separate out the "keeping her safe if I leave the room for a minute" from "What can she play with" as they are 2 different things IMO.

Walkers are dire for motor development, even with normally developing children, and dangerous to boot. Sorry but if you had a word with your physio she will confirm this.

A prone stander via the OT department is a much better idea, though rolling in a secure environment (is it possible to do this?) is also good for learning motor skills.

A playpen may be a better option when she is left for short periods with lots of toys to stimulate her. Difficult though not impossible to manage. If she were a NT toddler your house would need to be like fort knox anyway!

second the stuff about walkers.

A playpen or even just back into cot when you need her safe. Where are you based? I have a play pen you could try - probably not postable (heavy as hell) but if you are anywhere near Edinburgh you would be very welcome to it. We have a long baby dan screen that we used to screen of a section of the living room for a while. PLus a wooden playpen. The bars on cots and playpens are good for practising pulling up too - and cruising eventually.

In terms of toys my DD (27months) also has delays and what she likes is really kind of random. Do you get portage? - our worker used to come out with bags of toys. If DD took to something I would consider buying it - or borrowing it from toy library if it was pricey. She likes crunchy books, flap books, soft ball, noisy stuff - shakers rattles, bubbles, jack in the box, mirror, stacking cups, rings. I have baskets of crap (kitchen utensils, assorted odds and ends for her to explore) - I think people call these treasure baskets but mine have no such pretensions - just assorted tat generally household objects and the odd pinecone. She likes her spinning top and baby doll too sometimes. But to be honest she prefers to play with cutlery and crockery.

Another thing I do now is put her in her high chair - with a big squirt of canned cream on the tray for messy play (she needs to put on weight). Then she's quite happy to watch me cook or clean the bathtub. The messy play is basically her eating the cream. Its one of those ikea high chairs - 15 quid with the tray - you can get an insert for it to help your D sit up. Take up masses of space but easy to clean. Keeps her contained but does need cleaning after.

Hi misslala1987, i know your post was over a year ago now but i just wondered how your little girl was doing now regarding walking. Its just that she sounds just like my niece who is not moving at all, she can only sit and is 18 months old. At long last I have got my sister to seek help but everything seems to take so long waiting for appts etc. She hasnt any diagnosis yet.

Sallymally, you might want to start your own thread asking for advice, as lots of us can see the original date in the thread, and people may not answer.