Fledglings News - Issue 4

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the latest issue of Fledglings News, the newsletter that provides information about products for disabled children and children with special needs.

In this issue, we review all-terrain buggies for special needs, and a brand-new special needs chair. As usual we also highlight many other helpful products.

What Does Fledglings Do?

• We gather information on products, and supply it free to parents and carers.
• We give talks about, and can demonstrate, useful products.
• We help families share their experience of products with others.
• We assess and supply value-for-money products.

Can You Help?

• Tell other families about our service.
• Give us feedback on products we feature in Fledglings News.
• Let us know about products you find that you can recommend to others.
• Place orders through Fledglings, as suppliers usually give us a commission (at no cost to you). This will help ensure that this service can continue.

Award For Fledglings!

At an Award Ceremony in Liverpool an February 14th, Ruth received an Exceptional Champions Award from the Department for Education and Skills for her work in producing Fledglings News. At the ceremony, links were made with other Award winners working to help families who have children with special needs. More details will appear in future newsletters.

All-Terrain Buggies

We are frequently asked about buggies for families who enjoy the countryside but find conventional buggies unable to cope with rough terrain. We also know that families sometimes prefer to use a buggy, rather than a wheelchair, for older children and young adults. So, in this issue we feature two products, the Kangoo and the Mountain Ranger, that offer similar but different solutions to these problems. Call us if you need more details.

See page 2 for feedback from users of these buggies.

Ben in his Kangoo on the beach

The Kangoo

This is an attractive lightweight buggy available in a range of bright colours, suitable for use on rocky ground, sand and even snow. It can accommodate weights up to 55 kg so is suitable for children and also for many adults. It consists of a lightweight aluminium frame (easily dismantled and put together without tools), and a seat shell in three sizes which can ‘grow’ with the user. The buggy weighs only 17 kg and, when dismantled, fits easily into a car boot. The buggy seat may also be used as a car seat, and for people who need a large twin buggy there is an adapter to join two buggies together. For cycling enthusiasts, the buggy may also be converted, using a tow-bar, into a bicycle trailer.

Alison Howlett writes:

“After using our Kangoo Rehab buggy for more than six months, I want to say ‘Thank You’ for what it has done for our family. We can now go for walks together – previously Ben couldn’t be included in something as simple as walking our dog so he and another family member always had to stay at home. Now we have the tow-bar, Ben can also be included in family bike rides with his brother and sister, which is very important to them, too. Going on holiday by air was so much easier with this buggy – we didn’t have to drag around an extra car seat for Ben as we used the Kangoo seat. Also we were able to go right onto the beach with Ben in his buggy, something which is almost impossible to do in any ‘ordinary’ buggy. Thanks to the Kangoo, Ben is now included in all family activities.”

The Kangoo as bicycle trailer

Myrna Eccles, whose son Harry is nearly 15 and has been using the Kangoo for almost a year, says:

“It has opened up the world to us and Harry loves it. It goes everywhere with us, and is particularly useful when we go to music festivals such as Glastonbury, as the Kangoo can cope with muddy terrain. Also, the suspension is excellent and copes with Harry’s bouncing to the music. When we go camping Harry is very popular as all the other children beg to have a ride in his Kangoo when it is attached to the back of my bike. The only problem I find is that the foot-plate is a bit narrow, but the manufacturer has been very willing to listen to my opinions about this, and I find that refreshing.”

The Mountain Ranger

This all-terrain buggy gives freedom of access to the countryside for families who have a child with special needs from age 3 months up to teenage. It has a small hammock with a zip recline facility for the early years which should last up to age 3. A larger hammock can be fitted which will hold a child up to 45 kg in weight. For more supportive seating a Hugga insert, which moulds to the child’s body, can be used in either hammock.

The Mountain Ranger

Lucy Carr-Seaman, who purchased a Mountain Ranger for her profoundly disabled teenage daughter Hester in 2001, says:

“It has been a complete lifesaver for us as we live in the country and enjoy an active lifestyle. Although Hester has an excellent wheelchair, it was not possible for her to relax in it and was of no use on the beach or on gravel. The all-terrain buggy can be used everywhere – on the beach, over gravel and across the fields when we go for walks or to Pony Club events. It has an extended back and a good tray underneath and good harnessing. It certainly gets a thrashing but it has never had to go back, although we did once need to repair a puncture. My only criticism would be that the footrest is quite sharp and Hester hurt her leg on it at first so we had to pad it. However, it is one piece of equipment that I wouldn’t be without.”

