Special Needs Families Need to Go Out Sometimes – This REALLY Helped

We were stuck in the house and chained to the T.V.

There was a time when our family couldn’t go anywhere.  Ever.  Our son was special needs, prone to meltdowns, anxiety, tantrums, you name it.  There was also a time when we would put on T.V. for him (educational programs… ok, and the occasional not that educational program but mostly educational) and have to ENDLESSLY change the channel.  As in every 20 seconds.  Or rewind the same 30 second snippet of a show – a hundred times.  That is NOT an exaggeration.  

Imagine our surprise when BOTH of these problems were solved with one gift.  

The Game Changer

Grandpa bought our son (and our daughter) this amazing Lenovo tablet.  After a couple of months (yes, it takes that long and sometimes longer) with hand over hand assistance, our son was able to navigate this tablet BY HIMSELF.  What did this mean for us as parents?  We could stop changing the channel!  We could go to the bathroom!  And could get up and get a cup of coffee!  We DIDN’T have to watch the same snippet of Little Einsteins over and over and over (I still hear it in my head – “We’re going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship!”). It was a turning point.

The next incredible event was that we discovered that the tablet also let us leave the house.  Because we are older parents, less tech savvy than some, it took us a while to figure this out (because where would we find wifi?).  Eventually we discovered that even in our small, country town there are some places out there with free wifi (Yes, I have been living under a rock.  Remember, we haven’t left the house other than for school and therapy for years).  We attempted outings with great success.  When our son started to feel overwhelmed he could sit in his stroller and we could hand him his tablet.  This distracted him and allowed us to become part of the world again.

No, we don’t want him to be a robot.  Yes, he probably spends too much time on his tablet (STILL only educational stuff).  But he is also learning concepts and having them reinforced every time he uses it.  And we get to take a deep breath of fresh air OUTSIDE of the house.  Win, win.

We Tried Hard to Destroy It – NOPE!

Now, for the best part.  We got this Lenovo Tablet FOUR YEARS AGO.  We have two, one for each child and they have been put through heck.  They have fallen, been thrown, been sat on, had food dropped on them, gotten wet, traveled through different states and more.  THIS TABLET ROCKS.  We didn’t purchase cases.  We didn’t purchase screen protectors.  Yes, the screens have cracked (after the third year) and they STILL work well.  But they are finally about to die and we are going to purchase the exact same thing again.  And, now, it’s cheaper!

We are going to add on the case and the screen protector.  Maybe they’ll last through the abuse for five years this time!

Get It Here

Check out the low price!  Four years ago Grandpa paid about a hundred dollars more (totally worth every penny) and now they have it for $179.99.  So excited!!!

The case.  Why didn’t we buy a case?  Did I mention we were older parents and not as tech savvy?  Still… For $12.49, you bet we are getting it this time.

Our screens cracked after three years.  For $8.99 it may never crack!  We are getting this too.  I would have gotten it the first time.  Who knew?

I have also discovered (welcome to the party, I’m late!) that if you want to go someplace and they don’t have free wifi, you can bring your own.  You can buy a mobile hotspot.  Take it with you.  No wifi?  Turn it on, it appears as a choice on the tablet, connect and go.  I looked for a great deal but to be honest, you can buy one much cheaper refurbished and it will be fine.  We have an AT&T Velocity.  

Our son is low functioning and rarely wants to participate with others.  We have successfully taken him to restaurants, outdoor events, stores and other people’s houses. Even Disney World!  By the way, see my post about how I am modeling our life on our trip to Disney below: 

5 Reasons Why I Model Our Lives On Our Disney World Trip and Why You Should Too

Oh, and school events.  Isn’t it great when you take your special needs child to a school event for their big sister and they have a wild meltdown when the focus is supposed to be on their sibling?  Good times, my friend.  THIS… IS… A… GAME… CHANGER…

The holidays are coming.  Have or know a special needs child who could benefit from this?  Get busy!

What item has been a game changer for you?  Please share in the comments below.

Oh, by the way, I am an Amazon Affiliate.  If you purchase through my page I may get a small percentage.  This helps me to continue creating helpful articles on this blog while letting me be a stay at home mom to my special needs son.  Thank you for considering it.