For those who don’t know, kids with autism often don’t have pretend play like NT kids do. So buying Moose the latest action figure or Lego set isn’t going to fly.
Moose prefers to MOVE! Bounce! Crash. Spin. Swing. He never had interest in typical toys since the age of 2 when autism struck.
Playing with my sons is a full-body workout. An added bonus? I no longer have a gym membership.
1.) Parachute. This helps with social interaction, following directions, etc.
@ Target {here}
2.) Exercise ball. Great for strengthening core muscles. Most kids with autism have low muscle tone. Don’t buy one from a sensory magazine. A smaller size exercise ball works just fine. Moose uses my yoga ball. Added bonus, others in the house benefit as well. A 2 for 1 gift!
3.) Scooter Board. Santa brought this for Moose last year. It has been used every day since Christmas Day 2011. Good for sensory input and core building. Genius, given that this scooter board is under $25! Just like the ones you used in PE as a kid.
@Amazon here
4.) Bilibo. Moose could spin for hours in this thing. It really helps regulate him. All kids in my house are drawn to this odd shaped piece of plastic. I was skeptical about the reviews, but clearly, it is popular for a reason.
@ Target: {here}
5.) Tunnels. According to Moose’s doctor, the more kids with autism crawl, the more the social wiring in their brain regulates. Moose is in this tunnel often.
@ Target {here}
6.) Tents. Great for hiding when life is too overwhelming. I store these behind our couches when not in use.
7.) Indoor swing. Moose’s Nana bought him this one from Ikea last Christmas. The whole she-bang was less than $40.
{Ikea may still have it!}
8.) Bean bag. We have a fancy one from Z Gallerie that we purchased before I had kids. Great for sensory input and crashing. If you are crafty means, these are not that difficult to sew. But, if not, there’s some reasonable ones like the one below:
Beanbag @ Target. Must buy in store.
9.) Bouncy house. All kids should have one if the funds allow. Great for kids that live in horrific climates like our beloved Second City. Great for tiring out the tykes. Ours was less than $200, fits in our dollhouse, and has paid for itself already. Plus, you don’t have to drag your kids to those flu-invested blow-up places in the dead of winter.
@ Target. Worth the investment: Here
10.) If you are of the financial means...an iPad would make a fantastic addition. There’s tons of research on the tremendous effect iPads have on visually-oriented kids with autism. Moose doesn’t really interact with his, but the Sesame Street You Tube videos are used as positive reinforcers during his ABA sessions. He is starting to take interest in his iPad as of this article being updated. Yea!
iPads for Autism. Here
11.) If the child you are shopping for is in ABA therapy, Moose received these ABA photo cards from his Nana this year. They are pricey, retailing for $150! But, I found them on Amazon for much cheaper. Behold:
{not #aff via Amazon}12.) Especially in these winter months, an indoor trampoline is necessary for kids who need that sensory input. Also, great for parents of NT kids, who just want to wipe them out before bedtime.
Yup. Every home with kids needs one. @Target here
Extra Credit:
If your gift recipient is a chewer…get them the chewies or chewlery. I need to order more, as our 20 chewies have all been lost or eaten by my evil Boston Terrier, Sir Doodle. Now Moose is back to gnawing on Matchbox cars and his fingers. Gah.
If you or someone you love have purchased gifts for kids with autism…please share your ideas below in the comments!
Enlighten me!Stay tuned for more epic holiday ideas, crafts, and musing,
Nicolette
For more caustic wit and brilliance, please follow me via the time sucks of social media. I want to see your pretty faces here. I really do.
Post above contains #aff links. I was not perked by any mention herein. Though I should be.
*updated from 2011′s post
Those are great ideas, and would go over well with NT kids as well! Thanks for the ideas, and have a great holiday!
Great picks! My son is getting a innotab (kid ipad) but I now want to get that bilibo!! so cool!
Thank you! I have often struggled with many of shirts being chewed on and have never heard of these chewies! I am stocking up so thank you so much!
This was a really great post. Very informative for people who are interested in learning more about autism too.
Great ideas! I work in an adult foster home specializing in Autism, and each guy is very different, but a big hit in our house is comfy sack’s giant bean bag (http://www.comfysacks.com/top-sellers) which is filled with cushion bits instead of beads. Also, a small indoor trampoline is a big hit with one guy, and another really loves his solar system laser projector thingy-kind of like this one: http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder100/7226/#tabs .
Thanks for this post. I am a pediatric occupational therapist, so autism is very familiar to me. I also specialize in sensory integration, and I find myself having to “sell” the idea to parents and professionals. These are great ideas using regular toys to help a child get the sensory input he needs. Great job.
http://chaospatrol.blogspot.com
Great list! Do you have a link for the tunnel? I’d like to get that for my creeper/crawler (8.5 months). Thanks! And if you have any articles on the importance of crawling, I’d like to see those too!
Hi M-
I tried emailing you directly, but your email isn’t hooked up to your profile. You can change that in your settings if you wish.
Otherwise, the bloggess can’t email you with answers!
The tunnel was on amazon {I lifted most of the pictures from there}. Their prices are good unless you can score one at Tar-jay on clearance like I did for $3. I have also seen them at the used baby store by my home…
My son’s DAN was the one who mentioned crawling/socializing article. I never crawled as a baby, and was terrible at math. I know I have seen articles on that correlation…
As far as crawling goes
Great list!
Haha–is your Boston’s name really “Sir Doodle” – it made me chuckle out loud when I read that. Great gift ideas – I have 2 very energetic toddlers (age 1 & 2) and live in Ohio…so ideas to release energy inside the house are very appreciated!
We have almost all of these. My son also enjoys:
mini-trampoline-with a balance bar for holding on
kid sized mummy-style sleeping bag
my exercise foam roller and
being rolled up in my yoga mat
Any suggestions about specific autism apps that you like?
What a wonderful idea, I’ll be sure to give my niece the exercise ball to play with. Thank you very much for the idea.
These are fantastic ideas! Thank you so much for sharing all of them. Definitely a great resource for children with Autism or even just sensory specific issues as well.