More Products Available Through Fledglings

In this Spring issue, as part of our usual feature on new special needs products for children, Lesley, who has recently become a grandmother three times over, has selected some products to help very early development.

Should you wish to order any of these items, please return the enclosed order form or give us a call. All prices quoted are correct at the time of going to press. Postage, at cost, will be charged as extra, unless otherwise indicated.

Developmental Toys and Learning Resources

Foot Finders are soft washable socks in bold, contrasting black/white stripes, with two bright soft toys, a ladybird and a butterfly, each containing a gentle rattle to encourage movement, attached to the toe end. These are made to fit the feet of children aged three months to one year, but for children who may benefit from using them for an extended period, the soft toys may be removed and sewn carefully and securely to a larger pair of suitable bright socks. The foot finders encourage children to develop eye/foot co-ordination, to understand where their feet are in relation to the rest of their body and to realise that it is their own movements which make the rattle sounds. The bright contrasting colours also help develop their vision. Price: £4.99.

Foot Finders

Mini Hammer Peg is a small version of this traditional toy which helps develop hand/eye co-ordination, a necessary first step towards independent feeding and other essential skills. The single peg fits into a wooden ring which in turn fits into a plant-pot shaped container. After successfully hitting the peg several times the child will see the peg ‘disappear’ into the container, enabling him/her to understand the effect of his/her actions. This is a quality wooden toy in primary colours. Price: £6.99.

Mini Hammer Peg

Light ‘N’ Sound Buzz-Off is a game suitable for children and adults who want to improve their dexterity whilst having fun. A steady hand is required to manoeuvre the wand around the curving metallic structures (2 supplied) without touching them, or you will set off flashing lights and a warning buzz! The game can be played alone or in groups and when you have mastered the skill of the game completely you can play against the clock. Two AA batteries required, not supplied. Price: £9.99.

Light ’N’ Sound Buzz-Off

Crayon Colour Ball is great for helping children with limited dexterity to hold and use a crayon effectively. Six coloured crayons in one easy-to-hold device. Price: £2.95.

Crayon Colour Ball

Handhuggers is a range of triangular shaped pens and pencils that help to develop the best grip for ease of writing. Price: Pencil 50p, Writing Pen £1.20 (black or blue), Pack of 12 Colouring Crayons £5.55, Pack of 12 Felt Tip Colouring Pens £5.75.

Shake and Make Words is an educational game that helps children learn to spell fifteen 3-letter words: Cat, Dog, Cup, Bed, etc. The game has extra value as the letters of each word fit together to form fifteen 3-piece jigsaw puzzles, each of which includes a picture of the named object. The game can be used by up to 4 children playing together, or in one-to-one work with a child. For example, the cow jigsaw could be used in a farmyard theme in conjunction with play with farm animals and with the story and song ‘Old Macdonald had a farm’. Price: £4.99.

Shake and Make Words

We also have some good quality wooden farmyard animals in stock. Price: £2 each.

Quack Quack is a fun game that can help to develop language skills. The object of the game is to collect as many cards as possible by making animal sounds that correspond to the pictures on the cards. This encourages children to make sounds, e.g. ’Ssss’ for snake, ‘Quack’ for duck, and so on. This is a good game for inclusive nursery play. Price: £5.50.

Quack Quack

Eating and Drinking Equipment

Care Spoons are firm, very smooth, lightweight spoons which help to protect children’s teeth and gums when feeding. They come in two sizes, but even the larger one has a quite small bowl of only 3.2 cm. Dishwasher safe. Price: £1.50 each.

Care Spoons (above) and Unbreakable Spoon (below)

Unbreakable Spoons help those for whom the Care Spoon is just too small, especially those with a hearty appetite but who also have a strong bite reflex. These spoons, made of a strong but flexible nylon material, may be cut with scissors to suit individual needs and then filed with an emery board to smooth the edges. Dishwasher safe. Price: £1.50 each.

Good Grips Paediatric Spoons are for young children who need a chunky textured handle for better grip. You are able to bend this spoon either to left or to right to help the child bring the spoon to their mouth. Dishwasher safe. Price: £6.50.

Good Grips Paediatric Spoon

Easie-Eaters are chunky-handled plastic spoon and fork sets, angled for easy self-feeding. Order for either right or left-handed use. Price: £7.35 per set of 1 spoon and 1 fork.

