Children With Special Needs – Activities For Helping Your Special Needs Child

Make sure your child is secure in whatever position he is using for play (laying, sitting, standing). When your child’s body is well supported he is free to use his hands for play. (Consult with your child’s therapist about using pillows, wedges and other equipment for positioning support.)
Make sure your child can see her hands while interacting with a toy.
Help your child learn by modeling or demonstrating how a toy can be used. You may need to begin by using hand-over-hand assistance to help your child play with a toy.
If your child needs to be guided to use his hands, try sitting behind him. Providing assistance from behind is better than pulling from the front.
Prevent toys from sliding out of reach by using textured adhesive tape or other non-slip material to anchor them to a stable surface such as a rug, highchair tray, small table or bench.

Toys with knobs, levers, buttons, switches and holes for exploring and manipulating (turning, poking, flipping, putting in, taking out, stacking up, etc.)
Toys that encourage exploration of visual details and various textures
Toys that respond to manipulation with visual and/or sound feedback
Toys that require little pressure or accuracy to manipulate or activate
Toys with multiple access areas that result in different responses