We always knew that our founder Steven Kanor was way ahead of his time. When he established Enabling Devices (then called Toys for Special Children) in 1978, virtually no one was thinking about making toys for children with disabilities.

Thankfully, awareness of the needs of people with disabilities has increased since the late 1970s. Nowadays, some colleges and universities are teaching universal design techniques that will help tomorrow’s graduates create products and environments that are accessible for people of all abilities.

One example of this trend can be found at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. At Whitworth, physical therapy and engineering students have been collaborating on a project to design inclusive toys for the disabled children who receive services at the university’s physical therapy clinic.

Using stipulations from physical therapy students, the engineering students designed a prototype for an electronic toy car. The car was designed with the needs of a toddler — who used prosthetics below the elbows on both arms – in mind.

According to Amanda Sullender of The Spokesman-Review, the engineering class was divided into two teams. “Half the class developed an electric toy car whose controller could be used by the child with their prosthetic, while the other team built the toy to be functional without the use of a prosthetic. One group’s remote used cups placed on joysticks where arms can be placed and moved to maneuver the electric car. The remote is also held up by a harness mounted to the body. The other group’s controller was modified to be controlled by a prosthetic without the dexterity of fingers.”

While the designs aren’t ready for prime time, the plan is for future classes to improve upon them until they can safely be used by clinic patients.

The students’ professor David Schipf hopes the project will lead to the establishment of an inclusive toy lab at the university.

“The end goal is for the physical therapy department to be able to bring local children into their clinic and have these children engage in normal play with these inclusive toys. … God gives us all different skills and opportunities in life. And I think it’s important for these students to learn while they’re in school that they’re given a great opportunity to get an engineering degree with these skills that can be used to help a lot of people.”

Photo credit: Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review

Anxiety is a natural response to feelings of stress. While any child can experience anxiety, children with functional needs (commonly referred to as special needs) may experience anxiety more often and more intensely. These more intense feelings can sometimes be the result of one or more of the following:

• Their disability makes it more difficult to understand what is happening around them.
• They may be bullied due to their disability.
• Their disability affects their daily life.
• They feel different from other children.
• They’re learning to cope with their disability.

Persistent anxiety issues that disrupt everyday life can make children with special needs feel inadequate, shameful or guilty. Support, empathy and accommodations are essential in order to understand each child’s feelings and address them in a way that lessens their anxiety.

There are many ways to reduce anxiety in children with disabilities. Calming strategies and techniques can help children cope with these anxious feelings. When children with special needs know how to manage their anxiety, they can feel more in control of their environment and responses as well as more confident about participating in daily life.

How Anxiety Manifests in Children With Special Needs

Children with special needs who experience anxiety can be triggered by various scenarios and conditions and display many symptoms. It’s important to understand the manifestations of anxiety in a child with functional needs. Teaching your child with special needs about anxiety symptoms helps them understand what is happening to their body. As their caregiver, you can help your child navigate their anxiety and feel empowered.

Causes and Symptoms of Anxiety

The causes or triggers of anxiety differ for each child and may depend on the disability. For example, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can feel anxious if their routine is changed. In some cases, a medical condition can cause anxiety. If this is the case for your child, talk to a medical professional about treatment options.

Some common causes of anxiety in children with functional needs include:

• Environmental changes, like moving to a new city.
• Inability to complete a task as planned.
• Sensory issues like understimulation or overstimulation.
• Social situations like parties or gatherings.
• Unexpected changes in routine, like school closures.
• Worry over an object, event or activity, like an upcoming test or a missing book.
• Detecting anxiety in others.

Anxiety manifests in many mental and physical symptoms that are different for each child. As a result, anxiety in children with special needs can sometimes go undetected. These symptoms can even be interpreted as noncompliance or a lack of discipline.

The most common signs of anxiety in children with special needs include:

• Crying or screaming
• Emotional outbursts
• Fast heartbeat
• Flapping hands
• Headaches
• Meltdowns
• Poor focus
• Restlessness
• Sleeping difficulties
• Social avoidance or withdrawal
• Stimming
• Stomach aches
• Sweaty palms

Sensory Stimulation and Overload

Sensory-related anxiety is common in children with ASD and other functional needs. Your child’s sensory system — and the stimulation and overload of it — can affect emotional and behavioral regulation and lead to anxiety.

