Adaptive Toy Libraries
An entire industry is devoted to toys and educational materials for children with special needs. These are either toys that are made especially for this population, or are “off the shelf” toys that are adapted to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, stores where these toys can be purchased. It is primarily an Internet and catalog industry. The toys also can be expensive, which is difficult for parents. It is impossible to know which toys a child will connect with, which they will enjoy, which they want to continue to play with for hours on end.
Assistive Technology of Ohio has a service that will give children access to these special toys. Parents have an opportunity to “try out” these toys to find out which ones best suit their child. In partnership with local county libraries, we have made a selection and checkout of these toys available, much like you would check out a book. This allows parents the opportunity to see how their child reacts to the toys and, if appropriate, make a more informed purchase decision if they decide to buy.
The table below lists the Ohio counties that currently have adapted toys.
County | Library Name | Location |
Cuyahoga | Cuyahoga County Public Library | Parma |
Fairfield | Fairfield County District Library | Lancaster |
Franklin | Westerville Public Library | Westerville |
Perry | Perry County District Library | New Lexington |
Shelby | Amos Memorial Public Library | Sidney |
What types of toys are available?
The size of the selection and the types of toys available are different at each location. There are several national companies, however, from which toys are selected toys that are part of our programs. Among these companies are:
- Abilitations -- Improving the Lives of Children with Differing Abilities
- Beyond Play
- Enabling Devices – Toys for Special Children
- Flaghouse
- Special Needs Toys
Other adaptive toy and techology libraries
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Rubenstein Library
- Cleveland Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled
- Cuyahoga County Public Library
Additional resources
- Lekotek --Advisory organization for parents