Toy Shopping For Differently Abled Children

Parents & Kids:

SensoryEdge, founded in 2003, is one such Internet-based retail store that caters to all children—including those with special needs. The variety of toys, furniture and items carried is astounding, but fortunately, the company also distributes a hard-copy catalog.

Alycia Shapiro, who co-founded SensoryEdge with her husband Ed, was attending UCLA Law School when her son started exhibiting developmental delays. She put her education on hold to learn about developmental challenges and the approaches therapists employ when working with each individual issue.

“People who learn that their child has a disability are usually overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. We wanted to create a store that included toys to help children develop important skills,” said Shapiro.

SensoryEdge inventories a broad range of products but applies a few simple standards for the toys it carries. “We want toys that are fun, that serve an educational purpose, and that are well made. We choose toys that therapists use with children with special needs, but also try to present toys in a novice-friendly way. Giving parents an alternative to higher-priced catalogs was also a prime motivator in creating our business.”

Now, nearly 10-people big, SensoryEdge has become a passion and third child for the Shapiros. “Having your own business is difficult under the best of circumstances and the same can be said about motherhood. People say that being a mom is the hardest job in the world but when you have a child with special needs it is more so.”