Each child has a different sensory threshold. When your child has too much stimulation, their central nervous system is overwhelmed, which prevents them from understanding the input.

Since many children with sensory processing disorders cannot self-regulate, the overstimulation can lead to sensory overload, which may cause sensory-based meltdowns. A sensory meltdown is a physiological response to feeling overwhelmed by too many stimuli. Sensory meltdowns are a response to what your child is feeling.

A sensory meltdown may then trigger a fight-or-flight response. This response is caused by the nervous system interpreting sensory inputs as threats. If your child is experiencing overstimulation, they may feel threatened and unable to act logically, leading to anxiety symptoms like crying or screaming.

Types of Anxiety

Here are the most common forms of anxiety that present in children with special needs:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): OCD is characterized by obsessive and repetitive behaviors. Children with OCD may feel compelled to do something a specific way or a certain number of times to prevent something bad from happening. These obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions can interfere with or take over daily life.
• Social anxiety: Social anxiety occurs when a person feels overwhelmed about social situations and interactions. Signs of social anxiety include avoiding social interactions, maintaining little to no eye contact during conversations, having difficulty interpreting social cues, and experiencing symptoms like a racing heartbeat, sweaty palms and shakiness during conversations. Social anxiety is common in children with ASD since autism can affect social behaviors.
• Specific phobia: A phobia anxiety is when someone develops a fear of a situation, place or object. Your child will try to avoid situations where the phobia could present itself, leading to a restricted lifestyle. For example, a child with a phobia of bees may not want to play outside. If your child has a specific phobia, be aware of situations where their phobia could present, especially if your child is non-speaking (commonly referred to as non-verbal).

Eight Calming Strategies for Children With Special Needs

If your child with functional needs experiences anxiety, they need support to help manage their symptoms. Calming strategies are an effective way to relieve anxiety. Remember that your child will respond to some methods better than others, so you may want to try more than one strategy to find what works best.

Learn how to reduce anxiety in children with autism and other functional needs through these calming strategies.

1. Use Self-Soothing Techniques

Self-soothing techniques can help reduce and control anxiety. You and your child can try various strategies — some may work better than others, and your child’s abilities will determine which you can use.

Some effective self-soothing strategies include:

• Breathing exercises
• Counting to 10
• Meditating
• Visualizing

2. Get Active Through Exercise

Exercising every day — or at least regularly — benefits physical and mental health, making it a great way for children with functional needs to manage anxiety.

Exercise routines should be based on your child’s abilities and interests. When your child is interested in the activity, they’ll be more encouraged to exercise and want to get active every day. Some physical activities you can do with your child include:

• Basketball
• Biking
• Dancing
• Soccer
• Swimming

3. Help Them Express Their Emotions

When your child feels an emotion, they need a healthy and productive way to express their feelings. Repressed emotions — an emotion felt but not expressed — can make your child feel anxious.

A safe space can help children with special needs express their emotions, such as sadness, irritability and anger. Teach your child that emotions are valid and expressing them is good. When children feel permitted to express their feelings freely, they often won’t feel as overwhelmed or intimidated by their emotions. Expression also prevents repressed emotions and subsequent behaviors.

For children who are non-speaking, you can help them express their emotions through communication devices. You can print icons showing faces with certain emotions, and your child can point to the card that matches their feelings. You can also have your child pick out a card and ask them to put a name to the emotion.

4. Create a Coping Toolbox

A coping toolbox for children with special needs who experience anxiety has toys, fidgets, books and other tools they can use to handle their emotions when feeling anxious. These devices help children use the calming strategies that work for them to self-regulate and improve their tolerance to anxiety-producing scenarios.

Here are some ideas for things you can put in your child’s coping toolbox:

• Books for self-guided reading
• Coloring books for creative expression
• Fidgets for stimming
• Sensory toys for calming or stimulation
• Social stories for emotional self-regulation
• Toys and games for playing
• Visual schedules for activities and tasks

In addition to physical objects, you can include apps designed for children with ASD in your coping toolbox. These apps cover various topics, including:

• Behavior management
• Communication
• Creativity and art
• Learning
• Scheduling and organizing
• Sensory and relaxation techniques
• Social skills

5. Create a Safe Sensory Space

A sensory room is a safe space where a person with functional needs can regulate and calm down when feeling anxious or overwhelmed. These areas should include toys and other objects that provide the right amount of sensory input.