Left-handed Easie-Eaters

Books and Videos

Games to Play with Babies is packed with 250 ideas to help parents stimulate their child’s very early development. Full of activities, nursery rhymes and other singing games for virtually any occasion. Many ideas are very simple but the best ones often are! What is so helpful is that each activity comes with a footnote explaining what may be learned from the activity, and many ideas can be adapted for use with much older children. Price: £10.25.

We now have a Board Books list. Most children enjoy looking at books but for some there is such a temptation to put everything in their mouths that ordinary books have a very short life. Several parents have asked us for Board Books to help with this problem so we now have a list available – call us for a copy.

How to Teach and Manage Children with ADHD is a new book to help teachers, teaching assistants and parents who have children with this difficult to manage condition. Price: £9.95.

Sensory Development Aids

Stacking Blocks, developed by Tomy in association with Dr Miriam Stoppard, is a delightful, well thought out sensory development toy. It contains 5 pastel coloured plastic cubes that fit inside each other. Each cube has a cut out plastic shape – circle, triangle, diamond, hexagon, star – on each of 5 sides. Because the cubes are light and have cut-out sides, it is easier for a child to hold and stack them. Although the cubes may be stacked randomly, by placing circle above circle, triangle above triangle, etc., children will see that not only do the cubes vary in size but so do the circles, triangles, and other shapes on the sides. This will help them learn about the relationship of the shapes to each other. An added bonus is the container, each side of which is made from different coloured tactile fabrics – satin, cord, velour, etc. We believe this toy would be especially helpful to children with visual impairment. Price: £6.99.

Stacking Blocks

Four Seasons Farm Soft Book is a fabric story book suitable for storytime with very young children, but equally able to be used for sensory stimulation with slightly older children. It features many textures, crinkly sounds, a mirror, a moveable cloud, a clucking hen, a squeaking snowman, a mooing cow, some flaps to lift, a springy pig’s tail to pull and a bird that can ‘fly’. Special offer price: £7.50 while stocks last (usually £11.99).

Four Seasons Farm Soft Book

Geomag is a construction toy made of small magnetic rods fitting together with magnetic ball bearings. Playing with these pieces can be very compulsive, even with a very small pack, but the more pieces one has, the more complex the structures that can be built – some packs of Geomag even have ‘glow in the dark’ pieces. It appeals to all ages but is most suitable for older children because of the small pieces involved and is particularly suitable for physically disabled children and those with sensory impairment. At a Scottish group it is being well used by a teenager with cerebral palsy who no longer loses the pieces when making models – a great advantage of magnetic toys! Price: Mini pack (6 rods + 8 bbs) £4.99, Small (12 rods + 8 bbs) £7.99, Medium (24 rods + 18 bbs) £14.99, Large (54 rods + 32 bbs) £29.99, ‘Glow in the dark’ set (24 rods + 18 bbs) £19.99.

Clothing

Drooler Bibs (with Velcro fastening) for babies or older children are available from two of our suppliers, in:

1. plain or patterned cotton with an absorbent inner layer and lightweight nylon backing. Available in a wide range of colours and patterns. Price: Baby £3, Child £4.50.
2. a double layer of towelling with a waterproof inner layer. Available in navy, red or green. Child size only. Price: £5.10.

T-shaped towelling waterproof bibs have proved popular for children whose hand/mouth co-ordination sometimes leaves parents with a lot of washing to do! The extra width around the shoulders saves clothing at the point where food often lands accidentally, and the strong waterproof backing also gives good protection from liquid spills. There has been a recent price rise from this supplier but we believe they are still good value. Available in navy blue, red, bottle green, pink and pale blue. Machine wash and tumble dry. Price: Small £5.25, Medium £5.75, Large £5.95.

T-shaped towelling waterproof bib

Crawlers are a new product made from high quality fleece and durable microfibres that will fit over the knee to save children’s knees or trousers when crawling, and can be adjusted with toggles. Designed originally for young children, at our request the manufacturer has made some in a larger size. Call us if interested.

Crawlers

Play Equipment and Furniture

Waterproof-backed Play-mats protect carpets from any spills when children play on the floor indoors, and also protect children from the damp ground underneath when playing outdoors. We have a supplier of good quality towelling play-mats with strong waterproof wipe-down backing. Machine wash/tumble-dry. Available in red, green or navy. Size: 180 cm × 145 cm. Price: £35.00. Made to order so allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.

Waterproof Play Blanket. From another supplier we have found an acrylic felt-like blanket with a vinyl bonded waterproof reverse side in royal blue. Machine wash/tumble-dry. Size: 54″ × 72″ (137 cm × 183 cm). Price: £21.95.

