12 Great Back to School Supplies for the Child with Special Needs
Stacy Warden
Author of Noah's Miracle blog. Noah had suffered "global damage" to his brain. As a result the prognosis was grim. They said Noah would mostly like...
To take the guess work out of supplies that may be an excellent match for your child's needs we've provided a list of twelve great supplies that are fabulous for children with special needs:
1) Individually wrapped sanitizing wipes:
Germs. The number one complaint of almost all special needs parents worldwide. Back to school season often equals the start of flu and cold season.
Parents sit on the edge of their seats with worry as the smallest germ can often have big consequences for a child who is medically fragile.
Individually wrapped sanitizing wipes are great for your your child's teacher or care provider to assist your child with playing with a large group of classmates or right before lunchtime.They are discreet and easy to pack in backpacks or lunches and may just give your child a little added line of defense from those dreaded back to school germs.
2) Adaptive Scissors:
There are a variety of different kids of scissors on the market which can accommodate a wide range of needs.
There are great scissors for both right handed and left handed children, some are fantastic for children with minimal hand mobility or hand coordination and they even make fantastic switch adapted scissors for children with special needs who use switches.
A great pair of scissors can make for great inclusion opportunities during arts and craft time.
3) Chubby Crayons:
Chubby Crayons are wrapper free, chunky in size and easier to hold and come in bright vibrant colors.
Chubby Crayons are also mindful of being sensitive to children who have common allergies and are latex, egg, gluten, soy, peanut, nut, dairy and casein free.
4) Fidgets & Chewelery
There are some really fantastic fidgets and Chewlery on the market now.
Vendors are starting to incorporate more grown up objects that are less obvious fidgets and chewelery to allow children with special needs to blend in with their peers and not be singled out as having a play
object but something that is therapeutic in nature.
Some disguised as a treat or cookie, some other as sports necklaces, or toppers for pencils and pens. No matter what the right fit is you're sure to find some great options.
5) Therapy Putty:
Therapy Putty comes in a variety of different textures and styles. Some even are scented for an extra unique sensory experience.
They are great for children working on hand mobility and strengthening exercises and also have the potential to assist children in focusing or be able to participate in art activities in school.6) Multi-Textured Chewable Ruler:
A lot of sensory seeking children like to put things in their mouths - this is true for traditional school supplies.
This great multi-textured chewable ruler allows your child to still play with it in their mouths safely and still use it for learning.
7) Noise cancelling headphones:
Noise can be overwhelming for many children and the back to school excitement can be challenging.
For extra noisy events or loud laughter at recess noise cancelling headphones might just do the trick.
They come in lots of fun prints and styles and look just like fun head gear.8) Nesel sensory friendly backpack:
One of my favorite back to school supplies for children with special needs is the Nesel sensory friendly backpack.
This backpack retails for $99 but comes with a host of amazing features, that will make it more comfortable to carry for a sensory seeking child.
9) Shock Proof Tablet Case:
Nothing makes me cringe more than when I see a mom or dad posting about their child's communication device suffering a toss across a school room floor.
Accidents happen to the best of us and making sure your child's is as protected as possible is essential.
Shock proof tablets come in a variety of colors that will keep your child's device sound and secure when it leaves home with your child each day.10) Rubbermaid Lunch Blox:
Kids universally seem to sometimes have issues with keeping their food separated so it doesn't touch.
Could be that it changes the flavor profile, could be an organizational and sorting preference.
Regardless, of why you child doesn't want their food to touch Rubbermaid has made these grate Lunch Bloxes that keeps food separate so it doesn't touch and is super for back to school lunches.
11) Boundary Chair:
Some children need to feel a bit of security while in a seated position. School chairs don't often come with a lot of support or even arm rests.
This simple yet low cost Boundary chair is easy to transport and keep clean and will assist your child with a little bit extra support while sitting in a traditional school chair.12) Visual Timer
Children often rely on visual cues as a reminder of how much longer they need to concentrate or devote to an activity before they get a break or need to move onto another activity.
Visual timers are a great resource to assist your child with transitioning back into a back to school routine.
