Don't get me wrong, I'm in heavy denial over the fact that there are 64 shopping days left until Christmas. I'm still getting over the start of school, and now we're hurtling into the Hallween-then-Thanksgiving-then-Christmas-then-NewYear's madness, and I want it to stop. But reader cpmom introduced a topic in the forum today that I think is worth our attention, asking for help in figuring out where to get gift ideas for a child with special needs. Pop over there and share your shopping intentions, and then reminisce about good and bad gift decisions past in two new Readers Respond topics:
My son was pretty thrilled with the key blanks we got him last year, but he was also pretty thrilled the year we gave him a box full of empty shopping bags. No accounting for taste. As for worst gifts, I remember shaking my head in amazement when relatives would give my son gifts beyond his age range when he was in fact behind his age range. Um, a thousand-piece puzzle? Uh, thanks. On the other hand, the little truck that kept blaring Ice Cream! Ice Cream! at maximum volume is at the top of my list of horrible gifts, though my son liked it fine. What are your stories?
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Great info here! We just posted our best toys for kids with ADHD and our annual Special Needs Adaptable Product Awards. The idea is to provide a great holiday for everyone!
In an attempt to avoid the inappropriate gifts, I just wrote a blog post on toy shopping for our kids with disabilities. Ableplay.com offers a wish list to make is super easy for family members to purchase pre-selected gifts. There’s also a link to a blog post and podcast for ideas for kids with severe disabilities.
My best gift ever was when I was 5: a neighbor gave me a blank notebook and a pen. I was ecstatic and decided I was going to be a writer right then and there!