Kid’s Companion for Special Needs

A common thread for many mom entrepreneurs is the stories that have made our companies. This is mine. It’s the story of the HeartString Kid Companion. One little item that gives peace of mind to caregivers and a shot of confidence to special needs youth. Let me tell you how…

One day, with two growing children, I noticed that my daughter, with Tourette’s Syndrome and sensory issues, very much appreciated a clay heart pendant I had made for her teething sister. Maybe it should be noted that my university background is in health sciences, but I also am a jeweler (my creative side I guess). As I watched, it struck me that my 3 year old could chew and fidget discreetly while my nursing infant could tug and teeth to her hearts’ content. After a few comments from parents, phone calls to child healthcare professionals and fruitless product searches, I realized that other parents were looking for such accessories, especially for their special needs children.

This began our journey. It was 2006 and the road ahead would be long with many challenges we’d need to overcome. As a mother, I wanted to see my children happy. Part of having a happy special needs youth is having one that functions well at school, at play and especially, as best she can with her peers. With time, needing to belong to her peer group would become more and more important. That meant creating something that was chewable and tuggable while still being “cool” enough to blend in. Finally, we had a solution….a durable, colorful, non-toxic pendant that was safe to chew on…something that could help any child be him/herself, anytime, anywhere. We called it the HeartString Kid Companion.

Years of research and development went into making this a product we could truly be proud of, from finding materials for the design idea to testing prototypes and final parts. Since our products are developed for infant use, we wanted FDA approved, North American sourced/made and socially responsible materials. THAT was a tall order, but we did it! We have followed ASTM standards and have passed the new (and future) CPSIA 3rd party testing. We have our 3rd Party Certificate documenting the safety standards met. We even keep a record of all MSDS certificates from our suppliers.

In the end, we learned a lot. From injection molding, to lab testing, to exporting and distribution channels… logistics, FDA and marketing. Our business skills are becoming honed and our knowledge of the maternity/paternity and infant market is increasing daily. With the many legal and marketing loopholes we encounter, we see how important it is, that companies like ours press on with their values. (…that is a whole other story…)

Ultimately we had one goal in mind for the time-strapped parent: In a world of increasing uncertainty about children product safety, The Kid’s Companion would give parents peace of mind.

• A custom breakaway clasp will release and can be re-attached with ease - a feature that guards against strangulation, even at play.
• 18” or 20″ necklaces (lanyards) are made with durable and washable rayon/cotton that is dyed with safe non-toxic dyes.
• Pendants all pass small parts test and are actually around 2” to eliminate any possibility of choking
• Pendant and clasp materials are medical grade, BPA/phthalates free, Lead free, Latex free and Cadmium free.
• Everything can be washed!! (Pendants are even dishwasher safe).

Even more important…we discovered a way to help a child whose special needs might easily set them apart… find a way to fit in. For my daughter…for other children…we are making a difference…

Healthful Hints

There are a number of different types of products to help your child overcome sensory issues. Often recommended by both parents and occupational therapists are the following:

• Chewy Tubes, developed by a speech pathologist and great for home use.
• Tri-Chew, by Debra Beckman, MS, CCC-SLP
• Nûby™ Nibbler™ for parents to place food inside.
• Check with The Sensory Processing Disorder Resource Center for other ideas as well.

Many children with sensory issues like to put things in their mouth. To keep them safe:

• Check if the product complies with safety regulations for child care articles!
• Avoid PVC and plastic items with enamel or paint. Especially those at economy stores.
• Do not rely on retailers or manufacturers to meet voluntary standards, or even to comply with mandatory standards. Request Proof. Get informed. Supply chains notoriously have holes
• As with the Kid’s Companion, make sure the items are too large to be swallowed and can easily be sanitized (i.e. dishwasher safe or machine-washable)
• Replace any damaged products before they break, tear or can become small parts.

As always, if you’re introducing something new to your child’s routine, check with your child’s pediatrician, therapist or teacher first.

Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings Nationwide Each Month!

