Collections

Boy does *this* article hit home. I never thought of ALL the Little People she has as a "collection". Does make sense though.



Special-needs kids need special toys
At holiday time, parents may find it hard to buy gifts for autistic
children
By Lisa Black | Tribune reporter
December 15, 2008

Laurie Jerue struggled for years with bittersweet emotions as she
bought her daughter Big Bird toys while the girl's peers moved on to
teenage interests.

Her daughter, Sarah, 20, of Naperville is autistic. To this day, all
she has ever wanted for Christmas and birthdays were Sesame Street
characters and videos.

"There is a part of you that grieves with every holiday," Jerue said.

It is a dilemma that many parents of children with special needs face
at gift-giving times, with autism posing some of the most difficult
challenges.

Parents struggle with whether to oblige the child who desires nothing
more than church directories, word puzzles, spinning toys or even
cleaning supplies—all real examples from youngsters' wish lists.

Friends might see the child's exotic interests as humorous or cute.
But the youngster's family recognizes that the obsession represents
their child's special need for a coping tool or bridge to the outside
world that is otherwise confusing and overwhelming.

"Autism is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, to figure out and
help," said Ellen Metrick, a manager for the Chicago-based National
Lekotek Center, a non-profit organization that provides and modifies
toys for children with disabilities.

"For children who have sensory processing difficulties, some kids
crave more sensory input and other kids need less," she said. "They
have a very difficult time with pretend play. It's too abstract."

Jerue for years tried to shift her daughter's interest to educational
toys, but finally concluded in a "light-bulb moment" that Sarah is
merely a collector.

"Once I let go of some of those social expectations . . . and bought
what I just thought would make her happy, it's all been good," she
said.

Christopher Kennedy of Libertyville said gift-giving can be
frustrating, but there's never any question about what will make his
8-year-old daughter, Shea, happy.

"Children with autism tend to have singular interests," said
Kennedy. "We have just about every video ever made by the Wiggles and
Barney."