Well this hit home. Romper’s series of essays from moms who have kids with special needs is worth a read.
Category: Uncategorized
IKEA Furniture Modifications for Disabilities
IKEA Israel teamed up with a design firm to create some add-on modifications for their furniture. The website shares downloadable instructions so you can print these modifications on a 3D printer for your home (if you can find access to a printer…perhaps a local university or design firm would be willing to share theirs).
The Mega Switch attaches to a lamp and gives you a much larger area for turning a lamp on and off vs the standard small switch which requires a fair amount of independent finger dexterity.
You can view all the modifications and download the designs here.
A Note About Pet Toys…
My kiddo loves to chew. He loves to beat on toys. He loves anything that has bells in it, squeaks or otherwise makes any sort of noise. And don’t judge me for this but I’ve turned to the pet aisle a few times for toys. I make sure nothing is scented or flavored or otherwise hazardous (find toys labeled as nontoxic). Stringy cat toys are a hit. A motorized bumble ball is a nice change of pace from other toys. A heavy duty chew toy should last us a few years. And as an added bonus, these toys are often cheaper than kid’s toys and they are ALWAYS cheaper than “special needs” toys. Happy hunting!
DIY Light Jar
Old Peanut Butter Jar – Check
$3 strand of battery-operated Christmas lights from drug store after Christmas – Check
A few bells I had laying around (I always save bells for Ryan crafts) to make noise – Check
If your child is able to open a jar, be sure to super glue or tape the cap shut, or otherwise secure it!
Necessary Objects = Our Rifton Wave Bath Chair
After infancy, I can probably count on one hand how many baths Ryan has taken in his life. I found it too hard to hold him up while leaning over the tub and clean him at the same time. He was too chubby or too weak for some normal bath seats. I thought about using a laundry basket (and still think that’s a good idea) and putting pool noodles on the edges to fashion a homemade “container” of sorts for Ryan in the bath as I do think he’d enjoy the water play and sensory experience of a bath. But we’ve taken swim lessons and done water therapy to let him play in the water.
The shower is easiest. Or it was until he hit about 25 pounds and got a little more wriggly. When we were in the process of buying Ryan’s medical stroller for school, our DME (durable medical equipment) sales rep told us about shower chairs. So we got the Rifton Wave Chair (thank goodness for Medicaid coverage) and it has been AMAZING. We strap Ryan in for safety, and can shower him without our arms tiring or worrying about him slipping out of our grip. The top part of this chair can also come off of the base to be used in the bathtub if that’s your preference.
Our Rifton Wave Shower Chair
And to make the shower even more fun, we bought this LED color-changing showerhead. It makes it very easy to shower Ryan and he loves looking at the lights. Plus, the lights tell us how hot the water is (green is warm, whereas blue is cold and red is hot) since Ryan can’t warn us if it gets too hot without our realizing.
All About atr-x 