Not too long ago, a blog written by a young adult with special needs came to my attention. Maddie is a twin with cerebral palsy, a complication of her premature birth. In one of her posts, she shared the results of her search for “dolls that look different.”

Dolls for Kids with Special Needs

Her search resulted in several finds: chemo dolls, dolls with crutches, dolls with seeing eye dogs, dolls with braces. You name it. Maddie found it. Pictures and links to websites where the dolls are sold can be found at Madison’s blog.

Our Experience with Dolls for Kids with Special Needs

Back in the dark ages of the mid-1980s, when our son’s special needs were being surgically corrected, we created a special needs doll for him. To be completely accurate, the OR staff wrapped gauze around Allen’s CareBear (which went into surgery with him) to match his bandages. When the anesthetic wore off and our four-year-old son saw his CareBear’s “injury,” he freaked out and demanded it be removed. To this day, even after treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the memory is not a good one for him.

Your Experience with Dolls for Kids with Special Needs

Does your child have a doll with special needs? If so, what kind of response have you observed? Your comments and stories may help other parents, so don’t be shy!

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