Equipment and Adaptations for Early Play Category/Skill Seating for Play

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Commercial Items and Adaptations Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat ( Frog, Pink, etc) Space Saver High Chair, or other 5 in 1 feeder or booster seats as a floor sitter Commercial bath seats as floor sitters or outdoor seating for water play! Laundry Basket, plastic storage container or sturdy box Small child sized bench or bed/lap tray, for a working surface and upper body support Cut a foam block into a u-cushion (#1850 foam/turkey knife) GoTo Seat (Fireflyfriends.com) on commercial seating options Leckey Positioning Waistcoat or Special Tomato Soft Touch Liners/Inserts (available on adaptivemall.com or tadpoleadaptive.com), for added support on commercial seating options) Add laterals, abductors, and other supports with cut pool noodles in commercial high chairs, commercial bath chairs, and other child sized chairs with stable base An old car seat can be utilized as a floor sitter or swing when properly supported Add laterals, abductors, and other supports with cut pool noodles in commercial high chairs, or even commercial bath seats that can tilt back slightly for improved head control Commercial 5 in 1 Feeder Seat/High Chairs

Bath Positioning

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Inflatable bath tubs Keter Baby Bath Tub Ring Seat, Anti Slip Chair Commercial sling seats with added supports if needed Adapted Laundry Basket

Car seat positioning Note: Can add positioning around for support, not behind

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The Snuggin Go (positioning inserts) General car seat inserts Towel rolls and rolled washcloths around sides of patient

Community mobility

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Request a “Caroline Cart” at your neighborhood grocery store Try a GoTo Seat in the grocery cart

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  Seating for Feeding

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   Transitions and Early Mobility

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Environmental Vision Adaptations

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Visually Adapted Activities

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Add laterals, abductors, and other supports with cut pool noodles in commercial strollers Jeep and MaClaren commercial strollers (offer more room to add adaptations) Commercial shopping cart safety strap Exersaucers (Evenflo Exersaucer Triple fun activity centers have multiple positioning options) Grocery cart or push toys with weights added Commercial walkers Donning shoes early, for increased foot support during weight bearing Upsee (Fireflyfriends.com) Johnny Jump up Fast Fit Cascade braces (JumpStart) Door frame harnesses Walk-o-Long Balance Assist/hula hoop Scooot (Fireflyfriends.com)- 3 in 1 device as a crawler, scooter, early manual propelled mobility at floor level Go Baby Go- switch adapted kids cars Black tri-fold board Go to quietest corner of the room Position in area of room that allows use of best field of vision, and in area that reduces visual complexity (least clutter, windows, doors, people walking around) Visual Breaks Clear working surfaces (Toys on solid carpet versus patterned children’s play carpet/mat) Dark contact paper to cover a clear tray or busy working surface Position items upright on a slant board or commercial easel. Many patients with visual processing delays see materials best when positioned at an upright angle. Make a homemade light box for a working surface, by putting Christmas lights in a clear tote. Use color preference to give a target to move to and visual anchor focus on within an activity (colorful sign, colored tape around door frame, favorite colored toy, etc) Use suction cup hangers to hang items on a window, door, or mirror. You could also use sticky/removable hooks, and window clings. This positions items upright visually, and allows light and reflections to draw attention for increased visual engagement. Cut out back of foam boards, puzzles, and peg boards and use

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Adaptations for Literacy

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Oral Motor/Feeding

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these items on a light box, for a visually appealing way to work on fine motor play skills. Tape paper to a door, window, or light box. Light can help hold attention to this challenging 2 dimensional activity. Use simple, commercially available toys that make less noise, to encourage more looking. Simple toys with limited pattern are best, when vision is impaired. Pat Mat- Clear or lightly colored hair gel (LA Looks is cheap and works great!) in a ziplock bag. Add small, colorful manipulatives that can float and move around the bag. This is a great sensory and manipulative play for use on a light box. Put elastic through the windows of a toy car, and tie around a tray. Allows patient to roll car on their tray, with a guide that will keep it from falling off. Use this support with other toys! Make a “Book About Me”. Take photos of items used in your child’s daily routine (crib, mom, dad, bottle, binky, favorite toy, etc). Put one photo on each page. As you read, talk about what each item is, describe salient features, and discuss what it does and when it is used. Help your child touch the photo. Foam stickers or popsicle sticks for page separation Simplify text in books or point out and label pictures Use books with real photos or simple drawings Tactile supports (Inserting textures and objects to pagesmake into a “touch and feel” book) Use a simple voice output switch like a Step by Step (AbleNet), and record messages so patient can request a turn, comment on the book, say a repetitive line or help “read” the book out loud, or even ask questions as you read through the book. Switch adapted books (Tarheel Reader, PowerPoint, Creative Communicating Apps) Use dark backgrounds to make pictures pop when adapting books. Use a flashlight in a dark room to point out pictures and parts of books. Make a viewfinder (black construction paper, cut a small circle for pictures, or rectangle for text, then laminate). Use a tablet or computer with backlit screen. Can also use accessibility features on computer to have books read out loud, or programs that have a built in screen reader (children’s book apps that read aloud, Bookshare.org). Jigglers Z-vibe, NUK brush, Probe, Duo-Spoon Mechanical toothbrush Foods with strong flavors for alerting (lemon/lime juice, pickle juice, BBQ sauce, salsa) weighted utensils

