Lekotek, Swedish for "play library" is an international program to lend Assistive Technology

Assistive technology

Assistive technology or adaptive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them...

, toys and expertise to disabled children. The first lekotek opened in 1963 in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. From there the concept spread to other Scandinavian countries, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and the rest of the world. For example, there are over 50 lekoteks in the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The first American lekotek opened in Evanston, Illinois

Evanston, Illinois

Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...

 in 1980. The first US lekoteks were founded by Sally DeVencentis and Sharon Draznin.

Underlying concept

The underlying concept is that early intervention through play with adapted toys and technology can teach disabled children to deal with the "normal" world. Some of theoretical basis for the lekotek movement comes from work done by a British psychologist, Elizabeth Newson. Her book "Toys and Playthings, " (ISBN 0-394-42830-7) discusses the effect of play on child development.

Launch of AblePlay

In November 2005, the National Lekotek Center launched their new AblePlay website at www.AblePlay.org providing access to authoritative ratings and detailed reviews from National Lekotek professionals on loads of toys and other play products. Lekotek's unique evaluation process yields product information categorized by disability category to further simplify the toy-buying experience. Parents and professionals also stand to benefit from insightful play ideas for each toy, as well as from the online forums to allow them to share experiences and provide personal advice to each other. Launching AblePlay was an important step in realizing Lekotek's goal to be the central source of information and support services involving toys and play for kids with special needs. National Lekotek is a division of Anixter Center which provides services to more than 5,000 adults and children with disabilities through 70 programs at 35 locations annually.

External links

• http://www.lekotek.org National (US) Lekotek Center
• http://www.AblePlay.org National Lekotek's AblePlay Toy Ratings Website
• http://www.hi.se/omhjalpmedel/svensk_hj/LEKOT.SHTM