Crescent-shaped tables, of good quality and in varying heights, give a more accessible surface on which to work or play. This particularly helps children with limited mobility. When constructed close to floor level, children can work or play while sitting on the floor or supported by cushions. For some children (e.g. those who have frequent seizures) this may be safer than using a chair to sit at a normal table. Crescent-shaped trays may also be attached to a wheelchair, giving children more useable space. Price: Table 114 cm × 75 cm £164.

Crescent-shaped table

Safety Products

Dycem Non-Slip is a specially designed polymer material, available in bright child-friendly colours, which can be used in a variety of ways. Used on surfaces, e.g. trays or tables, it can prevent cups, plates, paint pots, etc. from slipping. Placed on chairs, it may help to keep a child from slipping off. Attached to handles of spoons or bicycle handlebars, it can improve grip. Call us for more details, prices, etc.

Dycem children’s playmats are available as Hippo or Tortoise animal shapes in yellow or blue. Price: £12.40 each.

Continence Products

Mattress protectors in polyester/PVC which cover both the top and sides of a mattress have been greatly appreciated by many parents and carers looking for a reasonably priced but hard-wearing product that will not rustle and which can be wiped clean and/or machine washed on hot and tumble-dried. Price: Single £12.93, Double £17.62.

Mattress protectors to completely enclose the mattress (with zip fastening). Price: Single £24.08, Double £29.38.

‘Duette’ Waterproof Duvet - Double Bed Size. We have had very good feedback on the ‘Duette’ waterproof duvet (10.5 tog) as featured in our last Newsletter. We are pleased that it is now available in the double bed size. Price: £58.96 including p&p.

About Fledglings

Fledglings is an independent not-for-profit organisation, established by Ruth Lingard in 1998, to meet the needs for product information of parents/carers of children with special needs. It is staffed entirely by volunteers.

On 1 April, we will become Fledglings Family Services, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, and this puts the organisation on a firmer foundation.

We are looking to establish an advisory group who can help us to shape the future plans and activity of Fledglings. This group would consist of parents who have relevant knowledge and experience and who would be representative of different special needs/disability areas, geographic areas and age groups. Attendance at meetings would not be needed, as communication would be by post, phone, fax or email. If anyone would like to contribute in this way, Ruth would love to hear from you, with details of your particular interests and skills.

Also, we are looking for a few committed helpers, living in South Cambridgeshire or surrounding areas, who can spare some time on a regular or occasional basis for a range of tasks including Newsletter production, fund-raising or general administration. If you are interested, give Ruth a call.

Donations

Since our last Newsletter we have received very many donations from parents, and we are enormously grateful for this support. These donations have enabled this issue of Fledglings News to be produced. We would like to acknowledge donations of £5 and above received from: Sally Abbott, Kim Allen, Tricia Almond, Verena Beard, Beth Barritt, Mrs J Benson, Yvonne Bilton, Angelina Burgess, Rosemary Campbell, Sarah Collins, Elizabeth Curtis, Julia Edwards, Tina Ellerbrook, Hilary Firth, Christine Fundrey, Marina Gaskell, Debbie Green, Judith Jones, Margaret Lambton, Lesley Mills, Sue Mulqueen, Sarah Newell, Sue Newman, Heidi Nokes, Jane Pearce, Mandy Rayner, Jenny Rowe, Christine Thomson, Miss T Watson and Rosie Wilson.

Additionally we have received donations from the following organisations: £25 from Barnardo’s (Hull), £250 from Hinxton Hall Genome Trust, and £180 plus a new computer from BT.

Back Issues

Copies of Fledglings News issues 1, 2 and 3 are still available. Send 50p in stamps for one, or £1 in stamps for all three issues.

The Tomcat Chair

The Tomcat Chair is a new product by the designer of the Tomcat Trike featured in Issue 2. Designed initially to facilitate the inclusion of children with short stature within the school setting without the need for support, it has proved to have much wider application. It is equally suitable for both young physically disabled children and for adults, and enables many who normally need assistance to sit at a table and stand up again to be able to do so independently. It can be raised or lowered to fit table heights between 25″ and 36″. Therefore it can be used in a variety of situations within home, school and work environments. It can also be fitted with its own table, where required, and fitted with castors if necessary.

We believe this chair could be suitable for older children who have outgrown their high chair but who need more supportive seating than family dining chairs can provide. In school settings we think it would greatly help inclusion of physically disabled children and could free up learning support assistants’ time.

To find out more about the many features of this chair, please contact us.