Olipop Toyshop – Ling Sound Toys

  • US$3,745.00
    raised of $25,000.00 goal goal
14% Funded
18 Donors
Raised offline: $16,750.00
Total: $20,495.00

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities

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OLIPOP TOYSHOP

Our intention at Olipop Toyshop is to make Ling sound toys and LMH puzzles accessible world wide to children that need them. We have created age-appropriate, safe, quality, wooden educational toys focusing on the therapy of children using hearing technology. Our aim is to be able to distribute these toys and puzzles for use in homes, early intervention programs, school districts, speech/language pathology, teachers of the deaf and audiology practices.

WELCOME

My name is Bianka Wasserman and I started Olipop Toyshop to help children just like our son Oliver, or Oli or Olipop as he likes to be called. Oliver received two cochlear implants when he was just 6 months old.

Pictured is Bianka, Daniel and Oliver (Oli/Olipop) Wasserman.

As hearing parents of a child newly diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing, it is hard to describe what goes through your mind. You want to do as much as possible and you want to do EVERYTHING 'right'. When we started early intervention, we were asked to look for toys that could be used for daily therapy. The search was on to find toys that could be used and associated with the Ling sounds. It was really difficult to find age appropriate, good quality, practical and safe toys that could be used long term. I decided the easiest way forward was to have a set of wooden toys custom made.

Our little Superhear-o when he was almost 1 with toys from the developmental phase

Below you will find pictures of the new and improved more child-friendly toys.

OUR STORY

Oliver, our son, was born in November 2019. He was only a few weeks old when we found out he was deaf. A diagnosis like this, 40 years ago would have meant that he would have limited or no access to sound and his main mode of communication would most likely have been sign language. However, thankfully with the technology available today, Oliver now has communication options. He has access to sound with his two “magic ears” or cochlear implants, giving him an opportunity for spoken language.

This picture of Oliver and Kaci (who also has cochlear implants) was taken a few days after he was “switched on”.

Having his cochlear implants ‘implanted’ and ‘switched on’ was only the beginning of Oliver’s sound journey. Just because he had hearing technology didn’t mean that he could hear. There was a lot of work to be done and continues to be done, to train his brain how to listen.

THE THERAPY

Early intervention is key to unlocking spoken language for babies who are deaf and/ or hard of hearing. Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) focuses on coaching the parents or carers of the child in the use of Auditory Verbal strategies and techniques in everyday activities and play so that every opportunity is used to develop the child's listening brain and spoken language skills.

THE TOYS

In order for the therapy to work, the child's technology i.e. cochlear implant, Baha or hearing aid needs to be working properly. This is where the Ling sounds come in.

They were developed in the late 1970s by Daniel Ling, an Aural Habilitation specialist, whose teaching methods are still used around the world today. The Ling sounds are different sounds from low to high pitch. They are used as a daily assessment to check one’s access to the range of speech sounds. Hearing this range of speech sounds is needed to learn spoken language. If the child can hear the Ling sounds with their technology on, we know it is working properly.

The Ling Six Sounds are as follows: “ah, oo, ee, mm, sh, ss”.

Here is a list of common pairings:

"ah": aeroplane

"oo": train (or ghost)

"ee": mouse (or monkey or spider)

"mm": ice cream (or some other type of food)

"sh": baby

"ss" snake

Pictured above is an Olipop Toyshop Ling Sound Toy set.

What matters most is that these sounds are paired with language so that they become meaningful. So play and toys are used to create these associations. We are, after all, training the brain to hear.

Pictured above is Endinalo playing with the Ling Sound toys at the Carel du Toit Centre with his mom, Balekane.

The sounds have recently been extended to include 4 more sounds, the test is now referred to as ‘The 10 Ling Madell Hewitt Sound Test’. We have included the extra sounds in the puzzles. The extra sounds are:

"j": frog (or kangaroo)

"n": an index finger waving side to side (or a child drawing on a wall)

"h": dog

"z": bee

Pictured above is an Olipop Toyshop Flat LMH puzzle.

The Ling sound toys are intended to be used up until the age of two or three and then the Flat LMH puzzles and Boxed LMH puzzles can be introduced for older toddlers and used through childhood and adolescence.

Pictured above is Devina with Jenni Bester, the Speech-Language Pathologist at Carel du Toit Centre, playing with the Flat LMH Sound puzzle.

THE PLAN

Having experienced early intervention both in South Africa and in Oregon in the United States, it became clear to us that easy access to age-appropriate, safe, quality educational toys was hard to come by.
Having had the custom toy set made for Oliver, it occurred to us that it would be quite magical to be able to share this with children and parents all over the world in the same situation as us. The toy sets are currently being made overseas while the puzzles are being made locally in South Africa.

