Help support special needs families
Donation protected
Help Support Special Needs Kids
Fidget Kids sells a variety of sensory based items for children and adults with Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, sensory processing disorder and everything in between. Our store is located at 133-135 High St, Kangaroo Flat Vic 3555 and we also sell online at www.fidgetkids.com.au. Opening hours are 9.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays.
We are looking to expand our range and start a gaming and a craft club to be able to assist as many families as possible with a much larger range of products and to start our clubs of which we require funding.
Currently we have the following categories and set up:
• Fidget Toys
• Squeeze Toys
• Fidget Cubes
• Chewy/Oral Toys
• Sensory/Fine Motor Toys
• Other Toys
• A safe space play room (for children to play in while parents shop or to use as a calming room if your child becomes overwhelmed)
Expansion Plans/Ideas (As outlined below, the following is why we require funding)
• Expansion of Range of items such as - Weighted Blankets; auditory sensory items; safety items; greater range of chewy/oral items; visual items; books; social skill items; emotion items; pressure items; time timers; therapy aids and much more
• Gaming Club
• Craft Club
• Come in & try before you buy area
"Brought the boys in this morning and they had a ball testing all the products and playing in the calm room. Thanks Fidget Kids, a very sensory satisfying store. Xx" - Fidget Kids Customer
Please Donate for us to be able to purchase items to increase our range to include the more expensive items such as the weighted blankets and so that the range will truly be a one stop shop for all our special needs kids and adults, for this our goal is around $8000. Donations will also go towards setting up the come in and try before you buy area of which the goal to set this up is around $2000 and to purchase equipment and programs for our gaming club and our craft club, of which our goal is around $10000 as we will need computers, programs, desks, chairs and craft equipment. We will make every dollar count to create a range of products every person with special needs will benefit from and for our clubs we will create an experience our participants wont forget and will continue to want to participate in. We plan to make these clubs an inclusive, social experience that every child with these interests should have the opportunity to participate in.
And please note that whilst this is a very important fundraising campaign, any amount you can afford will be greatly appreciated. Making this an amazing store and community space will benefit an entire city, so i will thankyou in advance for any amount you can donate.
And we will of course keep you updated on how we are progressing.
History
So that is a snapshot on why we are asking for you to donate your money but I also want to give you a bit of background into our family, why we opened the shop and why this is a worthwhile cause.
We are a family owned and operated business, based in Bendigo with an online and retail store. Our family consists of myself - Leanne, my husband - Ray and 2 sets of twins (yep!). One out of each set of twins is on the Autism Spectrum and another has sensory processing disorder.
Our children have taught us more about life than any other person. We have embraced being a special needs family and work hard every day to ensure all of our children are equipt for the day ahead.
Our youngest son now 9 is Autistic and also has an intellectual disability, diagnosed as 'non verbal autistic'. He was diagnosed when he was almost 3 and over the years we have had the need for Fidget Toys, oral items, speech assistance, weighted items and obsessions over various toys such as dinosaurs and cars. He also loves to do crafty things and makes a lot of his own things based on videos he has watched.
His twin has sensory processing disorder and whilst she is learning to deal with the noise frustrations, we have over the years had to make sure if we are going somewhere noisy to ensure we have noise cancelling headphones with us at all times.
And one of the older twins was diagnosed as being on the spectrum in 2015. Early in 2017 once he had started high school his occupational therapist, along with the school suggested we buy some fidget toys for him to assist with his growing frustrations with other kids disrupting classes at school. We use the zones of regulation and to assist him they suggested he utilise a Fidget toy when he needed to go back to the green zone before reaching the red zone. She had some toys in the room & when we enquired where to buy them she said 'online.'
So we went searching online along with him to see what he might like, but he wanted to be able to touch and see the toys. Unfortunately you can't do that online and so we went shopping in Bendigo to various shops that we thought 'might' have some suitable toys. This was even before the fidget Spinner craze, so we purchased some toys that he felt might help. I also purchased a variety of fidget toys online to see if any would help him and these are the items he uses still. From that purchase he mainly uses a puzzle fidget Cube, a marble cloth Squeeze and slide and he loves the fidget Spinners that are different as well as a few Squeeze toys. Since opening the store he now has a few more items he uses.
During 2017 our non verbal autistic son started to recognise and be able to verbalise his feelings which was an exciting step forward, this has allowed us to start the zones of regulation with him, just in a different way and we wanted more fidget toys to trial with him. But just as all children are different, so too are children on the spectrum & with special needs, so looking online once again, we found ourselves at a loss as to what we thought would work for him. We purchased a large variety for him to try and find the right fit. The frustration of having to purchase so many items is how the idea of the store was born. The name Fidget Kids comes from my older son - I had come up with another name & when i said it to him he said "oh i would have called it Fidget Kids", and immediately i knew that was the name it should be so within minutes we were on consumer affairs to see if the name was available :-)
We decided we wanted to support the families of Bendigo to have a place they could come to and be able to see and touch the items, just as our son wanted to do. Somewhere that you can purchase the items that will work for you and your children then and there. And we wanted to do so in a place where you could feel comfortable and safe. In our shop we have a play room so your child can play while you shop or you can use the room if your child becomes overwhelmed, it is our safe space play room. And please note this room can be used whether you are shopping in our store or not - if you are in Kangaroo Flat & need a place to calm your child, please feel free to call in & use the room.
