New Line of Plush Toys Features Character With Autism
Florida-based product development company SipNDip has released an original line of plush toys made up of eight characters with back stories designed to teach kids about social acceptance. Each toy has a name and a personal story that represents people from all different walks of life.
One of them is named Ryan and has autism.
The Ryan toy is a cool kid who plays basketball, runs track and even plays guitar, according to the SipNDip Kickstarter page. Ryan, or “RyRy” as he’s also called, is based on one of the toy creators’ nephew, who also has autism and sometimes has difficulty connecting with kids his own age.
“A character like Ryan helps educate kids in a inspirational way,” says a spokesman for SipNDip in the video below. “It prepares them to be compassionate and worldly citizens in the future”
A percentage of the sales from the Ryan plush toy will be donated to help kids with autism, SipNDip told The Mighty in an email. The company has partnered with Bike to the Beach, an organization that raises money for autism with charity bike rides.
For more information about SipNDip and the Ryan plushie toy, check out the video below:
SipNDip is currently raising money via kickstarter, visit the page for more information on how to purchase a plush toy.
Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
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