Early Childhood Assistive Technology

Description: These wooden blocks feature bright colors, engraved letters, and Braille.

Description: This busy board contains items that can be activated by switched and produce sound or tactile sensation. By using the switches to activate the items, kids can learn cause and effect.

Click HERE to see a demonstration of this device. (In this video clip, the student explains after exploring the device, "It vibrates.")

Description: This ball is easy to grasp, stretch, and pull. Also, the ball does not bounce, making it easier to retrieve. Its hair-like features appeal to the sense of touch.

Description: These activity blocks by Playwell are colorful and easy to stack. Each block is magnetized and can be easily manipulated by children with motor difficulties. Students with visual impairments can use tactile strategies to learn common shapes.

Description: This play set allows children with motor difficulties and visual impairments to participate in catching and throwing a ball. Two children can play a game together, which also increases the opportunity for social interaction.

Description: This play telephone features realistic ringing and recorded human voices answering and hanging up the telephone. Each number button also has a recorded voice which says the number itself. The phone also plays random musical tunes and rhymes when it is pulled and pushed on the floor.

Click HERE to see a demonstration of this device. Click HERE to see a student demonstrating this device.

Description: This book, filled with the scents of common foods such as bananas and pizzas, can help children with visual impairments build their vocabulary and maintain attention to printed material. It has been augmented so that children who have very limited vision can find where to scratch so that a scent is emitted.

Description: This tactile ring provides multiple sensory input for children. The bright color, flexible material, and rough surface make it easy to grasp and manipulate.

Description: This toy features prerecorded sounds and melodies. The buttons and switches provide an excellent opportunity for children to learn cause and effect while pushing buttons and making the dashboard emit sound.

Click HERE to see a demonstration of this device.

Description: This heavy duty plastic story book features sounds and easy-to-turn pages. Each time the child turns the page, a sound or word associated with the story is played. Each time the bright arrow buttons are activated a tune which matches the rhyme on the page is played.

Click HERE to see a demonstration of this device.

Description:

Description: This puzzle, made by Guidecraft, features life-like pieces which are colorful and large. As an added feature, the names of the fruits are labeled in both Spanish and English, to help the vocabulary development of bilingual children.

Description: These modules designed by the American Printing House for the Blind are intended to encourage development of specific fine motor functions.