When your child is diagnosed it can be a very tough time and at that time i didnt know a lot about special needs kids at all so there were a lot of tears and anxiety, especially when our youngest was diagnosed. But a great support network of family and friends and therapists helped us through that initial hard time and so now I am extremely passionate about helping other families and am so happy to be able to help and mentor others just as others helped me.
I have spent many many hours over the years helping my children, attending therapy and learning everything i can about their disorders as well as listening to them in what they need. And so I opened Fidget Kids as I want to not only sell items to assist other families but to also assist them in what i have learnt over the years about special needs kids and adults. We are not experts in Autism, but we are experts in our children and we have experienced a range of issues and have tried many different things - some items purchased and some items we have made ourselves to assist our children. Whilst we are aware that you are the expert for your child, we are happy to share our knowledge of the various things we have tried over the years from the perspective of a parent.
For example, when our older son was about 8 he inhaled a toy. He would put things in his mouth without even realising he was doing it. So one day he had a little plastic toy in his mouth when he got a shock, he inhaled sharply and so inhaled the toy. He ended up needing surgery to have it removed and that is when i learnt about chewy/oral items. He had 2 and used them for a few years before he just grew out of it and he is 13 now and is now quite passionate about helping other people to overcome this.
Fidget Kids means the world to a lot of families in Bendigo - having a store to go to and we want to be able to help as many people as possible.
We have been able to slowly increase our range but due to this being a new business we have to also keep on top of our rent, insurance and bills so we have decided to start this campaign to ensure we continue to grow and stay open and hopefully help us to achieve our dream of having a truly one stop shop for all sensory needs by increasing our range as well as starting the clubs and expanding our try before you buy area.
About Fidget Kids
Since opening in March this year we have had overwhelming support from the community in Bendigo, providing a much needed store to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder and everything in between. It has been our goal since opening to help as many people as possible to realise their goals, lead more independent lives, reduce stress and anxiety, create a community environment and to increase awareness of special needs.
Our Mission
To provide a one stop shop for all sensory needs, to advance independence, reduce stress and anxiety, increase social skills and increase awareness of special needs people in our community.
Thankyou for reading and thankyou in advance for helping me help others.
Fidget Kids sells a variety of sensory based items for children and adults with Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, sensory processing disorder and everything in between. Our store is located at 133-135 High St, Kangaroo Flat Vic 3555 and we also sell online at www.fidgetkids.com.au. Opening hours are 9.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays.
We are looking to expand our range and start a gaming and a craft club to be able to assist as many families as possible with a much larger range of products and to start our clubs of which we require funding.
Currently we have the following categories and set up:
• Fidget Toys
• Squeeze Toys
• Fidget Cubes
• Chewy/Oral Toys
• Sensory/Fine Motor Toys
• Other Toys
• A safe space play room (for children to play in while parents shop or to use as a calming room if your child becomes overwhelmed)
Expansion Plans/Ideas (As outlined below, the following is why we require funding)
• Expansion of Range of items such as - Weighted Blankets; auditory sensory items; safety items; greater range of chewy/oral items; visual items; books; social skill items; emotion items; pressure items; time timers; therapy aids and much more
• Gaming Club
• Craft Club
• Come in & try before you buy area
"Brought the boys in this morning and they had a ball testing all the products and playing in the calm room. Thanks Fidget Kids, a very sensory satisfying store. Xx" - Fidget Kids Customer
Please Donate for us to be able to purchase items to increase our range to include the more expensive items such as the weighted blankets and so that the range will truly be a one stop shop for all our special needs kids and adults, for this our goal is around $8000. Donations will also go towards setting up the come in and try before you buy area of which the goal to set this up is around $2000 and to purchase equipment and programs for our gaming club and our craft club, of which our goal is around $10000 as we will need computers, programs, desks, chairs and craft equipment. We will make every dollar count to create a range of products every person with special needs will benefit from and for our clubs we will create an experience our participants wont forget and will continue to want to participate in. We plan to make these clubs an inclusive, social experience that every child with these interests should have the opportunity to participate in.
And please note that whilst this is a very important fundraising campaign, any amount you can afford will be greatly appreciated. Making this an amazing store and community space will benefit an entire city, so i will thankyou in advance for any amount you can donate.
And we will of course keep you updated on how we are progressing.
History
So that is a snapshot on why we are asking for you to donate your money but I also want to give you a bit of background into our family, why we opened the shop and why this is a worthwhile cause.
We are a family owned and operated business, based in Bendigo with an online and retail store. Our family consists of myself - Leanne, my husband - Ray and 2 sets of twins (yep!). One out of each set of twins is on the Autism Spectrum and another has sensory processing disorder.
