Choosing Toys for a Child With Autism
This article has been reprinted here, with permission from Exceptional Parent magazine. It was written by Susan Senator.
Tips on Choosing Toys for a Child with Autism:
When my son was 11 months old, he went to his first birthday party. The birthday boy received a truck, a sing-along video tape, a learn-to-dress doll, and a ball. He was extremely excited about all of his toys, going from one to the other, squealing with the abandon only a baby can muster. I remember thinking, with a sinking heart, that my baby would not like any of those toys. I did not know he had autism at the time; I only knew that he did not seem to like, or even notice, toys.I have come a long way since those days of being mystified and heartsick. It has not been easy, but I have now figured out just what toys works for Nat and what toys do not. The following contains some toys that he has liked and some pointers for how I choose toys successfully for my child with autism:
- Don't pay attention to the ages listed by the manufacturers—except in terms of choking
hazards
If your child is developing atypically, as is the case with pervasive developmental disorder/autism spectrum disorders (PDD/ASD), then it doesn't matter if the box says: "ages 4 to 6" and he is 8. He may be ready for the toy at 8 or 10, but not before. What matters is getting your kid to play with something, to expand his horizons. Of course, parents should always pay attention to the choking warnings on products and keep in mind that children with autism may mouth things inappropriately, so small pieces may be a problem way beyond the usual age of 3. - If something does not appeal to your child, try it at another phase of his life
The all-time best toy for my child actually was something that his friend got that day for his first birthday, but that did not work for my son until he was 4: Disney's Sing A Long Songs videos. These little gems are collections of songs from all the Disney movies, starting with "Snow White," going all the way to "Aladdin"; "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"; and "The Lion King." The predictability of a video along with the accessibility of song proved a magical combination for my son, and it happened much later for him than would be the case for a typical child. Animated videos were a very important communication facilitator for Sheila D., a Massachusetts mother of a boy on the autism spectrum. Her son's particular favorite (at age 3) was a video. One afternoon, Sheila noticed that "he kept doing something over and over...and saying this thing all the time. Then I saw him watching the video and I saw them saying this same thing. When I saw it I thought, 'That's where that came from,' and I tried it, I said exactly what they were saying... and he lit up! It was the first time we actually played together. We played it for about an hour." - Even if you think your child is beyond a particular toy, take it out again in a few years
When my son was about a year old, my sister Laura brought him a shape-sorter. This was a big red and blue polygon with different shaped holes cut into the sides, and about ten yellow shapes that would fit into the corresponding openings. This toy mildly interested our child when he was a baby. He would choose a shape and mouth it; I would then hold the ball and rotate it until the correct shape turned up, and I would help him slide his shape into the hole. This was a satisfying interaction for us.But our use of the sorter did not end there. When my son was 7, part of his IEP (individualized education plan) was to learn shapes. After school, I would take out the toy and he could by then name the shapes and insert them himself. He loved this for the predictability, the tactile satisfaction of dropping the shape correctly into the hole, and for the way he felt knowledgeable about shapes.
Another infant-toddler toy that is particularly good for children with autism of any age is Music Blocks, by Neurosmith (562-296-1099). Nancy M., a mother of three from Philadelphia, loves this toy because it holds her son’s interest for a while, yet is an appropriate toy because it utilizes sequencing and music. Music Blocks contains different musical cartridges that are inserted into the blocks, which are of different shapes. Depending on how you shift the blocks, the music played by the blocks varies.
- Toys for gross motor development are a good bet: Sit and Spin and bicycles
Many children with autism enjoy a Sit and Spin by Playskool (800-724-7276) because they crave the spinning motion, and this is a way for them to satisfy this need safely and appropriately.A far more common childhood toy that has worked well in our family is the bicycle, with and without training wheels. Nancy M. bought her son with autism a tandem attachment. This adapts a bicycle so it is like a tandem bicycle, enabling her son to peddle with her while Nancy does the steering and braking. Says Nancy, “He loves it. The family bike ride is something we can do now.” Aside from the obvious benefit of getting some exercise—which can be crucial to some of these children who may become rather sedentary once they pass early childhood—there’s the additional benefit of learning the rules of the road. Currently my son is working on paying attention to the “walk” and “don’t walk” signs at intersections.