It can be challenging enough to bring a child to a movie theater – they are dark, the sound is very loud, there are tempting stairs and rails and they are expected to sit still and stay quiet. When a child has special needs all these elements and many others can prove too daunting to even attempt such an outing. And yet getting out, being with the community and sharing in an experience with an audience can be invaluable for just such children – and their caregivers, too.

Now the Autism Society has teamed up with AMC for Sensory Friendly Screenings , showing family -friendly films at reduced admission prices without any commercials or coming attractions. The lights are up, the sound is down, you are free to bring snacks that suit special dietary needs and it’s totally acceptable to wander around, talk and even sing during the movie. Sensory Friendly screenings is a nationwide program, and in many locations the AMC theatres host a new Sensory Friendly film each month.

The next film being screened is The Tooth Fairy, coming up on February 6th at 10am. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this program.

Toys For Children With Special Needs

Toys are learning tools for children. Children use these tools to express themselves, to learn, to explore, to dream. Give the wrong toy to a child and they will express frustration. But give them the right toy and they will have a very productive and enjoyable time. A toy that is properly chosen can aid a child in addressing his or her difficulties. At the same time, choosing a toy without consideration of a child’s special needs will only lead to aggravation for them and disappointment for both of you.

There are toy categories that are well suited for children with special needs. They are often used by therapists and teachers to help children build social and gross motor skills.  Here are some of them:

Board Games: These toys are excellent for children with difficulty mastering social or communication skills. These are perfect toys to teach them about rules, turn taking and social interaction with other kids.

Electronic Games: Although, you might be opposed to video games, there are video games that can be beneficial in building attention skills. Some computer games reward attention by adding difficulty as the child progresses through the game.

Sports Toys: Do not do a disservice to an uncoordinated child by declining to buy them a sports toy. A sports toy can actually help a child with limited gross motor skills. For example, a softer foam ball can give a child a chance to practice the art of throwing and catching without getting hurt. Well-chosen sports toys, designed to help build skills rather than to highlight weaknesses, can help.

Fantasy Toys: There is no better way to help a child with special needs than by engaging his or her imagination through play. Fantasy toys, from dolls to puppets, provide avenues for communication and a window of insight for a parent who might want to know better what a child is thinking or feeling.

Be prepared to adapt these toys to the needs of the child. Just because everyone else is playing with the toy in a certain way, it does not mean that they have to. Consider the setting. Where they play can have a direct impact on the child’s ability to enjoy the toy and the playtime. Be creative in your setup as well. You know your child more than anyone, so if your child has problems with attention he may have better concentration sitting in a chair at a table rather than on the floor of the living room. A child with low vision will need more lighting. A child with hearing difficulties may do better in a quiet room. Scan your play area with the child’s special need in mind before sitting down to play.

In the end, taking the time to match both the toy and the environment to your child’s special needs will make a world of difference in the enjoyment their new toy brings.

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Reference:  Marianne Szymaski, “Toy Tips”, Jossey-Bass, 2004, p. 74-78

Today’s Sensitive Children

Children today are more sensitive emotionally, physically and psychically. They are concerned about everyone and everything, tend to suffer more dietary problems and just how do they know what mood you’re in before you even enter a room!

When you consider they are also coping with unprecedented rates of change in technology, population dynamics and culture, we must take a look at how we parent and educate them. Most of them will be employed in jobs that don’t yet exist and many of them will be solving problems that we aren’t yet aware of, using technology that in some cases, frankly intimidates us.

After countless hours with hundreds of truly remarkable families I have come to realise that:

• Every child has “special needs”
• Every child has inner wisdom, and
• Every child has something to teach us

What if, instead of seeing your child as rude and aggressive, you see someone who is floundering emotionally, desperate for more support and struggling to express themselves? What if you see the potential your children are trying to demonstrate and embrace it with all your heart.

