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You are here: Home / Autism / ToyBox Tools Makes Play More Accessible For Kids with Special Needs

ToyBox Tools Makes Play More Accessible For Kids with Special Needs

January 28, 2018 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Hasbro provided us with a complimentary ToyBox Tools.

ToyBox Tools are designed to help children enjoy playtime in a way that’s fun, inclusive, and comfortable, at their own pace.

Jenga Toybox Tools Hasrbo Autism Project via Atypical Familia by Lisa Quinones Fontanez

I remember when Norrin was going through the evaluation process. The doctor handed Norrin a toy car. Instead of “driving” the car and/or making “vroom vroom” sounds, Norrin, held the toy car close to his eyes and started spinning its wheels. And the doctor said, “I see he has no pretend play skills.”

Related: What I Wish I Knew When My Son Was Diagnosed With Autism

Pretty hard to imagine a kid with no play skills. It’s the kind of thing many parents take for granted. Nearly 10 years after Norrin’s autism diagnosis, play skills are something we still continue to work on.

Toy Box Tools Jenga via Atypical Familia by Lisa Quinones Fontanez

Developed by Hasbro and in collaboration with The Autism Project, ToyBox Tools is a collection of resources for parents, teachers, and caregivers to help them engage children of all abilities in the joy of play.

The program offers a series of wait cards, countdown timers, play-mats and playbooks with step-by-step instructions on how to play with select Hasbro brands, and recently added new resources based on beloved brands My Little Pony, Transformers, and Baby Alive.

Toybox tools Play Skills via Atypical Familia by Lisa Quinones Fontanez

The tools are designed to help children enjoy playtime in a way that’s fun, inclusive, and comfortable, at their own pace.

Hasbro’s fundamental mission is to bring joy and play to children and their families around the world. But for some children, play can be challenging. For children with developmental disabilities, play isn’t always accessible out of the box. More often, countless toys are relegated to the back of the closet or the donation bin. Even more importantly, the joy and benefits that play can bring — the connection to peers, siblings and other generations — may be lost.

I’ll admit, sometimes it’s hard for me to figure out how to explain things to Norrin in a way he’ll understand. That’s why I love the idea of ToyBox Tools. The materials are simple and easy to understand. It’s a great tool for siblings who want to play but may not know how to make the connection.

Hasbro is a toy brand I grew up with. And I love that I’ve been able to share my love for Hasbro toys with Norrin. For Hasbro to recognize the difficulties some children have with play and work to make play more accessible is a very special thing. ToyBox Tools is the kind of resource I wish had existed in the early years of autism. Because I know it will be life changing for so many kids and families. My hope is that ToyBox Tools will soon be available in Spanish and other languages.

ToyBox Tools are designed to help kids enjoy playtime in a way that’s fun & inclusive. #autism Click To Tweet

For more information and/or to download your ToyBox Tools visit: https://toyboxtools.hasbro.com/en-us and/or http://www.theautismproject.org/asd-resources/how-to.

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Filed Under: Autism, Hasbro Toys Tagged With: Autism, Developmental Disabilities, Hasbro, Pretend Play, Special Needs, Tips

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Hi, I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. I'm a 40-something mom raising a son with autism in The Bronx, NYC.

Atypical Familia is a personal blog & resource site for Typical Parents raising Extraordinary Kids. We focus on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. This is parenting from a unique perspective.

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I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. Get to know more about me and my familia!

Atypical Familia focuses on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. If you'd like to work with us, send us an email: autismwonderland(@)gmail.com. 

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I will always remember this photo taken at Orchard I will always remember this photo taken at Orchard Beach. Norrin was just diagnosed with autism and I was shattered. He was two and a half years old and there were so many milestones that he hadn’t met. I was full of resentment and fear and guilt. I had no idea what the future would look like. I couldn’t see any hope or progress. Norrin is 15 and I am just amazed by how far he has come. He has taught me so much about life. I still have fear. At 15, Norrin’s autism is no longer “cute.” There are things he struggles with and things I work to protect him from. But I have hope today. For that I am so grateful. Sometimes people will apologize when I say “my son has autism.” I assure them, there’s nothing to apologize for. Raising a kid with autism is not easy. There are moments when it still crushes me. But I would not change anything about our journey. It’s made us both who we are. 💙 I am so proud of Norrin. Of all the things I’ve ever done or will do, being his mama is by far the best. #autismawarenessandacceptance
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