Lekotek

Lekotek, Swedish for "play library" is an international program to lend Assistive Technology, toys and expertise to disabled children. The first lekotek opened in 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden. From there the concept spread to other Scandinavian countries, Europe and the rest of the world. For example, there are over 50 lekoteks in the US. The first American lekotek opened in Evanston, Illinois in 1980. The first US lekoteks were founded by Sally DeVencentis and Sharon Draznin.

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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 pyschologist, Elizabeth Newson. Her book "Toys and Playthings, " (ISBN 0394428307) discusses the effect of play on child development.

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Assistive Technology: Assistive Technology (AT) is a generic term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices and the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence for people with disabilities by enabling them to use items that they were formerly unable to use by...

Stockholm: is the capital of Sweden, located on the east coast at the entrance of lake M?laren. With a population of 1,200,000 it is the largest city in Sweden....

Sweden: The Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: ') is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia on the east. Sweden has a low populatio...