If you are planning to buy a present for an autistic kid, you will be interested in our new article regarding to the best gifts for autistic children. Now we would like to recommend the article Insider Monkey recently published about this topic. Basic things that you need to consider when buying things for an autistic child is the same as with every other child: it should be age appropriate, thoughtful and according to that child’s unique interest. The challenge lies in choosing the gift that they like but that builds their skills at the same time. In order to choose a gift that suits an autistic child’s needs, it is important to realize that children with autism spectrum disorder can be oversensitive (and undersensitive as well) to various stimuli including noise, light, temperature, etc. Every autistic child responds differently to various items and situations and his/her behavior can give you precious insight into what might benefit him/her. Once you determine the senses that require attention, it will be easier for you to choose a gift. For example, toys that stimulate vestibular system are toys such as trampolines, rocking horses, swings, etc. Tactile system is stimulated by finger paint, molding clay and proprioceptive system by hammocks, bean bags, etc.
Now without a further ado let’s see what Insider Monkey has investigated for us. We have picked one tip from their list.
The first idea is buying books. Autistic children enjoy many aspects of children books, including rhymes, repetitions and colorful drawings. Some of the good choices can be books with flaps, word books with a lot of pictures (try to avoid books with plain text, especially if the child is non-verbal) and books with different textures and fabrics in them. For younger children, Dr. Seuss collections are a good choice. New Horizons Professional ABA Services website made a list of recommended books for kids on autism spectrum which are created especially for them. Another interesting interactive book is My Little Yellow Taxi where children learn what it is like to drive a taxi. They can use the steering wheel, check the tire pressure, to pop out a cardboard key and almost everything else as a real car. Children with autism often don’t engage in pretend play and this book is a perfect choice to engage them in a pretend play and have a lot of fun as well. These are, of course, just a couple of recommendation but there are many, many more books suitable for autistic children.
For any further interesting information read Insider Monkey’s article about 10 best gifts for autistic children.