Sensory spaces work well for children who feel anxious from sensory overload. You can create a sensory room based around your child’s unique needs, whether that means toys that provide calmness, or options like a stuffed animal that lights up and sings a song or one that vibrates.

6. Communicate Expectations and Plans

Children with ASD may have difficulty transitioning between activities, especially when moving from an activity they enjoy to one they do not. You can use various tools to help make the transition smoother and reduce anxiety. When your child knows what to expect, they can better visualize and anticipate the activity. The positive example can encourage them to transition to the next task.

You can communicate plans and activities using tools like:

• Social stories: A social story is a narrative that models a particular scenario and what will happen. You can read the social story to your child before doing that activity so your child will feel less anxious. They can anticipate what will happen and see a positive example of responding to the situation. Social stories can illustrate activities like a grocery store trip, brushing teeth or washing hands.
• Video modeling: Video models are a social story in a different format and show a positive example of transitioning to a new activity. Children who watch video models of the activity they’ll do next can better transition because they know what to expect.
• Visual activity and task schedules: The visual schedule includes a picture of the task and the time when they’ll do the activity. The picture tells your child what they should do, and the time indicates when the activity will happen. This tool gives your child a sense of control, which can reduce anxiety.

7. Plan Quiet Time

Quiet time helps children with functional needs because it supports regulation throughout the day. You can plan quiet time in your child’s schedule before they feel overwhelmed by the day’s activities.

During quiet time, your child can play with toys that help calm them. Our Peaceful Play Bundle features toys that soothe and calm while providing the right stimulation, increasing visual attention and encouraging exploration. Children who are able can settle into the Beanless Bag Chair to cuddle with the Vibrating Rabbit, enjoy the light show from the Jellyfish Soother or play with the Fish Play Mat.

8. Consider a Therapy Option

If you haven’t already tried it, consider therapy for your child. Therapy can provide additional support for children with functional needs who have anxiety. Many types of therapy can benefit children with special needs, including:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps children alter their behaviors and beliefs to cope during difficult situations. A therapist will work with your child to help them change their thoughts about a situation — the cognitive — and their reactions to a situation — the behavioral.
• Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy can help reduce your child’s anxiety triggers. A therapist will work with your child to identify their triggers. Then, your child will be exposed to their triggers a little at a time in a safe setting. As your child gets used to the trigger, their anxiety may decrease or disappear.
• Pharmacological interventions: Medications can help children with functional needs manage their anxiety by reducing symptoms or the anxiety itself. Each option works differently — some are taken daily, while others are taken when your child is experiencing anxiety. Your child’s doctor can help you determine if a pharmacological approach is right for your child and decide which medication may work best.

Ease Your Child’s Anxiety With Calming Toys From Enabling Devices

Enabling Devices supports these various techniques to help ease your child’s anxiety. We have many calming toys that can help a child with functional needs cope with their anxiety. Some of our products include:

• Twiddles: Soft, cuddly objects decorated with various materials to provide stimulation and produce a calming effect.
• On-the-Go Sensory Buddies: Soft plush backpacks shaped like animals that are filled with sensory toys like Bubble Poppers, Spiky Character Balls, Marble Slide Fidgets and more.
• Weighted Puppy: A soft puppy-shaped wrap that lays on the neck and shoulders to provide calming pressure and improve concentration, attention and self-regulation.
• Fiber Optic Lamp with Bluetooth Speaker: Sets acalm tone in a sensory space through tactile lights and auditory stimulation.

We provide assistive technology, toys and other products as well as support and resources to help individuals with special needs participate fully in the world. Contact our team today for more information about our calming toys for anxiety.

What Are Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys and Games?

With toys and games that operate using a capability switch, individuals with disabilities can engage in enjoyable, fulfilling activities that unlock their full potential and provide valuable learning experiences. At Enabling Devices, we offer trusted toys and games for children and adults with a variety of functional needs (commonly referred to as special needs).

Our toys and products are specifically and thoughtfully designed to engage users in play while they learn essential life skills. Switch-activated and switch-adapted toys introduce a range of concepts, including cause and effect, communication and acclimating to new sensory experiences.

