Random question...
Sometimes I wonder if it ever bothers Will that all of his toys (action figures, soldiers, cowboy figures, pirates, etc) have hands and feet... well, except for a few pirates with hooks but those are so stereotypical too & technically show a prosthetic - not the limb difference.
He hasn't really expressed that it bothers him about his toys but he has expressed that sometimes it bothers him that all the people he is around the most or all his classmates or other kids wherever we are have ten fingers. The other day, he asked me how many days until his birthday (6) & then told me that he was excited because when he turns 4, he will get another finger to make four fingers. (He's loved this year that when he holds up both hands, he can show his age on all his little fingers.)
It just about killed me to gently explain to him that when he is four and five and six and so on that he will always have three fingers.
And then he made some random observation about something out the window -it was a quick conversation.
Anyway, I'm just wondering if sometimes he might like to see a toy that he plays with - something cool like an action figure - with hands and feet like Will.
Anyone know of any toy makers that take custom orders (really unique, custom orders?) I'd love to order a doll for Ellie too...
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10 thoughts:
All of toys we have, doll house toys, Dora characters have limb differences.
Lauren created them herself. She has Autism and chews on things incessantly.
I could send them to you if you wish. :)
Or you could get a puppy!!!!
I'll make anything you like! I crochet amigarumi.
This lady makes dolls however you want them, some have limb difference or braces in the pictures. http://www.karenskottage.org/SpecialAngel.html
This teddy has a prosthetic leg
http://www.glabeebers.com/products.asp
These are mainly girl dolls, but there is 1 boy too. They come with therapy equipment and limb differences.
Jay J. Armes is a spy action figure from the 1970s with prosthetic hands. You can sometimes find him on ebay.
Good Luck
Here is an ebay search for Jay J. Armes http://www.ebay.com/sch/Toys-Hobbies-/220/i.html?_nkw=jj+armes
Kristin- love it! And, no thanks for the puppy idea! As much as I'm sometimes tempted to get a fun roly poly cuddly puppy... they grow up and they have to be housebroken & we have a 9 year old golden retriever that has torn up 8 back doors... among other things. I think we're good for now! Cracked me up! :)
Claire- thanks - I will check out those websites... waht is amigarumi?
I'll look for Jay J. Armes too! Thanks!
If I could be anything in the world right now I would be a toy maker for Mr. Will.
Katie, I know that this lady:
http://playbarbies.wordpress.com/
is really into re-bodying, re-styling and otherwise modifying barbies and other dolls to make them more reflective of real life people. She might be able to give you some advice, or even make a few custom modified dolls/action figures for you.
I have forwarded your post to a friend who is a toy designer! I'll let you know what I hear back. Susan
I have forwarded your post to a friend who is a toy designer. I'll let you know what he says. Susan
Amigarumi just means "knitted dolls" in Japanese. I mainly make animals and monsters, but I can make and design almost anything.
I can't imagine that his typical-limbed toys and dolls are bothersome.
The reason: the vast majority of toys are very unrealistic! The muscles, the boobs, the waistline -- nobody looks like this in real life! I guess my point is, there are 10 reasons why they don't look like Will, so I think it's just easier to say "they don't look like you because they're unrealistic. They don't look like mom or dad or Lovie either."
But I do think those handicap dolls (and there are many out there!) are just wonderful!
My sister has a child with limb differences and she struggles with this sort of thing too. Her feeling is that it may be deceptive to give her daughter lots of toys with differences (she has one or two and that's it.) She feels it's important to keep things realistic because she will always be unique and "rare" as they call it. She doesn't want her daughter to grow up believing that limb differences are common, as that may skew her perception of the world (and how she fits into it.) She will always be "rare" and surrounded by "typical" people, and that's difficult, so she feels it's important to work on that from a young age.
*shrug*
However you cut it, it's difficult.
Truewell
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