Pictured above is Annelie at Carel du Toit Centre playing with the Boxed LMH sound puzzle pieces.

FUTURE OF OLIPOP TOYSHOP

The products we have to offer today are just the beginning. As we continue to learn more while consulting with with speech therapists, teachers of the deaf, audiologists, occupational therapists, parents and caregivers we can continue to create more. Specifically, on the horizon for now, we plan to expand the Ling toy set to include toys associated with the extra four sounds. We would also like to make toys that can represent the 26 Learn to Listen to Sounds.

Being able to customise the Flat LMH sound puzzles is also something we would like to offer, by being able to add children's names as well as company logos. We also understand that while the ling sounds are universal, their pictures often change depending on the country where the child lives. For example, in South Africa, we rarely use the ghost for the ‘oo oo oo’ sound, which is rather mainstream in the USA. Recently, we have consulted with audiologists in South Africa and made a Flat LMH puzzle that represents the sounds for testing in South Africa, we hope this will become a mainstream tool used by many.

CHALLENGES

The biggest obstacle for this project currently is fundraising and shipping logistics.

We need your help to get the first shipment of Olipop Toyshop toys out into the world and into the little hands that need them. Design and production of the toys have had their ups and downs, but those have been sorted out. We have made a large investment in the design and production of the toy sets and have done so with the utmost love.

We have now put together this crowdfunding campaign to get the first shipment of toys. How can you help? You can help by either donating funds, by pre-ordering the products for yourself or donating the pre-ordered toys. If you pre-order to donate the toys, they will go to the Carel du Toit Centre (Carel du Toit also has sister centres in Bloemfontein and East London) at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa or Whispers Speech and Hearing Centre, in Pretoria, South Africa.


Pictured above is the CHAT Centre, at Carel Du Toit Centre

Pictured below is Nina with Jenni, a Speech-Language Pathologist at Carel du Toit Centre playing with the LMH Sound puzzle.

Your support is so much appreciated and will allow one more little superhear-o to hear through play!

Above is a picture of our little superhear-o and inspiration behind Olipop Toyshop, Oli.

A NOTE ON SHIPPING

If you donated to the campaign and choose to pre-order any of the toys or puzzles, please be aware that shipping will be billed separately from the campaign. As you donate to the campaign, Olipop Toyshop will make contact via email, have your shipping address confirmed and then send an invoice through PayPal. We have found a great company to help with the logistics and they have offered us extremely competitive prices to get these toys and puzzles into little hands both in South Africa and world wide.

- Shipping in South Africa will be charged at a flat rate of $6 (+/- R100)

-Shipping internationally will vary but we will strive to make it as cost effective as possible. In the table below you will find some estimated prices for the USA & EU, please note prices are only estimates and are subject to change.

Toy or Puzzle USA England/EU
Flat LMH sound puzzle $9 $13
Boxed LMH sound puzzle $9 $17
Ling sound toys set $15 $25
1 of each (Flat & Boxed LMH puzzle & Ling sound toys) $25 $34


-Any toys or puzzles that are being donated will NOT be charged shipping.

While we have done everything to ensure that no extra tax is added to the toys. Kindly note that some countries levy an additional import tax on products imported from South Africa - this tax or import fees are for the buyers account.

Rewards

Thank you very much

As Oli would say “thank you very much”. Every cent given helps us to reach our goal. We appreciate you.

2 Backers
reward_image
2 Backers
GET 1 LMH Sound Puzzle

GET 1 LMH Puzzle and a surprise gift. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal.

1 Backers
reward_image
1 Backers
GET 1 LMH Sound Puzzle Box

GET 1 LMH Sound Puzzle Box and a surprise gift. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal.

1 Backers
reward_image
1 Backers
GET 1 Ling Sound Toy Set

GET 1 Ling Sound Toy Set and a surprise gift. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal.

3 Backers
reward_image
3 Backers
GET 1, GIVE 1 LMH Sound Puzzle

GET 1 LMH Sound Puzzle and a surprise gift. GIVE 1 LMH Sound Puzzle to Carel Du Toit Center or Whispers Speech and Hearing Centre. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal. Toys and puzzles donated will NOT be charged shipping.

0 Backers
reward_image
0 Backers
GET 1, GIVE 1 LMH Sound Puzzle Box

GET 1 LMH Sound Puzzle Box and a surprise gift. GIVE 1 LMH Sound Puzzle Box to Carel Du Toit Center or Whispers Speech and Hearing Centre. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal. Toys and puzzles donated will NOT be charged shipping.

