Hadicha is a very cute 18-month old little girl, diagnosed with Epilepsy. Her seizures started when she was just 3 weeks old, and now she has significant global delays. She is low toned which makes it hard for her to sit up, move, crawl. At 18 months old, she is just starting to learn to roll over and is actively pulling things toward her mouth. She has around-the-clock nursing care most days and is in numerous therapies including physical, occupational, developmental, vision and feeding. I met Hadicha during her physical therapy session and gave her a musical light-up stacking toy and an activation switch from Ben’s Toy Closet.

Her therapist Laura selected this toy for her because it has multiple ways of engagement … stacking, music, lights, and smaller pieces Hadicha could grasp. It was the perfect choice! Hadicha immediately grasped a smaller piece and brought it to her mouth. After some hand over hand guidance, she also started to press the activation switch to make it light up and play music. It kept her attention for a while until she started to get a bit sleepy from all the activity!

Toys like this are critical for children like Hadicha – it’s important to have a variety of sensory elements (lights, music) to catch their attention and keep them engaged during play. Kids at this young age learn and develop through play and accessing their environment. But many children with motor delays are unable to manipulate a toy like a typical child, which is why the simple one-touch activation switch is necessary.

Ben Smiles’ core mission is to provide adapted toys and switches to children who need them. If you have not done so yet but are able, please consider a donation. It would mean so much to a young child. If you know of a child who would benefit from a special toy, please click here.