Gift idea for 18 year old boy who's mostly bedridden & has other issues.

[moopdog]

Also he's got the mentality of about 12 years old and has very poor vision and finger dexterity. He's my nephew, and has many physical disabilities. About all he CAN do is watch TV. He loves star wars and still loves toys. He enjoyed the decorate your own storm trooper last year, but I don't want to get the same thing twice.

TIA!!

 

[Lvsdisney]

Also he's got the mentality of about 12 years old and has very poor vision and finger dexterity. He's my nephew, and has many physical disabilities. About all he CAN do is watch TV. He loves star wars and still loves toys. He enjoyed the decorate your own storm trooper last year, but I don't want to get the same thing twice.

TIA!!

Maybe a voice controlled device like the Google home or Amazon echo/dot? The dot is on sale at best buy this week. They have various "skills" like jeopardy, cat facts, jokes etc plus music. He may enjoy that

 

[TwoMisfits]

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Or...81560602&sr=8-2&keywords=star+wars+audiobooks
AND the whole set (cheaper to buy each separately)
https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Strik...rd_wg=YaD0W&psc=1&refRID=Y6T7RSJCZQD7GXFY42SD
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Jedi-...rd_wg=NqpZz&psc=1&refRID=K9K5XKZBFKSNAF1A5GQ9

Letting it come to life in his imagination in a different way for a real fan - I think this could be a huge hit...

 

[powellrj]

does he like legos. I know there are many that are small.

 

[TwoMisfits]

does he like legos. I know there are many that are small.

I think the finger dexterity makes that idea unworkable...better to go with textural ideas (clay, paint, etc) that he could feel without needing to be precise with...

 

[happily single]

What about a fat head type of decal for his walls? Or a star wars themed cup, sweat shirt, blanket?

 

[SMD]

Does he do OT to improve his finger dexterity? If so, I'd ask the parents if LEGO are something he could do with the therapist. Or maybe instead of just a blanket one of those no sew fleece kits with a Star Wars pattern.

Check out Stance Star Wars sock collection. They have practically every character and they also have mix and match pairs, so you can wear something like Luke on one foot and Darth Vader on the other.

 

[Dashzap]

If your budget permits, get him a tablet like an ipad. I've seen kids use ipads when their hands are paralyzed. They move their arms while their knuckles touch the screen. There are good easy games that don't require dexterity.

If your budget is more limited, how about some Crazy Aaron's putty. https://puttyworld.com/ Some of it is magnetic, some glows in the dark. I wouldn't get the sand version if he is bed ridden as it is too messy. I'm sure he uses therapy putty in OT, so don't get the plain stuff.

 

[tinker&belle]

Maybe a virtual reality headset for an android/iPhone/iPod. I read about their use for patients in hospitals.

 

[amyg1975]

Take a look at Think Geek for some ideas. How about a TaunTaun sleeping bag?

 

[barkley]

there's a version of the 'bop it' toy that's an r2d2. it doesn't take much dexterity b/c it's primarily twisting the head, shaking it and tapping it's 'head'. the sound effects are great (the commands are done by the voice of c3po, and the reaction sounds of the r2d2 are pretty funny).

 

[DisneyFanDan]

Does he have an apple tv? That would be a nice gift.

 

[Liberty Belle]

OP, I don't know if you did, but you may want to also post this on the disAbilities community board.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I don't know if you're aware of it but there are a multitude of Star Wars books that were written since the first movies at the silver screen, I think these are called Star Wars Legends series. They aren't part of the Canon original series & I haven't read them but I have a friend of mine who is an avid fan and loves them. I would think a young man who is a fan would really enjoy them & I'd think the poor eyesight might make audiobooks a great fit. Not sure what kinds of devices he has at his disposal but many libraries allow people to borrow some of their equipment nowadays.

 

[moopdog]

Thank you all for your ideas. I haven't checked back until today, lots of great info that will help a lot. Thanks again!

 

[Mizzoufan]

What about a DS

 

[OKgirl]

I agree with the virtual reality headset as a great idea! There are apps for it that could allow him to do a lot of fun things like ride a roller coaster! An iPad is also a great idea and you could probably get a refurbished one for around $100 if you didn't have the budget for a brand new one (a friend of mine did this for her kids and they couldn't tell the difference at all). I also love the Amazon Echo idea! You could get the echo Dot which is only $50 (may be on sale for $40 now) and it is voice activated. I works the same as the full size echo but doesn't have the large/better speaker. This could allow him to function a bit more independently because there are devices that can be purchased to work with it that allow you to turn on/off your TV or lights by voice command. He also might like that he can stream music through it from his playlists or from Pandora or Spottify (or Prime music). Another thought is a subscription to a streaming service such as Hulu or Netflix to allow him to watch his favorite shows. It might require you to get a device for his TV to stream through and make it a smart TV (such as Amazon Firestick). These are usually only $25-$30 or so. We bought Firesticks for our kids for stocking stuffers last year so they could stream our Netflix into their rooms. (If he has a gaming system such as a WiiU or Xbox, he should be able to stream through this device. A last thought is the gift of a fun experience. I don't know if he is healthy enough for something like this but what about an indoor skydiving experience or Nascar experience? Or a helicopter ride? Boys love to fly and ride in fast cars. This would be much more expensive but if he is terminally ill it may be a wonderful gift to him. (And in that case you may be able to get the services donated or at a discount). Prayers for your nephew!