Please help - Secret Santa gift for a special needs child

[janey99]

Hi all -

I have never posted to this board before, but I know there is a wealth of knowledge here and I hope someone can help me.

I have just picked up my "winter wishes" letters from the office - this is a program in which disadvantaged kids write a letter for their Christmas gift, and employees in my office do the shopping.

I believe one of my letters is from a special needs child - he is 10, but his letter is actually cut out squares depicting sign language gestures, and an adult has written the meaning underneath. The message is "I would like to have a talking book thank you."

I am worried about picking the wrong thing - if he is hearing impaired, would he ask for a talking book? Could there be another disability (a speech impairment, maybe) that would result in him using sign language? And, most importantly, what is a talking book!

I am throwing this out there because there is no way to get additional info - what I see on the letter is what I get. I want to decipher it the best way I can.

TIA for any help anyone can offer!

Jane

 

[Scutapipig]

Without knowing any of the details, I would stick with purchasing a talking book as requested, which I interpret as a book on tape.

The child may not have a hearing disability, but rather a more difficult time communicating verbally. People will learn sign language for a variety of reasons. My son has Down syndrome and he learned sign language and verbal language simultaneously so that when he couldn't verbalize, he could sign and let us know his needs.

How wonderful that you are bringing joy to a child this year and I'm really glad you posted looking for direction. I'm sure others here will have really good advice and ideas for you!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I could interpret a talking book as one of two things. It's either an audio book (i.e. a CD of someone reading the book aloud) or one of those Leapfrog type things. If it's the former, I would suggest a good 'safe' book (one that would work for a range of learning ages), such as the Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark or a Dick King-Smith book.

Good luck!

 

[mechurchlady]

A lady has a cousin whose daughter was born a vegetable or so the doctors said. Last I saw she was about a year behind and walking with a walker. Her speech skills were slow to develop but boy did you have her "uncle" wrapped around her finger. She could easily sign what she needed and wanted.

I would go with a talking book as in a story read on audio material such as a cassette. Normally a deaf child woud write out their wishes instead of using pictures. I would go with a kids story but I coudl be wrong, lol.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher is a good book for about that age.

Sometimes people that have completely normal intelligence but can't verbalize because of underdevelopment/injury to the speaking part of the brain. They communicate with sign language or a communication device. Or they could be autistic. Severe apraxia. Or a trach...There are lots of reasons someone might use sign language.

I think that if there was a mental impairment that would affect the appropriateness of the gift, the mom would've mentioned it.

 

[janey99]

Thanks everyone for all these replies. I got so consumed with worry about picking the right thing that I had the woman in my company who runs this program track down someone I could talk to about this child's gift.

It turns out he is 10 years old, but is a non-verbal autistic child who is functioning at approximately a 2-3 yo level. He is learning to work a symbol keyboard. What they meant he wanted was those books you actually buy for toddlers which have a strip going up the side with large buttons, and each button makes a specific sound. When you see the symbol for each button on a page of the book, you push the button at that time in the story.

I am so glad I tracked down that information, because although I could tell from his letter that he was a special needs child, that is a lot of back story to figure out and fill in myself - I definitely would have bought the wrong thing!

I ended up getting him three of those books, plus two cool "Klutz" books that had chunky paintbrushes - 1 for stenciling simple shapes that are included in the book, and 1 for "magic" painting where all you do is swipe the wet brush over the picture, and special raised painted areas are activated, making a picture show up.

A tiny vent, though - since obviously he was supervised in the writing of his letter, don't you think someone would have put some detail on the letter itself so this child had some tiny chance of receiving a gift that was going to make him happy? Without talking to this woman, I would have gotten him a book on tape appropriate for your typical fourth grader - how disappointing would that have been?!

Thanks again all -

Jane

 

[pcparamedics01]

At 10 yrs. I would think it is the Leapster or Lmax.

 

[Scutapipig]

Jane, I just wanted to post and tell you that I think you did great with your gift selections and tracking down a bit more information!

I think not always sharing information is done as a protection method. It can kick in for any number of reasons when dealing with a child with disabilities, meaning that the less information that is made available, the less chance of ridicule and conflict for the parent. It could also mean that someone simply didn't think of it.

Chances are, if you had purchased a book on tape for a fourth grader, the gift would still have been appreciated and it would have provided hours of enjoyment for both the child and parent listening together.

Any way you look at it, you gave a gift from your heart and that alone, is a gift in itself.