Tere are a few of the products available in any baby shop that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
CharliChair
The CharliChair is a new invention that recently hit the stores in Australia. Invented by a Sydney
father, in collaboration with Occupational Therapists at Westmead Children's Hospital. This shower chair can take a child from birth to 17kg, has 2 recline positions, and comes with a 5 point safety harness. It can be set to 3 different heights to suit the parent or caregiver, and there is an optional padded insert. While it doesn't have all the support of some of the disability specific shower chairs, for most young children, it will have sufficient support for the short time they will need to be in it. And starting at just $119, the price will save you thousands.
Infasecure Evolve
When Samara outgrew her common birth to 4 years car seat, we had a problem. The next stage required her to go into a booster seat. But, despite spending several hundred dollars, we could not find one that was supportive enough for her. So we bought a special needs one. $1725 later, and while she was better supported, it did not have enough recline to keep her head back, and was too wide for her, which meant she would do things that were impressive, but not good for her, like splitting her legs apart until her knees were almost touching the seat of the car, behind her! So we gave that one to my charity, Aroha Angels (www.facebook.com/arohaangels), and bought a second hand Carrot car seat. Overall, this seat has been a great seat, and we are happy with it. But these things cost around $5000 new! Then, in September of 2014, Australia finally caught up with the rest of the world, and Infasecure released the Evolve. This seat will fit your child from approximately 6 months (although, particularly with a social needs child, I would suggest rear facing them well past this), until somewhere between 8 & 12 years, depending on height. (95% of 8 year olds, 50% of 10 year olds, and 10% of 12 year olds is the general guideline). Not only that, but the seat comes with extra padded inserts, it has a temples recline, and, very important in my opinion, once it is strapped into your car,
there is no need to ever remove it if you don't want to. The one handed height adjustment works from the front, and adjusts the harness automatically. And the entire cover can be removed without unbuckling the seat. Better still, you can just removed the soiled part if, say your child has a toileting accident. Starting at $350 for the up padded model, many parents will be able to avoid the special needs seats altogether. We ended up buying one for our other vehicle, and I actually prefer it to the $5000 Carrot, and when she falls asleep, her head is much better position, even with the addition of the wedge option for the Carrot.
IKEA Innovations
IKEA is a great place for getting things that are ideal for special needs kids. The Lömsk swivel egg chair is a great example for both the vestibular movement, and the ability to hide inside it. The Ekkore is a swinging nest, that again is great for vestibular input. The Plufsig is a padded gym mat that can be folded away, and the Rusif is a plastic rocker the child can sit inside. The Svava is a platform swing, that is great for providing several types of vestibular input. And the PS2014 is a balance beam for kids who need to practice this. When it comes to beds, we found the Hemnes day bed is a great option for kids who fall out of bed. Simply turn it to face the wall, and you have a big kids cot! The sides are high enough to stop accidental falls, and the solid surround means there are no gaps or protrusions to cause injuries. The Antilop or Leopard high chairs can be used in the shower for children who can sit well with minimal support. And I discovered when cutting Samaras hair, the Antilop will fit a 6 year old nicely as a makeshift barber chair!
Baby Jogger
While the Baby Jogger is not recommended for a child with low tone, due to the sling style of the seat, it's high weight limit of 35kg makes it a great option for many families. Particularly good for kids on the autistic spectrum, as it is nicely enclosed with a sunhood that comes right down, to hide
behind. There are home other brands that will also take larger children, such as Mountain Buggy, Phil n Teds etc, but I have found the Baby Jogger Summit range to be the roomiest.CHICCO Polly Magic Highchair
This high chair stands out from the rest when it comes to special needs kids. While there are plenty
that offer height adjustment, and back recline, the thing that makes it different, is the height adjustable foot rest. The seat is well padded, and if need be, you can easily add lateral support in the form of pool noodles. Most OT's will want your child to be able to place their feet firmly on the footrest, and this is where the adjustability of the CHICCO really comes in to play. Many children will be able to use this rather than the first size in a high low chair, with little to no modification.
Fisher Price Baby to Toddler Rocking Chair
Smart Trike
These trikes have continued to evolve since we bought Samaras one when she was 2 years old. The main thing missing is some sort of foot fixation. But you can fix that with a pair of fake crocs and some cable ties. Simply keep using the harness as long as needed, and you will get a few years out of this before needing a special needs trike or bike.
These are just a few of the products I have found over the years that have done a great job in the place of official special needs equipment. Please share in the comments some of the products that have meant you could avoid buying the specialised version.
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