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These tips have been contributed by other parents, carers and professionals. We hope they will give you some ideas to try, but if you need further help why not post a question on our forums
Day clock
You can get clocks that tell you what day it is, brilliant for reassuring people who need to remind themselves - as they don't have to ask! www.amazon.co.uk
Trick or Treat
We downloaded a free sign from www.safe4autumn.com/halloween-safety.aspx which we used to help the kids understand that trick or treaters will knock on the door. We also used it to prevent lots of callers that might upset us!
Coloured remote control
We have used coloured nail varnish to paint certain buttons on the dvd player's remote control, the menu button is now pink, so you don't need to be able to read to find it.
Tough Furniture
Tough Furniture is a company supplying attractive, yet very strong furniture. Particularly useful in residential settings or special needs units.
Wheelchair-friendly garden furniture
Inclusive Furniture is an outdoor furniture store specialising in wheelchair-friendly garden furniture. inclusivefurniture.co.uk
Use a sledge
Carrying boxes of supplies upstairs? Use a plastic sledge and rope instead. Much better for your back!
Stain & odour remover
Due to my son's reflux he is sick quite often and as he is getting older and eating normal food the smell is harder to get rid of. I've found an amazing product that really works, called Simple solutions stain & odour remover. It's actually for Pet accidents but it works for human accidents too, including wee and poo.
Vanishing Gogh!
To get pen marks off wood furniture try putting hair spray or nail varnish remover on it and just wipe off.
Changing your environment
The National Autistic Society has got some good advice on simple changes that you can make to your home that may benefit people with autism: www.autism.org.uk/18450
Digital photo frame
A digital photo frame is a great way of enabling someone with physical and/or learning disabilities to go through their snaps. My mother in law has very little fine motor skills and loves viewing her favourite old photos like this.
Carpet fitting
If you are having a new carpet fitted and there is a wheelchair user in the house, ask about double sticking. Its a way of sealing the underlay to the floor and the carpet to the underlay. Prevents stretching and bobbling of the carpet and much better with the wear caused by wheels.
TV alternative
If you're worried about your TV getting smashed/thrown you could always try installing a high wall-mounted projector instead.
Cheap tough furniture
For a cheap alternative to expensive Tough Furniture for special needs. Put plastic crates (beer crates) under a bed to give the slats extra support. They can be strapped together.
Love velcro
Liz enjoys pulling curtains down, which was a pain for us as it was such a fiddle to put them back up. So we hang up the curtains with industrial size Velcro, which makes it much easier to put them up again.
Using what you've got
We covered our solid wood coffee table in a sheet of foam and a plastic table cloth to make a big therapy bench for John to stand on and play without hurting himself on.
Padding the edges
We bought foam pipe lagging which already has a split down it to put on the edge of the glass shelves on our TV stand.
Magic Whiteboard
This is great for all sorts of uses around the home - write-on, wipe-off sheets of static plastic. Creates a whiteboard from a roll - anywhere in seconds. I use it for visual timetables. Magic Whiteboard
Visually impaired
When we decorated Natalie’s flat we made sure to use contrasting colours so items such as plug sockets, door frames and sofas all stand out. For example if you have a dark carpet or flooring have a lighter coloured sofa/arm chair so the sofa/armchair doesn't blend into the carpet making it difficult for her to see it.
Special address book
We keep a separate address book for all Jordan's information and contacts.
Keep the car clean
We bought a mattress protector which we cut and hemmed to shape to fit the car so that when Jonny’s pad leaks we don’t have the trouble of cleaning the seat as well.
Soft covers
Use foam or rubber tubing (available from Fledglings) and cut to make soft chunky handles for holding musical beaters or utensils www.fledglings.org.uk
Protect your knees
Kneeling mats (wilcos etc) cheap gardening mats to protect knees. Keep in bathroom and anywhere you find you are on your knees.
Magnetic locks
We put magnet locks on the cupboards around our flat so they cannot be easily opened. www.howdens.com/kitchen-collection/accessories/fixtures-fittings/magnetic-cupboard-lock
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