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Sensory Processing

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Universal Cuffs Angled commercial spoons (Boon Spoon) Pipe insulation to build up handles of spoons 2 soft hair ties together to help hold onto utensil (1 tie around top of utensil, other around wrist) Commercial suction plates and bowls Commercial pacing cup Squeeze cup with lip block and 1 way straw valve (Honey Bear and ARK Cup) The Infa Trainer Cup - regulates flow of liquid, standard rim Nosey Cup- space cut out for the nose, 3 sizes Evenflo “Tilty” cup-keeps fluid forward without tilting the cup to limit neck hyperextension Madela SpecialNeeds Feeder Cup (Previously Haberman Feeder)– distributes single liquid bolus, variable flow Opportunities for vestibular movement, regulation, messy play, calming, stimulation, auditory processing: swinging, spinning with parent, rolling with assistance , bouncing with parent, slides, stroller (fast, slow, bumpy or smooth terrain), infant swings, rocking, changes in movement rhythm, deep pressure , tight onesie or compression type shirt (swim shirts1 size too small), joint compressions/deep pressure pats, oral stim (texture teethers), swaddling, bear hug, tummy time, bean bag, infant massage, music- specific rhythym, dimming lights, quiet time, swaddle, predictable routines, weighted blankets, pre-warning of activity (verbal, visual, tactile), transitions

Tools for Tots: Sensory Strategies for Toddlers and Preschoolers™ Diana A. Henry, MS, OTR/L,FAOTA, Maureen Kane-Wineland, PhD, OT/L and Susan Swindeman, OTR/L

Early Language & Communication

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Simple voice output switches like Step by Step (AbleNet) for comments, requests, and social participation Use of reaching to make choices between objects If reaching is difficult, eye pointing toward items on a board Head nods “yes” and “no”- or other consistent body movement (raise arm for yes, turn head for no) Non-verbal “yes” and “no”- smile, frown, gestures Partner assisted scanning Recordable Commercial buttons (teacher supply stores) Use of real photos or picture symbols for choice making Picture symbol communication book Recordable photo albums

Adapted Play

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Websites Resources

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Battery interrupters to adapt commercial toys Basic switch adapted toys PowerLink, Environmental control unit (ECU) Basic switch, switch interface, and adapted games for tablet or computer HelpKidzLearn.com (switch adapted games online) Inclusive Technologies apps for adapted games on iPad Velcro surfaces/toys Place items on vertical surface, easel/slant board (cookbook stand) Strap writing tool to switch/motorized toy Universal cuffs Loofa sponge with long handle, paint brush on visor Muffin tins, egg cartons, ice cube trays Puzzle pieces on black Velcro, Color the inside form of puzzles Change support surface, provide positioning assist Staging toys for play (rotating baskets)- decrease clutter Voice output inside shape sorter, use pan for reinforced sound to motivate Overhead gym set up with box, PVC pipe for hanging toys V-Tech & LeapFrog toys- good commercial toys with cause effect output and emerging language and play (every stage of development) Simple, durable toys that support core language and early development (Melissa & Doug, Learning Resources, B. Toys, etc.) Fischer Price Little People: early words, easy to hold/mouth, pretend play Fireflyfriends.com Adaptivemall.com Tadpoleadpative.com EnablingDevices.com - offers many switch toys, visually adapted toys, etc. TarheelReader.com HelpKidzLearn.com Ablenetinc.com CameraMouse.com DwellClick.com PBS Kids Toys''R''Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids Fisherprice.com/parenting topics Pinterest: features many teacher and adapted play items