Toy Features for Kids with Cognitive Disabilities

These toy features work well for children with cognitive disabilities:

Simple designs help children understand the image, making it more concrete and allowing them to digest the information at their own pace.
Short game duration allows a child to feel a sense of accomplishment by completing a game from start to finish
One concept games or play lessen confusion and frustration.
Concrete play helps a child understand the concept of the game better than abstract pretend play.
Clear cause and effect helps a child learn that they can generate consistent responses.
Versatility in the uses of a toy increases the ways with which it can be played so that it can fit multiple developmental levels.
Repetition gives a child the opportunity to practice what she has learned.
Familiar characters increase the level of interest and motivation for the child.
Talking while playing promoted language development in all children.
Non-interlocking puzzle pieces assist a child in placing them properly.
Picture cues help children see a picture of the end result so they know how it should look.
Simple instructions help a child understand the toy and play.
Levels of play and variations in how to play increase the options for making the toy suitable for various abilities.

Provided By Susan J. Oliver, Tropomedia
This information is provided on behalf of the toy experts at your neighborhood toy store.