Wheelchair-bound toddler

You will want to find out more about the individual child before you buys stuff. My son is now 12 and came home at six. He is in a wheelchair because he was born completely without legs and without a left arm. For my son he can get around well in the house without his chair and in fact prefers it that way. So for him we have a very low bed. Right now it's a mattress on the floor because he falls out of bed a lot (part of that is behavioral - RAD) Other kids in wheelchairs might need a bed that is higher so they can transfer. He may also have a condition where he needs a medical type of bed, that is adjustable. Depending on the child's needs, if hey have issues with breathing sometimes they need a bed with the head raised. A child who needs help with dressing and possibly has diapers may need a bed that can raise up to make it easier for you to dress and change him. Low muscle control may mean they need safety rails. If the child has any equiptment like feeding machine or breathing stuff you need to be sure you have room for it. Depending on the type of chair and the child you may need to be sure your car can transport the child and the chair. My son has a manual chair now which I can lift into the back of my minivan, but he used to have a power chair that we needed a special vehicle and a lift to transport (though in a pinch with a ramp I could get it into the minivan if I had seats folded down, but it was tough) My friend has a son who also has a trach and oxygen and stuff. Once he is in his chair for he day he has to stay in it. So they need a van where he can ride in his chair. It's very heavy because of all the equipment attached to it.

First advice is don't assume the wheel chair the the most significant of the child's disabilities. As Momraine's post hinted, you still want to know about all the other things that might effect a three year old who is available for adoption. Make sure you read up on attachment issues so you know what questions to ask and what issues to be on the look out. My DD, who is in a wheelchair uses a bed that is low to the ground. Its actually a headboard, low frame and a bunky board instead of a box spring. She falls out a couple of times a month. Anchor furniture to the walls. DD uses her furniture to pull up and I wouldn't want it to topple over on her. He toys are the type that you can sit on the floor and play. Like a doll house and a big cube that blocks go into. She still used a high chair at that age because she was not tall enough in her wheel chair to sit at the table and not sturdy enough to sit in a regular chair. We only recently stopped using a stroller for regular outings (wheel chairs are uncomfortable to push for any decent amount of time) and she is 14! We still squish her into a stroller for hiking. This was the everyday stroller we used. [url=http://www.adaptivemall.com/mainbug.html?ag=Maclaren%20Major&kw=Maclaren%20Special%20Needs%20Stroller]Maclaren Major Special Needs Stroller | Adaptivemall.com[/url] It goes up to 110 pounds. We actually only went through 2 of them in about the 10 year time span we used it. It folds like a regular umbrella stroller. DD has deteriorated as she has aged. She can't self propel so she will always be in a chair someone pushes. The other area to think about is the bathroom. Depending on his stability, you might need a shower chair (you can use it in the tub as well). DD can sit well enough in the tub but has to be lifted in and out (which is getting hard!). We usually carry her to her room and dry her off there (on her bed). One little piece of advice, our first house was two stories and the bedrooms were upstairs. We specifically picked a new house with a downstairs bed and bath for DD because we knew she was getting too big to carry up stairs. The new house was actually a nightmore safety wise even though it was technically ADA accessible because it has a lot of single step ups and step downs on the first floor. Like a sunken family room and sunken living room. NOT a good idea with a young child in a wheelchair/walker!

I thought I would add. We recently got DD an easel at IKEA. Her chair rolls right under it. One side has a chalk board and the other a white board and you can attach a roll of paper to it also. If you are looking for toy ideas, this is a good one!