Research continues to show that play is essential to a child’s health and well-being. In fact, this very subject was part of the United Nations High Commission of Human Rights Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Article 23 (Leisure, play and culture), they detailed: “Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities.” This document took play out of the area of “option” and placed it squarely into the “rights,” column.

Brian Sutton-Smith in an article for the American Journal of Play entitled, “Play Therapy, A Personal Journey and New Thoughts,” even asserts that, “… play as we know it is primarily a fortification against the disabilities of life.”

Children with disabilities often have to overcome barriers to connect to the world of play. These barriers can be physical, cognitive, sensory or communicative and finding toys that are appropriate for a child’s special needs can be a challenge.

According to Ellen Metrick, Chief Toy Evaluation at AblePlay, a part of the non-profit National Lekotek Center that researches, rates and reviews toys for children with special needs, “Toys can be used in a prescriptive way to help a child. Parents should choose play products that align with a child’s abilities and then add some that work on those areas that need enhancement.” Metrick also recommends that special attention be given to the menu of toys selected, giving the child a range from simple concept-based play objects to more multifaceted items as needed.

Here’s a summary of some of the criteria used in a Prescriptive Toy Menu:

• Current abilities of the child
• Interests of child
• Age of the child – both developmentally and chronologically
• Targeted skill development
• Potential abilities of the child
• Cognitive skills development
• Communicative skills development
• Sensory skills development
• Physical skills development
• Interests of siblings and parents (if present)
• Play space at family home
• Current educational program (IEP)
• Others in household (i.e. choking hazards for younger siblings)

According to Sally deVincentis, one of the two founders of Lekotek, “We fit the toy to the learning needs of the child just as a physician prescribes a specific drug for a patient. You see, for a child, play is work. It is the way children learn, so we have to give them toys they find challenging, yet not so difficult that they become discouraged.”

One could argue that if children of all abilities use toys to learn, grown and develop, then children with disabilities may have an even higher need to play and experience the benefits of toys in their formative years.