Our children have taught us more about life than any other person. We have embraced being a special needs family and work hard every day to ensure all of our children are equipt for the day ahead.
Our youngest son now 9 is Autistic and also has an intellectual disability, diagnosed as 'non verbal autistic'. He was diagnosed when he was almost 3 and over the years we have had the need for Fidget Toys, oral items, speech assistance, weighted items and obsessions over various toys such as dinosaurs and cars. He also loves to do crafty things and makes a lot of his own things based on videos he has watched.
His twin has sensory processing disorder and whilst she is learning to deal with the noise frustrations, we have over the years had to make sure if we are going somewhere noisy to ensure we have noise cancelling headphones with us at all times.
And one of the older twins was diagnosed as being on the spectrum in 2015. Early in 2017 once he had started high school his occupational therapist, along with the school suggested we buy some fidget toys for him to assist with his growing frustrations with other kids disrupting classes at school. We use the zones of regulation and to assist him they suggested he utilise a Fidget toy when he needed to go back to the green zone before reaching the red zone. She had some toys in the room & when we enquired where to buy them she said 'online.'
So we went searching online along with him to see what he might like, but he wanted to be able to touch and see the toys. Unfortunately you can't do that online and so we went shopping in Bendigo to various shops that we thought 'might' have some suitable toys. This was even before the fidget Spinner craze, so we purchased some toys that he felt might help. I also purchased a variety of fidget toys online to see if any would help him and these are the items he uses still. From that purchase he mainly uses a puzzle fidget Cube, a marble cloth Squeeze and slide and he loves the fidget Spinners that are different as well as a few Squeeze toys. Since opening the store he now has a few more items he uses.
During 2017 our non verbal autistic son started to recognise and be able to verbalise his feelings which was an exciting step forward, this has allowed us to start the zones of regulation with him, just in a different way and we wanted more fidget toys to trial with him. But just as all children are different, so too are children on the spectrum & with special needs, so looking online once again, we found ourselves at a loss as to what we thought would work for him. We purchased a large variety for him to try and find the right fit. The frustration of having to purchase so many items is how the idea of the store was born. The name Fidget Kids comes from my older son - I had come up with another name & when i said it to him he said "oh i would have called it Fidget Kids", and immediately i knew that was the name it should be so within minutes we were on consumer affairs to see if the name was available :-)
We decided we wanted to support the families of Bendigo to have a place they could come to and be able to see and touch the items, just as our son wanted to do. Somewhere that you can purchase the items that will work for you and your children then and there. And we wanted to do so in a place where you could feel comfortable and safe. In our shop we have a play room so your child can play while you shop or you can use the room if your child becomes overwhelmed, it is our safe space play room. And please note this room can be used whether you are shopping in our store or not - if you are in Kangaroo Flat & need a place to calm your child, please feel free to call in & use the room.
When your child is diagnosed it can be a very tough time and at that time i didnt know a lot about special needs kids at all so there were a lot of tears and anxiety, especially when our youngest was diagnosed. But a great support network of family and friends and therapists helped us through that initial hard time and so now I am extremely passionate about helping other families and am so happy to be able to help and mentor others just as others helped me.
I have spent many many hours over the years helping my children, attending therapy and learning everything i can about their disorders as well as listening to them in what they need. And so I opened Fidget Kids as I want to not only sell items to assist other families but to also assist them in what i have learnt over the years about special needs kids and adults. We are not experts in Autism, but we are experts in our children and we have experienced a range of issues and have tried many different things - some items purchased and some items we have made ourselves to assist our children. Whilst we are aware that you are the expert for your child, we are happy to share our knowledge of the various things we have tried over the years from the perspective of a parent.
For example, when our older son was about 8 he inhaled a toy. He would put things in his mouth without even realising he was doing it. So one day he had a little plastic toy in his mouth when he got a shock, he inhaled sharply and so inhaled the toy. He ended up needing surgery to have it removed and that is when i learnt about chewy/oral items. He had 2 and used them for a few years before he just grew out of it and he is 13 now and is now quite passionate about helping other people to overcome this.
Fidget Kids means the world to a lot of families in Bendigo - having a store to go to and we want to be able to help as many people as possible.
We have been able to slowly increase our range but due to this being a new business we have to also keep on top of our rent, insurance and bills so we have decided to start this campaign to ensure we continue to grow and stay open and hopefully help us to achieve our dream of having a truly one stop shop for all sensory needs by increasing our range as well as starting the clubs and expanding our try before you buy area.
About Fidget Kids
Since opening in March this year we have had overwhelming support from the community in Bendigo, providing a much needed store to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder and everything in between. It has been our goal since opening to help as many people as possible to realise their goals, lead more independent lives, reduce stress and anxiety, create a community environment and to increase awareness of special needs.
Our Mission
To provide a one stop shop for all sensory needs, to advance independence, reduce stress and anxiety, increase social skills and increase awareness of special needs people in our community.
Thankyou for reading and thankyou in advance for helping me help others.
Organizer
Leanne Turner
Organizer
West Bendigo VIC
