Welcome to Part 4 in our series on equipping your special needs classroom. This week’s installment will focus on toys that help students with visual attention and tracking. According to YourTherapySource.com, “Visual tracking is the ability to control the eye movements using the oculomotor system (vision and eye muscles working together). There are two types of visual tracking: maintaining your focus on a moving object and switching your focus between two objects.”
These skills are needed for following both moving and stationary objects and are necessary for proficient reading, body awareness, posture and coordination. Though visual tracking is more challenging for students with visual impairments, the right toys and activities can help them to improve their visual tracking and attention. Enabling Devices offers a range of toys and educational tools designed to develop these skills. Here are some of our favorites:
Penguin Roller Coaster (#300) – Children will develop their visual attention and tracking skills by watching this toy’s adorable little penguins climb to the top of their iceberg and “swoosh” down the slide to the bottom. Works with a capability switch (not included).
Remote Control Thomas the Tank Engine (#2115) – Students won’t be able to take their eyes off Thomas the Tank Engine as he moves backward and forward with the flick of their capability switch. As they play, they’ll be practicing their visual attention and tracking skills.
Wheee-mote Control Car (#1439) – This spunky little car beeps, spins and flashes its lights, helping children improve their visual attention and tracking skills while they watch.
Bubble Mania (#2286) – Every child loves bubble play! This visually entrancing toy provides hours of enjoyment as it promotes visual attention and tracking skills as well as eye-hand coordination. Great for use in a group setting or for solitary play.
Tube Tracker (#5061) – One of our newest toys, the tube tracker provides tons of fun while it encourages visual attention, visual tracking and helps develop students’ switch activation skills. Simply hold down the tube tracker’s switch and watch its brightly colored balls move upward on a cushion of air. Includes six colorful ping pong balls.
Visual Light Experience Kit (#4075) – Go for the whole shebang! This huge assortment of toys includes everything you need to help students develop their visual perceptual skills including visual tracking, scanning and attention. Kit contains:
Adapted Musical Crystal Ball #1690
Magical Light Show* #1672
Fiber Flash Lamp #319
Spinning Light Show* #145
LED Genesis Egg #9224
Twinkles To Go Octo #9213
Nature’s Fire #3283
Go Anywhere Light Show #3331
3-Color Changing Balls #9222
Double Disco Ball * #1685
Laser Jet Kaleidoscope #2269
Bright Red Switch #262
Infinity Mirror #1683
*Not to be used with seizure prone individuals
Click here to find more toys for students with visual impairments.
