Toys are the levers, fulcrums and pulleys in the great machinery of human development.
TFH have been making special needs toys since 1983, but we can't instruct you in their use for they are not used, they are played with.
TFH have been making special needs toys since 1983, but we can't instruct you in their use for they are not used, they are played with.
We don't know how your child will unlock their power, that part is up to them.
When they do come back. Tell us their diagnosis. Tell us what happened. You won't always choose a winner and we can improve our toys. A review, good or bad, with a diagnosis is what keeps this toolbox alive for the next person who finds it.
But sometimes, dear reader, the right toy overcomes an obstacle to play: the furnace at the heart of human development, a force so powerful that it molds us in new forms.
Here we believe in the power of play. Welcome. Have fun.
TFH Special Needs Toys has been designing and manufacturing special needs toys and sensory equipment in the UK since 1983. Our range includes sensory swings, full support swing seats, vibration equipment, bubble tubes, fibre optics, sensory room equipment, soft play, weighted products, switches, adaptive toys and sensory integration equipment for children and adults with cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, visual impairment, global developmental delay and a wide range of other conditions and diagnoses. We serve parents, carers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, SENCOs, special schools, NHS trusts and residential care settings across the UK and worldwide. Formerly Toys for the Handicapped, with offices in the UK, USA, Canada and Sweden.
A steadfast belief in the importance of fun
In 1983, Douglas Garrad was looking for toys for disabled children. With Mary Ann they had already founded my school on his belief and her home cooked food. They knew how things start.
He approached Tony Tidmarsh, who ran a local successful outdoor play company, and asked him to dinner. Tony did his homework. The industry view was unanimous: while one in ten children has a special need, the myriad conditions mean there is no "market" (girls ages 9–11). The sensible answer was no.
Mary Ann did the cooking. The evening had other ideas. Tony said yes and Toys For the Handicapped began.
Our first product was a full support swing seat. Forty-two years later, we still make it, in three sizes.
Douglas and Mary Ann have both died recently. Tony is still here. I am his son.
In 1983, Douglas Garrad was looking for toys for disabled children. With Mary Ann they had already founded my school on his belief and her home cooked food. They knew how things start.
He approached Tony Tidmarsh, who ran a local successful outdoor play company, and asked him to dinner. Tony did his homework. The industry view was unanimous: while one in ten children has a special need, the myriad conditions mean there is no "market" (girls ages 9–11). The sensible answer was no.
Mary Ann did the cooking. The evening had other ideas. Tony said yes and Toys For the Handicapped began.
Our first product was a full support swing seat. Forty-two years later, we still make it, in three sizes.
Douglas and Mary Ann have both died recently. Tony is still here. I am his son.