As a company that loves all kids, Toys"R"Us, Inc. has a long history of supporting the special needs community. For nearly two decades, we have published the annual Toys"R"Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, an easy-to-use resource featuring specially selected toys that encourage play for children with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities.

During the past several years, Toys"R"Us has worked with various personalities who have served as the "face" of the Guide. Among the many celebrities are Eva Longoria, Holly Robinson Peete, Whoopi Goldberg, Meredith Vieira, Maria Shriver, Marlee Matlin and John Ritter. This year's cover features mom, TV host and philanthropist Nancy O'Dell. Click here for a gallery of past Guide covers.

This complimentary, one-of-a-kind resource speaks to a child's individual needs and offers qualified toy recommendations based on research from the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization that evaluates all of the toys featured in the Guide.

We use the term "differently-abled" to stress that all children have unique skills and abilities.

Toys"R"Us founder Charles Lazarus heard from customers and store employees about the challenges of finding appropriate toys for the special needs children in their lives. As a result, in 1994 Mr. Lazarus spearheaded the creation of the Toys"R"Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids. Since then, Toys"R"Us, Inc. has published the Guide every year, distributing it in stores and, since 2006, making it available online.

Anyone who knows and loves a child with special needs will find the Guide to be a valuable resource. Since its inception, thousands of parents, relatives, friends and professionals have relied on the Guide to help them determine which toys are suitable for a child's particular abilities.

The Guide also offers the National Lekotek Center's "Top Ten Tips for Buying Toys," which encourages relatives and caregivers to ask pertinent questions before purchasing a toy for differently-abled kids, such as, "Will the toy provide a challenge without frustration?" and "Can play be open-ended with no definite right or wrong way?"

Because all kids are unique regardless of ability, toys are not categorized by disability; nor are they categorized by age. Instead, symbols are assigned to each toy so parents can find those that promote different skills, such as Auditory, Language, Social, Creativity and more. In this way, the Guide helps parents of all children choose toys that help build or reinforce a variety of skills. All toys in the Guide have been designated with at least two or more symbols. There is also an easy-to-use toy selection index that lists toys according to the skills they help develop, so parents can quickly find toys that most benefit their child's development and learning.

Toys"R"Us works with the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization that evaluates hundreds of toys based on specific criteria during therapeutic play sessions to identify those items that best contribute to the development of children with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. The National Lekotek Center carefully reviews hundreds of products, selects those with exceptional qualities and writes descriptive copy highlighting the features that make the items suitable for children with special needs. Toys featured in the Guide are everyday playthings suitable for children of varying skills and abilities.

For nearly 30 years, the National Lekotek Center has provided therapeutic play services to thousands of children in dozens of centers across the United States. As a result of this expertise, the organization has become the leader in determining appropriate toys for children with unique abilities. You can learn more about the National Lekotek Center by visiting www.Lekotek.org.

At Toys"R"Us, nothing is more important than the safety of your children. Included in the Guide are "Safe Play Tips," created with guidance from leading safety and special needs organizations to help parents and caregivers avoid playtime injuries.

All toys featured in the Guide are available at Toys"R"Us^® stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/DifferentlyAbled. Additionally, the microsite offers a selection of items that are only available online.

Copies of the Guide are available at all Toys"R"Us^® and Babies"R"Us^® locations nationwide. If you represent a special needs organization or are a special needs educator or therapist, you may e-mail DifferentlyAbled@toysrus.com to receive copies in bulk free of charge for redistribution. A "flippable" digital version, as well as a downloadable version in both English and Spanish, can be found by clicking here.

The latest version of the Guide is available every September. You can e-mail DifferentlyAbled@toysrus.com to be added to next year's mailing list. If you are already on our mailing list, you will automatically receive a copy of the latest edition upon release. For a more environmentally friendly option, click here to receive an e-mail alert when the latest digital Guide becomes available online.

For a history of celebrities and other recognizable personalities who have appeared on the cover of the Guide, see below.