- Try the old standbys
Four very typical items have worked well for us: Candyland, puzzles, CDs, and books. Candyland by Milton Bradley (800-724-7276) is the simplest turn-taking board game, and most kids relate to the pictures of candy. I started with Candyland when my son was very young, and at first, I would take his turn with him, using hand-over-hand techniques as I moved his piece around the board. As he got older, he could turn over his own card and tell me what color square or what item was on the card—with prompting. By asking him what he should do next, and by repeating out loud what color he had picked, I was able to keep him focused on the game. One caution: Candyland has a lot of “go back to square one” kind of turns. This can be a problem with kids who have attention difficulties. If it takes too long to actually finish, then pick a reasonable ending point so that you can feel satisfied with what you’ve played. Or change the rules to suit your family. My rule is that you can’t repeat the same “go back” more than once. It works better that way.Jigsaw puzzles are an excellent leisure activity that help my child feel confident. I started small, using the foam letter puzzles that had different surfaces which would interest his sense of touch. Then I moved up to more typical jigsaw puzzles.
The best puzzle I found for him actually taught him the concept of reading. It was an educational toy called Spell-A-Puzzle from International Playthings (800-445-8347). Spell-A-Puzzle contains about 20 small word puzzles, like dog, bird, and cake. When you put together the word puzzle, you also create the corresponding picture of the object spelled. This ingenious toy was successful because it puts together images with words and breaks the words up into letters, which can work very well for atypical learners who may not learn to read phonetically or as whole words. “Putting together the parts into the whole—the pictures and the letters—is a very successful way to grasp the concept of reading for atypical learners,” says Beth Williams, a reading/writing specialist from Brookline Public Schools. “[This sort of puzzle] allows for a simultaneous presentation of a visual cue and the word,” which can be extremely satisfying to a child with a learning disorder such as autism. And from a sensory perspective, occupational therapist Aneesa Usman points out that all puzzles provide some tactile feedback and satisfaction in the snapping together of the pieces. Kids with ASD and PDD often crave the “additional joint compression” provided by pushing at the pieces. This may explain why children like my son enjoy puzzles so much.
- Computer software
No list of toys for children with autism in the 21st century can be complete without covering computers. At age 6, my son first learned how to use a computer during occupational therapy sessions. The therapist wanted to improve his hand-eye coordination, and using a mouse was a good goal to that end. She started him off with a touchscreen, so that he could grasp the concept of sending commands to the computer with a touch. He quickly graduated to a mouse.The software he began with was “Thinkin’ Things,” by Edmark (425-556-8400). The programs were very simple, asking him to identify which item was different from the rest, or matching programs. This coincided well with his IEP goals, and he thoroughly enjoyed the animation. He now enjoys a lot of different software, most of which tie in with books he knows. The “Living Books” software, by Broderbund (800-567-2610), are wonderful, with many titles to choose from. One caution in using computers: children with autism can become self-stimulatory on one aspect or another in the software. My son loves to watch the credits of most software, over and over. I have to use the credits as a reward for actually playing with the software appropriately.
In terms of satisfaction and encouraging expansion of horizons, nothing can quite compare to a book. Books were the absolutely irreplaceable item in my son’s life. Reading to him was the very first thing we were able to do together. It was the first interaction we had ever had that wasn’t about a basic need. Since then, my son has enjoyed many books and I am certain he learned language from them. His fondness for books is most certainly due to the predictability of a book, once he heard it a few times. But I’d like to think it is also due to the security he derived from the contact of leaning against me, and the pleasure of hearing my voice. Even now, at age 10, he brings books to me to read to him, even though he himself can read.
Any book goes over better with my son if there is a video or a computer game that goes with it. Check out the Weston Woods video series (203-226-3355), a division of Scholastic, Inc. They animate many of the classic Caldecott-award kind of books. Most are available in public libraries. When my son can go from reading a book, to seeing it on TV, to playing an interactive version on CD, he’s a really happy guy. It makes the stories come alive.
Don’t despair over the difficulty of entertaining your child. Toys that worked for my child will not work for every child with autism. Developmental rules don’t apply here, many children with autism’s love predictability and repetition, as well as the need for sensory input and approaches that use all forms of communication (audio, video, and text). You can choose toys with reasonable success by keeping in mind: The most important thing is to try not to despair if toys you’ve picked don’t seem to interest him or her right away. Try them again at a later date, or understand what this dislike implies about your child’s tastes. It’s crucial to observe your child in his likes and his dislikes because the knowledge you will gain will be highly useful when trying to teach him new things. Likes and dislikes are strong motivators, and make handy rewards.
Buying a toy for child with autism can be a chore and a heartbreaking endeavor. But with a little observation of your child and a willingness to fail and try again, parents can find the right toys and expand their child’s abilities with them.
As long as we accept our children for the unusual people they really are, and try to appreciate their uniqueness, it is possible to play with them and get them to interact with us meaningfully and pleasurably.