Children with learning difficulties

January 14, 2015 | Sophie Turcot

Their numbers keep growing… They are part of the reality of early childhood and school life, but finding the necessary resources remains a challenge. Providing tools for children with learning difficulties and those who guide them – occupational therapists, teachers, educational advisers, speech therapists and others – is important to us.

For children with a physical or language disability, an impaired sensory function or a neurological condition, learning is hard work. That’s why it is so important to keep sources of stress to a minimum and to find ways to pacify children in order to create an environment conducive to learning. We are proud to offer a range of products designed to soothe children and help them to concentrate.

A few tips to address everyday challenges

A student drops his eraser, a bird perches on the windowsill, a teacher walks by in the hallway – these are all distractions that can have a negative impact on a student’s ability to concentrate. Portable Workstation can help to minimize visual stimuli; the built-in clear plastic pockets make it easy to organize their work. Dividers are portable and can be readily adapted to the needs of children requiring individual intervention.

We encourage you to pay attention to fluorescent ceiling lights. The light they produce can be unbearable for some children. Easy-to-install Classroom Light Filters tone down harsh glare and create an instantly soothing classroom environment for the benefit of all.

Creating a rest area helps children to relax. The Construction Fort is a practical item that is easy to move around and dismantle. Combined with the Educational Light Cube or Sensory Liquid Tubes, it creates a small space that appeals to the senses and is conducive to learning.

For children with surplus energy, a few minutes on the Mini Trampoline or inside the Ghost Body Sock can provide a great outlet and help them to better concentrate. These two products take up very little room. Students can get to them easily and use them in their daily activities. For those who wiggle their legs, Thera-BandTM - Latex-Free Resistance Bands are a great tool. They can be tied to the bottom of chair legs so that the children can push them with their feet. The movement of the legs and feet against the band is silent and provides the children with the physical activity they need to help with their concentration. The five levels of resistance available make possible this product adaptable to each child’s muscular tone. The medium-resistance, green-colored bands are the most popular.

Many children chew at their collar or at their sweater or coat sleeve. This need tends to increase during times of stress. To keep this habit in check, a brand-new collection of non-toxic Disc Pendants is available in a wide variety of colors. Theses discrete jewels, pendants and bracelets are suitable for boys and girls alike. They can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher and will last about as long as a toothbrush.

We have expanded our Special Needs collection considerably to deal with a wide range of everyday challenges. You can browse the collection via the ''Special Needs'' section or through each individual section of the catalogue: communication in French as a teaching language, math manipulatives, gross motor skills in physical education, fine motor skills in preschool games and the arts, dexterity and logic games in the ''School Daycare'' section, rhythm, music and much more.

Your suggestions and comments are welcome and help us to better meet the needs of children and those who guide them.