Tailoring Play to Functional Needs

Children and adults with disabilities understand and discover the world differently than people without disabilities, but many toys and products don’t cater to their needs. With an adaptive toy, play is more accessible for individuals with disabilities who want to explore the world. They also help users join in on the play and learn about how the person sees the world and processes information.

Toys that engage the senses in a safe, comfortable environment help those with functional needs engage with their environments on their own terms. These toys allow kids and adults to experience new sensory input while still in control, making the experience less scary and more relaxing for them. They also provide stimulation for sensory-seeking individuals.

Types of Accessible Toys Available From Enabling Devices

To accommodate the unique ways adults and children with disabilities play, we sell a large selection of accessible toys. The major types of toys we offer for individuals with disabilities include:

1. Switch-Adapted Toys and Switch-Activated Toys

Both switch-adapted and switch-activated toys activate with an external capability switch. The difference is that switch-adapted toys have been modified to connect to a switch that’s easier for children and adults with special needs to interact with.

For example, a popular traditional toy like a toy car or plush toy can be modified to include a switch for users with disabilities. An existing toy that may not have been accessible before can now be activated once the user presses a button, blinks an eye or puffs air through their mouth. This is called a switch-adapted toy!

Switch-activated toys are unique products that can help many individuals with different disabilities have fun, learn new skills, strengthen existing skills and become more comfortable exploring new sensory experiences. Enabling Devices designs and builds toys with specific learning goals in mind. For example, a toy might be designed to help eye-tracking skills, improve fine motor skills or reward certain actions. Others are designed to meet a wide range of needs and sensory-motor abilities.

2. Sensory Toys and Products

Sensory toys and devices for individuals with functional needs stimulate any of the five senses for therapeutic benefit. Some products are designed to relax and soothe, while others are designed to engage the user or acclimate the user to sounds, lights, vibrations and textures. Sensory products can be useful for children with auditory, visual or tactile sensitivities.

These children’s toys allow the user to get used to certain sounds, lights and colors in a fun and exciting way, which may help them feel calmer when facing new stimuli in a different environment. Toys and games for kids with autism or functional needs help them enhance their senses while meeting their needs. Ask us about our sensory room design and quote services for help creating the ultimate sensory space.

3. Soft Play Sensory

Soft play toys and cushions create a comfortable and safe place for someone to play and relax. They can provide a tactile experience or offer protection for a child who needs extra cushioning. They’re an ideal way to help someone enjoy playing in an environment that reduces anxiety and frustration. With a more comfortable place to play, individuals can better engage with sensory stimuli and focus on learning.

4. Communication Devices and Development Products

Communication devices enable children and adults who are non-speaking to communicate. These special needs tools not only give them a voice but can also be used as teaching tools, building a person’s language skills by starting with one message and increasing from there. Many of our products also make communicating fun with bright colors, custom-recorded messages and tactile experiences. People of all ages and abilities can use these devices to communicate with others.

Why Are Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys Important?

Everyone learns through play, and playing allows people with disabilities to learn skills on their own terms. Accessible toys offer a number of benefits for children and adults with disabilities.

1. Communication and Social Skills Development

Play empowers children and adults with disabilities to communicate and share with others. If someone can’t express their feelings through language, they can show their reactions to sensory toys and new experiences. Playing with others enables people to learn social skills and see how others share ideas.

2. Sensory Stimulation and Calming

Individuals with sensory processing disorders can feel over or under-stimulated easily, causing anxiety, focus issues or hyperactivity. Fidget/“stim” toys and sensory toys offer the stimulation or relaxation needed to feel calm and focused.

3. Motor Skills Development

People with disabilities can improve their fine and oral motor skills through play. Toys that encourage grasping, eye-hand coordination, chewing and manipulating the mouth help someone develop these capabilities and strengthen their muscles.

4. Visual Tracking and Attention

Visual impairment and low vision make it challenging to keep track of an object’s position. Devices and toys that are brightly colored and make enticing sounds promote visual tracking and attention. Specially designed adaptive switches also help people with visual impairment play with toys, activate devices and use technology.

