My niece will be graduating high school this spring. She is mentally & physically handicapped so this is a huge deal for our family and we are extremely proud of her. My question is what to get her ?? She will not be attending college or anything similar. Money of course is always an option but I kind of wanted something a little different. Any ideas ?
Thanks for all your help :)
I would get her something that will remind her of her special day and of her accomplishment. Some sort of keepsake like a necklace or bracelet with her graduation date engraved on it.
Walgreens has a graduation Barbie. I thought this was pretty cool. They also hacve a lot of small Grad things. Good luck and tell her congrats...my daughter has mild problems and she is going to her first year of highschool.
Maybe you could give her a day of "auntie" time... take her to lunch, get a pedicure or manicure, get your hair styled, go shopping, or take her to the zoo. I think time is a much more personal and special gift than anything money can buy.
Don't undervalue a gift of money! If she gets money from several relatives or friends she can put it together and get something really nice. Sometimes what I will do is get a small gift (charm or necklace or personalized stationary) and then a check to go with it. A gift card is nice but money will allow her to use it as she needs.
Buy her a gift that plays music or a video game. This type of kids loves music or video games .
I know that it doesn't sound like much of a present, but I bought the Willow Tree angel that has her hands "signing" the international sign for love. We gave it to my sister-in-law who is Autistic, for her birthday. In the card I wrote that we were sending her this angel to let her know how much her whole family loves her, and how much God loves her. It's a small present, but it will always be there to remind her of our love. She's much older than us, and has come so far in dealing with her Autism, that now she responds to people very well. Hope it helps!
What about an engraved picture frame for her to put a picture of the special day?
Check out personalcreations.com or Personalizationmall.com
I have loved everything I have ever ordered from both of these sites. If you have a passbook there are coupons in there for both of these sites.
A charm bracelet. A few charms like a graduation cap, her birthstone, if the family is Christian a cross... Congratulations.
Since I do not know the extent of her handicap, could she and would she possibly enjoy a day at the spa or a facial and partial massage.
What about a nice, but moderately priced, piece of jewelry? Charm bracelets are a great thing to start and James Avery has some beautiful charm and chain options.
It might also be neat if you just gave her a gift card and she could pick what ever she wanted. That would make her feel grown up.
What will she be doing? Will she be in any job training or anything?
D., All girls love to cuddle with a nice throw over their lap. I usually get one in the color of their new school and have their name embroidered on the corner with the other color of their new school. I have used this for all my daughters friends gifts and they love them and still have them. Also, if you go the money way, I tape the bills end on end and roll them up and put them in a box and wrap it nicely. Then when they unwrap, the bills just keep coming and coming. It's fun to watch them roll out the money. Congratulations to your niece.
What an opportunity to gift your neice with something personal and meaningful. I read through the other responses and mine was much the same, a personalized throw, jewelry box or jewelry would be meaningful. Depending on your price range, something of sterling silver would stay with her forever such as silver hairbrush or hand mirror.
Most importantly, take this time to let her know how very proud you are of her and that SHE is the gift!
I used to work at Plano Sr. High School, with the students who had severe and profound needs. Depending on your niece's cognitive level, if she can do addition and subtraction, a gift card to a clothing store might make her feel very grown up. It could be a special outing day, at which she could pick out new clothes, and have fun. Another fun idea would be a make over, if she is into that sort of thing (many of my students were). Mary Kay consultants always seem to be looking for faces, so if you know one, perhaps she could help you out. It might be very helpful for your niece to review personal hygiene in such an adult way.
How nice of you to do something so special. I am sure she will appreciate anything -- and will probably truly enjoy anything that makes her feel adult.
Congratulations!!! That was quite an accomplishment.
scrapbooking supplies. It helps every child realize that they are important. This even works for boys too. If your niece can do basic figuring & is good at presenting things, it could even hold potential for a way for her to have an income if she gets bitten by the bug, the way many of us are.
I would get her a digital picture frame that you can load hundreds of her favorite pictures on so she can watch them whenever she wants. I love having mine so I can always have loved ones and fond memories easily accessible.
Hi D.:
How about taking a bunch of pictures at her graduation ceremony of her and her classmates and teachers (maybe of family members, also) - then making her a photo album? I'm sure she has wonderful memories of her years in high school and it sounds like a lot of people helped her to get where she is today.
Also, a cute idea for graduates; Dr. Suess', "Oh the Places You'll Go" is a great book for any kind of graduation!
Have a wonderful time at your nieces graduation!