0 Backers
reward_image
0 Backers
GET 1, GIVE 1 Ling Sound Toy Set

GET 1 Ling Sound Toy Set and a surprise gift. GIVE 1 Ling Sound Toy Set to Carel Du Toit Center or Whispers Speech and Hearing Centre. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal. Toys and puzzles donated will NOT be charged shipping.

0 Backers
reward_image
0 Backers
GET 1 OF EACH

GET 1 OF EACH - A LMH Puzzle, LMH Puzzle Box, Ling Sound Toy Set and a surprise gift. You will also receive a Olipop Toyshop Tote Bag and 2 practical digital downloads. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal.

2 Backers
reward_image
2 Backers
GET 1 OF EACH, GIVE 1 OF EACH

GET 1 OF EACH - a LMH Puzzle, LMH Puzzle Box, Ling Sound Toy Set and a surprise gift. You will also receive a Olipop Toyshop Tote Bag and 2 practical digital downloads. GIVE 1 OF EACH - a LMH Puzzle, LMH Puzzle Box, Ling Sound Toy Set and a surprise gift. You will also receive a Olipop Toyshop Tote Bag and 2 practical digital downloads. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal. Toys and puzzles donated will NOT be charged shipping.

0 Backers
reward_image
0 Backers
GET 5 SETS

GET 5 SETS - Each set containing a LMH Puzzle, LMH Puzzle Box, Ling Sound Toy Set and two surprise gifts. You will also receive an Olipop Toyshop Tote Bag and 2 practical digital downloads. Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal.

0 Backers
reward_image
0 Backers
GET 10 SETS

GET 10 SETS - Each set containing a LMH Puzzle, LMH Puzzle Box, Ling Sound Toy Set and three surprise gifts. You will also receive a Olipop Toyshop Tote Bag and 2 practical digital downloads. You will also get a zoom or in person meeting with Bianka and the original Olipop! Please note that shipping is charged separately from this campaign. You will be contacted directly by Olipop Toyshop to confirm your shipping address and be invoiced via Paypal.

0 Backers
reward_image
0 Backers

Organizer

Donors

  • Lauren Johnson
  • Donated on Mar 21, 2023
$35.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 19, 2023
Amount Hidden
  • Alise Smith
  • Donated on Mar 19, 2023
$35.00
Jun 13

All toys and puzzles to be delivered this week!

Update posted by Bianka Wasserman at 08:04 am
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Thank you so much again for supporting Olipop Toyshop! All toys and puzzles are to be delivered this week. If you have not received them by the end of the week please do reach out to us at [email protected]. Thank you again for supporting Olipop Toyshop and we are so

See update
0
May 31

The toys and puzzles are on their way...

Update posted by Bianka Wasserman at 06:28 am
rrrr

The toys and puzzles are on their way to their new homes. To all of you that backed our gogetfunding campaign, thank you so much for your support. We are so excited for you to receive your toys and puzzles and extra's! Your tracking details will be sent to each

See update
0
Apr 01

The Campaign is Over

Update posted by Bianka Wasserman at 07:20 pm
rrrr

It's already been a month! We didn't reach our intended goal BUT we were able to raise enough funds to pay for our first run of the Ling sound toys. Thank you so much for all those that not just donated, pre-ordered, liked, shared and followed, it has all helped.

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0
Mar 26

5 More Days to Go!

Update posted by Bianka Wasserman at 06:09 pm
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Five more days to go till the end of our campaign! We have raised enough funds to have the first order completed. Now we need to pay for the freight, duties and taxes. Please share our campaign so that we can get the word out there and help to more

See update
0
Mar 19

12 Days to go!

Update posted by Bianka Wasserman at 08:37 am
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12 Days to go!Thank you so much for all your support! Since launching the website and crowdfunding campaign on the 1st of March we have had such positive feedback. We have been able to collect a significant amount of funds offline, which means we are only $4540 left before we

See update
0

Donors & Comments

18 donors
  • Lauren Johnson
  • Donated on Mar 21, 2023
$35.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 19, 2023
Amount Hidden
  • Alise Smith
  • Donated on Mar 19, 2023
$35.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 17, 2023
$35.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 11, 2023
$2000.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 07, 2023
$10.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 07, 2023
$15.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 07, 2023
$10.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 07, 2023
$10.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Mar 07, 2023
$10.00
Show more donors

Followers

4 followers
Nancie Smith
kandra brassfield
Brooke Laughlin
Helena van der Westhuizen
US$3,745.00
raised of $25,000.00 goal
14% Funded
18 Donors
Raised offline: $16,750.00
Total: $20,495.00

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities