ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Christmas came early for some students at Virginia Heights Elementary School in the star city, as students from Roanoke College delivered gifts through the school’s Toy Like Me program, changing them to reflect a child’s disability.
According to the CDC, in the United States, one in six children has some type of disability. Whether that be hearing impairments or being on the autism spectrum. Now, to reflect the nearly 17% of kids affected, Toy Like Me was created at Roanoke College nine years ago.
“When the child plays, they’re playing with the toy that is themself, that they feel connected to,” said Frances McCutcheon, a lecturer at Roanoke College, and creator of the Toy Like Me program. “Playing with other kids whose dolls look like them, and they don’t have to have this difference is invisible, or having to pretend to hide it.”…