How many books/toys do you have out at one time?

mommyof4boys

I have the kid's books that are appropriate for year round there for them at all times and the seasonal ones I bring up when approproiate.  Chris' DI wants us to display no more than 6.  She said 2 per kid.  I am having a difficult time with this.  They love reading and chose different books dependant on the time and their mood.  We have bedtime books, seasonal books, classics (Eric Carle, etc), noisy books, popups, etc.  I have it down to 10.

She said no more than 6 cars at a time since they don't stimulate thought.  The same with dinosaurs.  Jon plays with all 20or so of his dinos.  She wants all toys that aren't 18+ and up gone.  So, if it says 9-36 months like the activity table we got for Chris for Christmas she wants to go....Again, I'm having a problem with this since we have a lot that I think is completely appropriate for him.  In fact since his cognition is that of a 9 month old I've been looking for toys more in that range so he can play with them.

She said we can keep some but keep them in another are and rotate them.

She said in a few more sessions she will want to look at all the toys we have and tell us what we can keep for rotation and what she wants us to get rid of.  

jennieliz

We keep all of our out (meaning in buckets that she has access to daily, not out strewn around) and I don't rotate anything in or out.  If she wants to read a Christmas book in the summer so be it.  But, that said, I've never dealt with a child who has a disability so I'm not sure what I would do if I were you.  I guess try it their way and if it isn't working go back to yours? 

mommyof4boys

I have things all put away on a cute bookshelf and a basket for the smaller pieces .  We also have blocks, etc.  I do rotate toys as it is. 

brightning

All age-appropriate things are out (meaning, the baby toys are put away and I haven't given her the books with paper pages yet.)

My DD also loves looking through the bookshelf and choosing. She'll get stuck on one book for a while and then change. She has probably 50 books. I can't imagine only 6!

Right now her favorite toys are about 15 little cats and dogs. She lines them up all facing the same direction, then she'll put them in the stroller, etc.

But I've never had a child w/learning disabilities so I'm not sure. I understand the overstimulating part, but it does seem a little odd.

UGAbride

I do have the seasonal books put away (but that's only a handful, actually just really put away the 4 Christmas books last night and replaced with the 4 spring/Easter books), but other than that we have probably 50 books.  The "bedtime" books are in his room, along with 20 others, and then there's probably about 30 in the playroom.  All the books with paper pages are "put away" as well, since he still rips pages. 

Most of our toys are out as well, since we have a 5 month old and an almost 2 year old, so just about everything is age-appropriate for at least one of them.  I did just try to gather all the newborn toys and put them in one place so I can grab them easily for the baby now that he's really noticing toys.  

I wouldn't be getting rid of toys, but I could try rotating per your DI's suggestions (it'd be really frequent, but I would try it).   

mommyof4boys

The thing is that she wants us to get rid of some all togehter.  I do rotate some things, usually every 2-4 weeks but there's other things that they play with all the time!  Usually the cars, dinosaurs and action figures are inthe play all the time category.  She wants everything limited.  Jonathan and Matthew also love puzzles and she only wants 6 of those.  We have tons of puzzles.....

penguingrrl

It sounds like she's trying for an ideal situation, which means she's not taking into account the needs of your other children in this case.  Jonathan and Matthew are older than Christopher and don't have the special needs Christopher has, and it sounds to me like she's needlessly limiting their books/puzzles/toys in order to give Christopher the best help she can.  I would honestly talk to her about formulating a plan that does a better job of taking the entire family into account and see whether there's a way to address Christopher's special needs without limiting Jonathan and Matthew's access to books/puzzles.  I babysat for a girl on the autism spectrum (actually, another NJ nestie) who had home therapy and she did not have limits placed on numbers of toys and books available, although I'm sure treatment depends on the circumstances of that child's needs as well as the age of the child.