Flaghouse Products Suited for the Autistic Child

I get many catalogs in the mail that deal with specific products for the disabled community. I like to peruse through them and find items that are unique for my family and something different than can be found at major toy stores.

I purchased these two products through Flaghouse a few months ago. I figured these would be good products for my nonverbal son Matthew to utilize and engage in with the Child Development Specialist during Floortime sessions.

Flaghouse will replace any lost puzzle pieces. This is a choking hazard for kids under three. Here is a safe made in the U.S.A. product for teachers, thearpists and other parents to choose for their therapy sessions. Their recommended age group is 3-6. My son is 11.

The Number Puzzle Boards go from 1-10 in yellow and blue rubber boards. The pegs are orange, yellow, blue, green and red. The actual boards are yellow with the number attachments in blue and the actual numbers are yellow.

I just love the handy plastic container they are stored in and how easy this is to transport, open and close and keep organized. This is many products in one - that being a peg board and a puzzle and learning math and colors. It is a fun manipulative to work on independently or with another person.

I also purchased the Bead Stacker, which consists of five wooden sticks and five wooden dowels that have pattersn. This also comes in a handy case, although it takes up more space due to having to be in the flat position.

This has over 10 sequences and 50 pieces. It is a Melissa & Doug made in the U.S.A. product that starts at age four. The case is the actual product with five holes in the middle for the wooden sticks and a slot for the dowel to stand in. This way the child has the visual in front of him as he tries to copy the same pattern or sequence of shapes and colors in the same order. This does not work all the time and frustrates my son. These dowels have sequences on both sides, which helps with more than one player to see the pattern.

Matthew is still struggling with this item, but it is made very well and will be around for a long time as a therapy tool for him to learn with. The beads are different sizes and in the color purple, red, green, yellow, blue and orange.

This is a great product for a school or therapy setting to be utilized in a group or for one on one time. Matthew is very rigid with wanting things put back in their proper place and this item really helps make sure that everything is organized just so. My son Nicholas is 12 and high functioning. He was able to figure out this set-up in a few minutes and went about copying the sequences. This could be a fun game for family night.

Both these products I purchased through Flaghouse are colorful manipulatives that work on fine motor skills and have different levels of difficulty, so the child can grow with the therapy product. I spent $70 for the two items, and then ten dollars to ship them via UPS. When you are looking for something your child can do while you are engaged in something else, these might be useful for your family this holiday season.

There are other catalogs and sites that I visit regularly for future purchases. The following is a small portion of that list:

Pocket Full of Therapy - this is the place to get tangles, wikki stix and stretchy string. I am contemplating purchasing "Hammers and more".

Different Roads to Learning I do plan on getting the Middleschool DVD soon to prepare for Matthew entering this setting.

Bright Apple - Grade 3-12 Special Education. I like the grooming curriculum and hoping to get this soon.

Quirk Roberts Publishing - I am looking to get the "solving Behavior Problems in Autism" book.

Brookes Publishing - there is a book called "The Dancing Dialogue" piqued my interest due to my son Matthew enjoying dance class at school. I also like the book, "Parenting with Positive Behavior Support.

Beyond Play - this might be the year I buy the "Insta-Sno" so my kids can experience snow in Los Angeles over the winter holiday!

Creative Therapy Store - One of these days I will be getting a "Tasks Galore" book. I might also get the Scerts Model book.

Communication Aids- they have a talking pictures community kit I am interested in.

Talk Tools - this is the company that has the honey bear bottles and toothettes. I am interested in the Oral-Motor Progress Chart.

Hightlights - There are two items I want to get here for Matthew - "Cube Burst" and "Magzoid".

In case you did not know, the TOYS R US BIG BOOK is out today in Sunday newspapers. There is a ten dollar gift card coupon on back cover of the book for purchases over $75.00.

Toys for Tots Toy Drive

Toys R US Differently Abled guide

American Made Toys

Educational Autism Tips for Families 71 page resourceful ebook for families entering the school system with a recent autism diagnosis. Find out what issues take place over the course of a school day and meet these challenges head on.