ABC7 Karen Meyer Recognizes Brandy and Val’s Special Needs Appeal
Brandy, Val and I were privileged to have been recently interviewed by ABC7 Chicago’s Karen Meyer, a feature reporter focusing on disability issues. Karen contacted me after having seen our mention in Chicago Special Parent Magazine this past summer. Brandy and Val books and toys are intended for children 3 and over and the books also have special needs appeal–a feature that I am pleased is receiving some recognition. The sturdy tabbed pages enable little fingers, children with motor-skill deficits and mild learning disabilities to turn the pages more easily than with traditional board books and the colored rings that bind the pages allow them to grab hold of the books for easier carrying. Being able to perform these simple tasks helps foster a sense of independence in a child who otherwise is dependent on others. The simple themes in the books can be opened up to a myriad of social development topics; brightly colored pages facilitate the learning of colors and simple page layouts enable the learning of shapes. View the interview and meet us!
In that same vein, on Tuesday night we were invited to introduce our books to NTDSE (Niles Township District for Special Education) where I spoke with the parents who attended and then brought Brandy and Val over to meet and greet the children who were there. Social workers and teacher’s aides from the special education school that some of the children go to were also there. The meeting was held at the Skokie Library and moderated by the Come On In! coordinator, Holly Jin. Holly and the library staff has made their Youth Services section a very special and inviting place for children with disabilities. The Come On In! Program has been nationally recognized for its’ excellence and is one that I hope libraries across the country are paying close attention to and thinking of emulating. We are grateful for the invitation and hope that in the future we are invited back to do a pet therapy program in some capacity.
Another youth disability program of note that we will be participating in is the Easter Seals Book Fair at the Lily Garden Child Development Center in Villa Park, IL on December 10. Our books will be on sale for the entire event but on that day, Brandy, Val and I will be in the classrooms meeting with the kids and reading the books.
In addition to having all children enjoy our Brandy and Val books and toys, a future goal is to have them be incorporated as an educational tool for use by schools and pedi -OTs.
Tags: ABC7, ABC7Chicago, Chicago Special Parent, Come on In!, disabilities, Easter Seals, Karen Meyer, Lily Garden Child Development Center, NTDSE, pedi OT, Skokie Public Library, special ed, special needs, TV interview
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 am
I am an OT and am always looking for new products that are interesting. The interview was very insightful and it’s great that the overall goal seems to be to help animals and people. Thanks you for making me aware of Brandy and Val books.
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