By Naomi Francis, Staff ReporterTHIRTY-TWO-YEAR OLD Donna Sinclair plays with a deck of cards. "Come play 3 card nuh," she says.
For over a decade the few people who have come in contact with her have come to expect these words as her greeting.
"Yu neva si Donna widout har cards," says Donna's aunt Icilda Myers. Miss Myers says Donna was kept locked away from people, never went to school, and had no friends when she was younger. Donna has a mental and physical disability. Her family is still cagey about letting her out in the public. "Her mother 'fraid of what people will say," says Miss Myers.
Donna walks with a limp, her left foot arches inward, her teeth show without her smiling and she speaks with a slur. Donna drools and does not hold things well so she has to be constantly monitored.
"Even though she nuh have much people fi interact with, her companion is di cards," says Miss Myers. "Her mother buy it for long time now and yu can't take it away from her now," she adds.
NORMAL CHILDREN
More than 4,000 Jamaican children are listed as having some form of disability physical,
mental or learning. While there are programmes and organisations that can help disabled children adjust in society some parents still keep them locked away, leaving them to play with toys. Many people who are acquainted with disabled children are not sure what kinds of gifts are appropriate for these
children, especially if they are
usually kept out of sight.
"For all intents and purposes disabled children are normal children, and you want to get things that challenge the intellect," says Director of the Learning Centre on Leinster Road, Joan Spencer-Rowe.
"You'd buy children with learning disabilities what you'd buy regular children, but you want to go for things that stimulate their development and skills," she says.
Eight-year-old Franz Ingram has a learning disability, but speaks very well. "Miss I'm very angry," he says after his teacher denied him a soda. His teacher at the learning centre says he can be stimulated with appropriate books and other educational material.
STIMULATING GIFTS
For children with obvious disabilities it is not as simple as just thinking up educational items to buy. A lot of thought must go into what is bought. Gift givers should look for gifts that
build fine motor skills, which includes working with the
fingers and writing;
develop hand/eye co-ordination; and
involve gross motor skills which involve large movements such as jumping.
"Games that would help them recognise colours like UNO. Snake and ladder, ludo and dominos are good games to buy to teach counting. Also things that help with imaginative play like building blocks, play dough, large crayons (for children with poor dexterity) big puzzles, things that would build co-ordination, legos are extremely helpful for children with disabilities," says Christine Rodriques, Principal for the School of Hope which caters for mentally disabled children.
"Get games that you can pull apart and put back together again. We take it for granted that children can automatically think up things," she adds.
These games while they are fun help the children to match things and recognise when things are out of place, skills they will use later in life.
GROSS DISABILITIES
The experts also recommend skipping ropes, hop scotch, hoolahoops for children who have gross motor difficulties.
Mrs. Spencer-Rowe of the learning centre warns, "don't buy a whole set of Hooked on Phonics because parents don't necessarily make good teachers. Hooked on Phonics is very involved and parents need to have some form of training. So they need to leave that to the professionals, if you try to become teacher/parent you could sacrifice your relationship with your child."
According to the experts while the first reaction is to give an educational toy, "don't underestimate the power of the dolly and marbles, dolls and toy cars are healthy for children," says Mrs. Rodriques.
Deputy Director for Child Care at the National Children's Home Genevieve Tomlinson agrees that the disabled should not be treated differently from able bodied
children.
"They love stuffed toys and a lot of them love trinkets not because they're disabled, they love to dress up too," she says.
"Many of the multiple disabled children who are older than 18 may look small, but they are not children. They want to look nice, so a nice hairdo, jewellery, cosmetics, perfume, things that make them feel good and enhance their self care, are a good idea. Some things that we tend to overlook that those needs aren't there, we delude ourselves when we think that way," she says.
Parents and gift givers should also not discount Nintendo games. They are also recommended.
"If you're buying games you'd buy the things you'd give regular kids, you don't want to bore them to death with books and educational toys, nintendos are good, it helps to develop fine motor skills swift finger action, but parents need to monitor the games and make sure it's not just violent," says Mrs. Spencer-Rowe.
The experts also stress that "adults need to play with their disabled children so they can learn constructively."
MORE RECOMMENDED GIFT IDEAS AND SAFETY POINTERS
For children under six, give colourful things to develop hand eye co-ordination, left to right orientation, and so on.
For those who are not yet reading, get books with tapes so they can listen to the language and follow in the book, but try to get tapes that are read by locals so pronunciations are consistent.
Look for high interest low vocabulary books. If the child at grade 6 reads at the grade 2 level, books at that stage can build their confidence.
A child must have educational toys but they also need fun things like dolls and marbles to play with.
Follow the directions on the labels, if it says not for children under three don't give it to them.
A big soft ball is more valuable than a regular football or a bat and ball that stick together.
Make gifts easy for children to succeed.
Hoolahoops, skipping ropes are good.
Do not get things with sharp edges, no guns and rubber knives or things that are remotely potentially dangerous, you don't want the children hurting each other.
choosing toys (for the disabled)
By Linda Marsa, Los Angeles Times
LOOK FOR toys that appeal to more than one of the senses. Those with lights, sounds or movement are more likely to engage a child.
Weigh the complexity of toys. They should provide a challenge, not frustration. For example, a child with weak muscles may not be able to operate a toy requiring physical strength.
Be sure the toys can be used in different positions. A child who uses a wheelchair needs toys that fit on a wheelchair tray; one who can't sit up needs toys that can be used lying down.
Look for versatile toys. Items that can be played with in more than one way let the child adapt them to individual styles and
abilities.
Buy popular toys. A child with toys like his or her friends' feels more like "any other kid."
Pick toys that encourage self-expression and imagination. Toys should allow a child to be creative in his or her own unique way, so provide tools for reading, drawing or manipulating blocks.
Be sure the toys can be adjusted, whether by height, sound volume, speed or level of difficulty. Look for toys appropriate for the child's developmental and chronological ages.
Check to see if the toys are sturdy and can be used safely. There should be no loose parts that could be swallowed.
The best toys require that a child be an active participant. But because social interaction is important, especially for children with disabilities, make sure the toy encourages play with others.
