About
The History of Hasbro & The Autism Project
Families, teachers, and professionals can make the most of playtime with this collection of visual tools and playtime activities created in collaboration between Hasbro and The Autism Project. For even more resources and information on using these tools, visit www.theautismproject.org
Hasbro's fundamental mission is to bring joy and play to children and their families around the world. But for some children, play can be challenging. For children with developmental disabilities, play isn’t always accessible out of the box. More often, countless toys are relegated to the back of the closet or the donation bin. Even more importantly, the joy and benefits that play can bring — the connection to peers, siblings and other generations — may be lost.
Collectively, our mission is simple: Making Play Accessible
Believing that we could do more, a passionate group of Hasbro employees from across the company came together to team up with The Autism Project, a longtime philanthropic partner of the Hasbro Children’s Fund, to figure out a way to help. The team learned that many classic Hasbro toys are widely used by teachers and occupational therapists working in the field — and further that those professionals have been creating their own supplemental materials for use alongside traditional toys. These supportive play tools provide a kind of structure that is critical to the way certain children manipulate concepts to understand play. The ToyBox Tools program was created to provide that structure through a series of tools rooted in evidence-based and emerging best practices. These instructional videos, printable materials and play-mats are designed to help families, caregivers and teachers unlock the power of play, and to make play more fun and enjoyable at a child’s own pace. ToyBox Tools recognizes that parents and caregivers know their children best and encourages them to use their judgment in selecting the right product and level for their child.