Spinal Cord Injury Association
______________________________

of Illinois

E-Mail: SCIInjury@aol.com

RESOURCES FOR PEDIATRIC SPINAL CORD INJURY

Pediatric spinal cord injury is defined as an acute traumatic lesion of the spinal cord and roots in children from newborn age through 15 years. According to recent statistics, nearly 10% of the estimated 10,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) which occur annually in the United States affect children 1-15 years old.

The far more frequent occurrence of spinal cord injuries among older people has probably contributed to the limited public attention given to childhood injuries. However, while the incidence of spinal cord injuries to children is relatively low, the severity of their injuries is consistently high. Complete and incomplete paraplegia (loss of function in the legs) accounts for 50.7% of the injuries among young people. Complete and incomplete tetraplegia (loss of function in the arms and legs) accounts for 47%. These childhood injuries are caused by accidents, sports, violence, falls, and other causes.

Misunderstanding, peer pressure, and stereotyping can be very disabling to a young person with SCI.

These statistics are key to understanding the need for resources for children and young adults with SCI. The seriousness of injuries has contributed to the peer isolation and rejection that is so commonly experienced. The sudden transformation of an able-bodied child to one with a severe physical disability has commonly and mistakenly resulted in portrayals of children with spinal cord injuries as helpless and dependent victims by the media and general public. The visibility of the disability, which is usually marked by the presence of wheelchairs, readily leads many to assume a child has been disabled from birth or has a life-threatening illness. Even more distressing is the stereotype that physical disability is equivalent to mental retardation or incompetence.

Catalogue of Toys, Games and Playground Equipment Resources (click on highlighted text for website information)
SportsPlay Equipment, Inc. 5642 Natural Bridge St. Louis, MO 63120 (800) 727-8180 - (314) 389-4140 Fax: (314) 389-9034 Playground Equipment	Sammons Preston Ability One Corporation 4 Sammons Court Bolingbrook, IL 60440 (800) 323-5547 Fax: (800) 547-4333 Playing card holders and board games	National Rehabilitation Information Center 84255 Coalsville Rd., Ste. 935 Silver Springs, MD 29010 Fax: (314) 389-9034 Catologue games and adaptable devices
Crestwood Company 6625 North Sidney Place Milwaukee, WI 53209 (414) 352-5678 Fax: (414) 352-5679 Battery-operated adaptive toys	S&S Worldwide P.O. Box 13 Colchester, CT 06415 (800) 243-9232 (203) 537-2866 Board Games
Toys for Special Children 385 Warburton Avenue Hastings-On-Hudson, NY 10706 (800) TEC-TOYS (914) 478-0960 Fax: (914) 478-7030 Adaptable toys	Don Johnston, Inc. 26799 West Commerce Dr. Volvo, IL 60073 (800) 999-4660 - (847) 740-0749 Fax: (847) 526-4177 Computer games and adaptable devices	blank

Reading Resources

Follow Your Dreams, Connie Panzarino, NSCIA. Free with membership to "In Touch With Kids." Follow Your Dreams is a book for children with SCI, their families and peers. Ages 10-13.

Fair and Square, Nan Holcomb, Turtle, $6.95. Kevin, who has a physical disability, is upset when he wins a game in which others had to move for him. Given access to a computer, he is ecstatic; when he plays a game, win or lose, he feels it's fair and square. Ages 6 and up.

Mama Zooms, Jane Cowen-Fletcher, Scholastic, $14.95. In this playful story, a small boy tells how he and his mom pretend to ride a racehorse, a sailing ship and a spaceship. What a surprise to discover that Mama's zoom machine is a wheelchair! Ages 3-6.

Princess Pooh, Kathleen Muldoon, Illustrated by Linda Shute, Whitman, $13.95. Patty Jean is jealous of the attention her big ten-year-old sister gets. Patty dubs her sister's wheelchair a throne and her sister Princess Pooh. One day, Patty goes off with that royal seat and discovers its not all roses. Ages 6-10.

The Balancing Girl, Bernice Rabe, Illustrated by Lillian Haban, Duton, $12.95. Margaret, who goes to a mainstream class, may need a wheelchair to get around, but that does not stop her from becoming a heroine at the school carnival. Ages 6-9.

A Very Special Critter, Gina and Mercer Mayer, Golden, $1.95. When Alex, a floppy-eared critter, arrives at school in a wheelchair, the other critters are curious. This is as much for classmates, as for kids with special needs. Ages 3-6.

Creating Schools for All, Council for Exceptional Children, Dept. K50170, 1920 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091. A book on the inclusive school hailed as a blueprint for what works and what doesn't for children with disabilities.