Wolf and Friends
There are a lot of terrifying things about being a mother. Even at the best of times, it can be an overwhelming and isolating experience.
Carissa Tozzi became a mother to Wolf in 2011, and her world was changed forever.
Her world changed again when only a few years later, Wolf’s preschool teacher said her son might have sensory issues.
Now ‘sensory issues’ can mean anything from being slightly sensitive to clothing touching the skin to having a full blown processing disorder.
The first thing Carissa did – as anyone is want to do when supplied with overwhelming information, was to search the web, looking for tools and toys that could help make both of their lives easier.
What she found left her surprised and disappointed.
In an article for Forbes Carissa said,
“What I found in the market was completely depressing not to mention that it didn’t serve his needs.
At the same time, many of my friends, colleagues and other parents at Wolf’s school were sharing stories about their kids and the challenges they were facing – from delays in social and emotional development to autism, anxiety, ADHD, and sensory processing issues.”
So, Carissa made it her mission to explore and reinvent not only the shopping experience but the products available to children who are on the autism spectrum.
The brand WOLF + FRIENDS
was born; a design-minded, inclusive, and compassionate brand providing modern and imaginative decor, toys, furniture, and fashion ideas that support a child’s physical, sensory, communicative, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
It’s one of the first brands of its kind, and now Carissa alongside her business partner Gena Mann, are being celebrated across the web, by parents and non-parents alike.
Speaking to the New York Times recently, Carissa said, “There are enough things in the life of a special-needs parent that are challenging. You know what I really wanted? A space online where autism didn’t suck all the time”.
It’s a feeling a lot of other parents out there can relate with.
The thriving blog section of the website has transformed what could have been simply an online store to an inspirational lifestyle platform. It means parents and family members can share their stories building connection and community.
Categories on the site’s store section include fidget toys, fine motor toys, toys for social and emotional development plus toys for speech and language development.
Another role model challenging and recreating our views of fashion and disability (perhaps, ability would be a better word to use here) is the Madeline Stuart.
The ambitious teenager is determined to carve out a successful modelling career and redefine industry norms as she does it.
The bubbly 18-year-old knows how to work the camera lens. She also happens to have Down syndrome but with her mother Roseanne’s help, the pair are striving hard to launch young Maddy’s career.
Read all about Maddy’s journey here.
