Educational toys associated with storytelling used with a child with multiple disabilities

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the effects of educational toys associated with storytelling in the interaction of a child with multiple disabilities. A ten-year-old child diagnosed with multiple disabilities (cerebral palsy and visual impairment) participated in the study. The single subject design in the AB model was employed to verify and evaluate the study variables of the study, the dependent variable being the interaction abilities with the educational toys. The independent variable was characterized by the application of educational toys linked with storytelling and additional strategies. As resources, eight toys were selected and adapted from the kit of the LARAMARA institution for the blind, which met the research objective. The training was based on storytelling followed by the use of adapted strategies in different situations, totaling six sessions for each toy, divided into two stages, baseline (A) and intervention (B). All sessions were filmed, analyzed and scored according to the rubric gauging, to measure the participant’s interaction with the toys. As results, it can be demonstrated that, in the baseline phases, the participant did not interact with the toy. However, when the intervention was introduced, there was a significant increase in the number of interactions with educational toys, as the participant was able to manipulate them and give function to all the toys. In summary, the use of educational toys associated with storytelling may indicate a possible intervention for people with multiple disabilities with the intention of offering more significant interaction with the toy.