Thank you Melissa!

We had the opportunity to ask Wendy Blair, the school’s director, what her students enjoy as far as activities and toys. So, we thought we would highlight a few in this blog post. One such product is called Zac Browser which is the first internet browser developed specifically for children with autism. Developed by a grandfather as a special gift to his grandson, Zachary, this unique product has served more than 2 million children around the world and can be downloaded for free. What a great story!

Wendy also noted that kids with autism enjoy many of the same toys that other children like and there are a number of great websites specifically devoted to products that offer sensory and/or visual stimulation (we list a number of on-line stores at the end of this post). We enjoyed browsing through these wonderful sites and below are a few of our favorites!

1)  We had to mention again the book, “Zac the Prairie Dog” written by S. Charles Decker. Melinda contacted the author and he graciously signed a copy of his book for the children at LifeSkills. To read more about the book, visit our previous post – a must read for all children!

2) Stretchy Puppy – This cute toy looks like it was made to be given along with “Zac the Prairie Dog” book! Puppy stretches and crinkles while his soft nose squeeks and his tail rattles. Offers multiple sensory exploration; for ages 10+ months. MORE INFO

3)  Ruff’s House™Teaching Tactile Set is the playful way to help develop sensory learning. Children can reach into the doghouse and feel the different textures as they build fine motor and sensory skills and work on matching, taking turns and sharing. Features a variety of rubber and cloth bones that are smooth, silky, scratchy, bumpy, ridged and more. Includes a dog and twenty 2” bones
(two of each texture), activity guide and plastic doghouse. For ages 3-5. MORE INFO

4)  Junior Boy Persona Pail - We are pleased to offer our Persona pail kits which offer creative expression in a “no-fail” approach. Because the stickers come on and off, there is no right or wrong way…just your way! The simple DIY kit improves fine motor skills and promotes art, self expression and also offers sensory stimulation. Also available in a Junior Girl kit; for children over the age of 3. MORE INFO

5) Kimochi (pronounced KEY-MO-CHEE) means “feeling” in Japanese. This fun and powerful communication tool is a great resource for teaching with a small group or for children to have their own personal bag of feelings. Includes 12 feelings, including Happy, Mad, Sad, Loved, Hopeful, Curious, Excited, Sorry, Silly, Sleepy, Cranky and Brave. Each feeling pillow has a word on one side and a facial expression on the other side. Students can hook the keychain onto their backpack and let friends know how they’re feeling inside. MORE INFO

6) Ideal for simple activity instructions, daily reminders and more, Talk Points™ are simple buttons that record and replay up to 10 seconds of clear sound that can even be heard in a busy classroom! Can be used them for phonics, speech and language therapy, intervention, self-assessment, treasure hunts and more. MORE INFO

7)  Slamwich, an award winning game, enhances visual discrimination and hand-eye coordination.  A must-have for kids hungry for fun! Flip and stack this clever loaf of cards to build slamwiches and double deckers. Age 6+. MORE INFO

Moody Monster-Themed Memory Game stimulates cognitive development by increasing memory, social skills and emotion recognition. 32 big chunky cards. MORE INFO

9) The wonderful organization Autism Speaks provides a wonderful resource section on their website, including suggested books for children with Autism themes. You can view the entire list here; all of the above books are available on Amazon.com

Here’s just a few on-line stores dedicated to providing toys, activities and educational aids to children with autism and special needs:

Fun and Function

National Autism Resources

Autism Treasure Chest

Mayer-Johnson

Autism affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 70 boys. On Monday, April 2nd, everything from the Empire State Building to the Sydney Opera House to Niagra Falls and the Bahrain World Trade Center will Light it Up Blue to help shine the light on autism. We’ve even heard that Home Depot is selling Coleman LED Lanterns and blue light bulbs to promote the initiative and a portion of
the proceeds will go to Autism Speaks. Find out more about the many resources available on the Autism Speaks website along with information about the WALK NOW events throughout the country.

As our small contribution, Persona Designs created “An Apple a Day for Autism Awareness” with the wonderful talents of The Purple Pug, Two Prince Bakery Theater, and P.S. Make it Your Own. And, we are so very thankful to S. Charles Decker for signing his awesome book about autism acceptance called “Zack the Prairie Dog.” We had a wonderful time creating “It’s Snack Time!” but it was even more exciting to make a very special delivery with all of the goodies to the children of LifeSkills Academy in Orlando, FL. Kudos to Melinda for spear heading this amazing project!

Special thanks to Kristy at The Purple Pug for providing us with her amazing hand glittered banner and cupcake toppers with the autism puzzle piece emblem. For our “Snack Time,” we inserted the toppers into delicious yellow apples. Kristy handcrafts each piece with love, adding her signature glitter for a brilliant shimmer. Also known as the Glitter Whisperer, Kristy offers handmade partyware, with a focus on dazzling dessert drama. Visit her shop to get your glitter fix!

Next, we added two Persona Pail characters proudly wearing their Autism Awareness Day Crowns. The pail kits make a wonderful therapy tool which emphasizes creative expression in a “no-fail” approach. Because the stickers come on and off, there is no right or wrong way…just your way!  The simple DIY kit improves fine motor skills and promotes art, self expression and also offers sensory stimulation. If you would like to promote autism awareness this month at your school or in your community, we invite you to download the printable crown HERE.