It takes a special parent/carer/teacher to set aside their inbuilt reactions, preconceived ideas and socially acceptable norms to be able to truly hear the depth of wisdom in our children. Some parents feel they are failures even though they are doing the best they can with what they know. It’s been said before ‘children don’t come with a manual’. These days it would need to be online and interactive.

We need to empower our children to experience themselves and then they will be confident to take responsibility for themselves. All parents want the best for their children… maybe in this new world we’re going to need to spend a little more time listening to them and learning from them if we are going to truly help them discover their magnificence.

Exercise Rhymes

Hi I’m Marina, creator of Exercise Rhymes®, rhymes that make exercising fun. After my daughter Isabel was born I had significant ‘baby weight’ to lose. I enjoy running, but Isabel quickly became bored with her books, toys and snacks in the jogging stroller as I tried to get my exercise. I sought out ways to create playtime focused on fitness and fun that would benefit us both. We tried some exercise videos together but they didn’t hold her attention for long. I found myself using her as a weight doing squats, lunges, crunches, and arm lifts and then began making up rhymes to go with the exercises. It was wonderful to include her in my exercise routine and she would soon begin mimicking my movements and began to routinely play and exercise together in short bursts throughout the day.

Drawing on my years of dance, yoga and fitness training, I created flashcards pairing fun rhymes and exercises for adults to do with young kids….and Exercise Rhymes® was born. Family and friends with young children tested the prototype flashcard decks and provided me with invaluable feedback. My daughter and I also routinely did the exercises and even at 18 months, she quickly recognized the rhymes and started doing the exercises that went with them. She would fill in the rhyming words and loved to pretend being a frog, bunny, train, etc. while we exercised together. I was happy to shed the pregnancy pounds and we both had a lot of fun taking short breaks to exercise throughout the day at home and at the park. The exercises were even helpful in occupying her while waiting in line, and now she is starting to use the cards to practice reading.

I also did some research and found that:

• There is a strong correlation between academic achievement and fitness levels.
• Rhymes and exercises form patterns between mind and body that reinforce learning.
• Rhyming is known to provide a good foundation for phonics and reading. Rhyming also helps to support the brain’s timing mechanism, critical for interpersonal communications and social interactions.
• Short bursts of activity a few times per day are as effective as one longer exercise session. High intensity short duration exercise is shown to be a potent fat-burner and it helps the body handle and recover from stress.
• Making exercise fun for kids helps to establish healthy associations that can last a lifetime.

Exercise Rhymes® are fun playful rhymes and exercises for adults to do with young children ages 3 to 7 years old. Preschool and primary elementary teachers use them for fitness breaks in class, and there are therapeutic uses for children with special needs. They are effective in educational therapy because the combined rhyme and exercise stimulate both motor and language centers of the brain, and the rhymes help with the brain’s timing mechanism. Pediatric therapists have stated they get significant eye contact and interaction while using Exercise Rhymes® with autistic children and they are an excellent resource for parents to continue therapy at home. The exercises themselves benefit the parents, teachers, and caregivers as much as the kids, and they really are a fun way to not only exercise but also spend time together. In fact, in my children’s fitness classes, I find the kids love the rhymes and pretending and never think twice about the exercise.

Finding the time to exercise is a challenge for everyone, especially with kids in tow, but exercising with your kids does not have to include a lot of time, pain, or even the gym. Including kids in the exercise routine is a simple solution that helps build lifelong, healthy habits for everyone. Commitment and consistency provide the long term benefits of health and vitality. A commitment to fitness is important, and showing our children that exercise is fun might be even more important!

HEALTHFUL HINTS

• Find fun ways to exercise with your kids, including sports you enjoy.
  • Take walks around the block, ride bikes together, or jog beside your child while they are riding a bike (always wearing a helmet).
  • Try simple strengthening exercises together including lunges and squats. Doing these exercise while holding your young child is a fun way to increase the intensity.
• Be sure to always keep your stomach muscles drawn-in while exercising to strengthen your core, improve your posture, and support your back.
• As with any new exercise routine, get an okay from your healthcare provider first.

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