5. Cognitive Development

People with disabilities can use a wide range of tools and devices, including switch-adapted toys, to stimulate their minds and learn concepts such as cause and effect, directionality and object recognition. Some toys introduce letters and numbers, animals and their sounds or body parts. Adaptive toys help people with disabilities take important steps toward future learning. They can also build sensory-motor skills needed for handwriting or keyboarding, for example, in preparation for school.

Common Questions About Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys

Here are some frequently asked questions about these toys.

Why Use Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys?

These types of toys enable individuals to:

• Play and learn independently.
• Build their confidence in their abilities.
• Become an active participant.
• Learn what they’re capable of.
• Engage in activities without as much reliance on others.
• Meet crucial developmental milestones.
• Experience the joys of playtime regardless of their needs.

When and Where Can Children Use These Toys?

Children with disabilities can use products, toys and devices from Enabling Devices anywhere! Special education classrooms stock a range of products for their students. Parents also have toys at home and for on-the-go to both keep their kids entertained and reinforce skills taught in the classroom or in therapy. Toys can be used to help focus, calm or comfort a child in a new situation.

Toys and devices from Enabling Devices are helpful tools to have when traveling, visiting public places or taking children with disabilities to a new location where they may feel overwhelmed or over-stimulated. From noise-canceling headphones to toys and games that provide a pleasant distraction, kids can use our devices to make the world more comfortable and accessible for their needs.

How Do These Toys Teach Cause and Effect?

Switch-adapted and switch-activated toys can help children and adults with cognitive disabilities learn cause and effect by understanding that their actions cause something to happen. Learning to activate a toy, for example, allows users to witness what happens as they activate the switch.

Cause and effect may also support an individual’s comfort with new sensory input as they build associations between actions and exert control. Eventually, they can work their way up to changing the way they interact with objects to see different outcomes.

What Is a Capability Switch?

A capability or adaptive switch is specifically designed to allow users to activate toys, devices and technology with an alternative to a traditional on/off switch. For example, certain types of switches are ideal for individuals with limited mobility or challenges with sustaining hand and wrist movements. A capability switch can be introduced to offer solutions like providing a larger target or a more sensitive switch.

Children and adults with special needs include those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), physical disabilities or visual impairment. Capability switches make it easier for users with unique mobility and functional needs to participate in academic, social, vocational and life skills.

What Are the Different Types of Capability Switches?

Capability switches come in many variations to accommodate different needs and abilities, and generally fall under three categories:

• Timed switches: Users can turn on a toy or device using a timed switch that keeps it activated for a set amount of time.
• Latch switches: A latch switch is helpful for individuals who struggle to sustain hand pressure for long periods of time. This two-function capability switch turns on and off using a single press with a lighter activation force.
• Momentary switches: Users who can maintain a certain level of pressure on a switch can use momentary switches to keep a device on as long as they continue activating it.

Within these categories, you can find adaptive switches that give the user the best control based on different parts of the body, such as:

• Eye-blink switches
• Hand and finger switches
• Pinch switches
• Grip and puff switches
• Sip and puff switches
• Head switches
• Tilt switches
• Finger switches

Finding the right capability switch for your student or family member depends on many factors, including their perception, range of motion, targeting ability and the amount of force they can use.

How Do These Toys Support Individuals With Cerebral Palsy?

Children and adults with cerebral palsy may have limited use of their hands. This can make grasping, pushing buttons and releasing toys challenging. Switch-adapted and switch-activated toys and games change their play environment by removing barriers to playing independently.

These toys can help individuals with cerebral palsy engage in fun and safe play while building their mental, social and cognitive skills. Users can also interact with these toys to practice what they’ve learned in physical or occupational therapy, such as coordination or hand strength.

What Custom Options Does Enabling Devices Provide?

Everyone should have the chance to play with the toys and devices they like and need. If you have a certain adapted product in mind but can’t find it, our design experts may be able to help. We design and manufacture many of our products right here in the U.S.A. Because we do it right here, we can sometimes accommodate modifications of existing products or create products with custom capabilities for our customers. Contact us to learn more.

Whatever options you’re looking for, we’re here to provide trusted solutions so children and adults with functional needs can experience play for themselves. Our team understands each individual is unique, and we’re committed to creating toys and devices that match those needs. Our goal is to provide switch-activated and other special needs toys to help each adult and child with a disability play, learn and interact with the world.