We just can’t say enough about “Zack the Prairie Dog” by S. Charles Decker . . . the back of the book says it best, “in heaven’s eyes, we are all special.” It’s a story about the adventures of Zack and Cody, two unlikely heroes, as they learn the lessons of prejudgement and acceptance. It’s about overcoming fear and the power of faith and friendship. S. Charles Decker is the father of two young boys with autism. Over the years, he learned that his sons preferred books with poetry, so he wrote this book entirely in rhyming verse for the benefit of children with special needs and for the enjoyment of all – a true gem! (see photo below of the author’s special message to the children at LifeSkills). Here’s a  link to purchase the book on Amazon.com.

How cute is this memory game created by P.S. Make it Your Own, specifically for autism awareness; the children at LifeSkills will have such fun coloring the cards! (download your copy here) Dawn and Pamela, the girls behind the “P.S. Make It Your Own” blog, love sharing inspiring ideas on celebrations, food, crafts and home decor. Look for their new shop soon on Etsy where you will find fun and festive monochromatic party printables that you add your own POP of color to.

DELICIOUS is one way to describe these adorable puzzle piece cookies by Two Prince Bakery Theater - AND they are also gluten and casein free! As a mother of two princes with multiple food allergies, Dorangela creates natural and organic foods that are not only healthy, but beautiful as well. Check out Two Prince’s blog and etsy shop as she transforms sweets into smiles one cookie at a time!

Melinda delivered the decorations, cookies, apples, book, pails, crowns and games to Wendy Blair, the Director of LifeSkills Academy this past Friday just in time for the children to enjoy a special SNACK TIME and celebrate World Autism Awareness Day! We finish this very special blog post with the inspirational message from S. Charles Decker to the children at LifeSkills Academy:  “Just like Zack and Cody, you are wonderful gifts to the world! Always remember that an open heart sees more than open eyes!”

Easter will be here before we blink, so we decided to create a little “accessory kit” to turn our Junior Persona Pail into a Hoppy Bunny! A pair of bunny ears, a few pom-poms, magnets and pipe cleaners and wha-la!  Makes the perfect table decoration, activity or Easter basket. Then, after Easter, create  any other character with the Junior Pail stickers that easily come on and off. We crafted a number of kits for one of our retail shops, Gourmet Cottage, and have a limited number of kits left over. SOOOO, we thought we would offer the kits to our Facebook, Blog or Twitter followers FREE with any pail purchase at our on-line shop (limit 1 per customer) – while supplies last!  Just leave a message in the comment section at check out requesting your free bunny accessory kit – also specify pink or blue nose!

We start with your choice of orange, yellow or black hair (see options below) and create the Persona character shown, complete with a paper crown (which can be worn by the recipient!). Then, we add a fun polka dot blow out and 6 feet of festive fringe to decorate an office, computer or desk. And for pure indulgence, we’ll fill the pail with these delicious “Make a Wish” mini chocolate chip cookies. We’ll even handwrite a personal note with the message that you provide.  To celebrate, for a limited time, we will offer the Birthday Babes (regularly $31.50) or any of our DIY kits at 20% off – that’s just $25.20 for a fun and colorful gift that really Wows! Just type in the code CELEBRATE at checkout.  SHOP NOW

“The world looks brighter from behind a smile.” — Author Unknown

Upon meeting Melinda at an Orlando event, Wendy Blair, Director of LifeSkills Academy, immediately saw the Persona Pail as a way for her students not only to express themselves creatively, but to participate in a fun holiday project. Located in Winter Springs, FL, LifeSkills Academy serves children diagnosed with sensory processing disorders, autism, Asperger’s syndrome or speech/language delays. The school offers first rate academics in a unique and flexible environment. www.lifeskillscfl.com

Several e-mails and phone calls later, 28 pails along with Holiday Stickers were shipped to FL just in time for the holidays! Wendy’s idea: each child would create their own Persona Pail “masterpiece” as a gift for moms and dads. We loved the idea and were able to work with Wendy to provide free holiday stickers and special pricing for the pails.

Just seeing the kids’ faces as they took such pride in their finished “masterpiece” makes our business so rewarding. Because there’s no right or wrong way (plus no scissors or glue necessary), the children at LifeSkills just “got it” and loved the activity.

One mom, Cheryl Herdee Freestone, wrote on our Facebook page, “Daniel and his friends at LifeSkills Academy had a wonderful time making your gift pails. His North Pole Nick now has a place of honor on our piano.” Melinda was able to attend the holiday event and capture this creative imagination at work in these wonderful photographs. Special thanks to Wendy Blair for organizing the fun-filled day and allowing us to take a small part in it!

Our goal is to put smiles on faces one pail at a time through childrens’ charities and organizations. If you know of an organization that might be interested in the Persona Pail, we’d love to talk to you! Please contact Melinda Tomasello at cast@personagiftpail.com or 407-971-8040.

SPECIAL NOTE FROM MELINDA: “I really enjoyed my visit at LifeSkills Academy; special thanks to the teachers and students; you were just wonderful! It was so gratifying to see the children proudly create their pails – a moment I won’t soon forget! For me, it emphasizes the true meaning and spirit of Christmas.”

Download and print the Glitter Gift Tags. Just add the glitter with red glitter glue or cut out the ornament from glitter paper and attach. Tie on colorful baker’s twine in red & white for the finishing touch!

Shared with these linky parties:

Also linked up with:

BLUE CRICKET Design’s Blog ~ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2011/12/4868.html

EISY MORGAN’s BLOG ~ http://eisymorgan.blogspot.com/2011/12/inspired-by-you-wednesdays-linky-party_20.html

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Also linked up with BLUE CRICKET Design’s Blog ~ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2011/12/4868.html .

Also linked up with BLUE CRICKET Design’s Blog ~ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2011/12/4868.html .