Best Tested Toys for Autistic kids 2011

Alright, as promised here it goes.

Ages 2-3


1) Sit and spin- Sit And Spin Toys R Us $20 I think this is a great self regulating toy. It gives most sensory seekers the input they need to get themselves back on track.

2)Fisher Price Learn Thru Music Game device- Learn Thru Music at Toys r us for $95 This is a great cause and effect toy. It also allows them to learn thru repetitive actions. This I would say can be used for both higher functioning and lower functioning. I put it here, because higher functioning kids will be able to do the activities themselves, where as lower functioning kids will have to have a parent or adult help them get the results.

3) Fisher Price Fun to Imagine Cash Register Fun to Imagine Cash Register $18 Toys R Us This is a great co-ordination toy. You have to put things in a slot, and push the correct lever to make the cash register make noise and work. It also is a cause and effect toy. You push the lever and the pretend money goes away. You can use this to teach colors and such as well. Very good priced toy that can be used for multiple games or therapies.

4)Fisher Price Grow with me Roller skates- Fisher Price Roller skates, $15 at toys r us I find that this is a great toy to help higher functioning kids with co-ordination and body space awareness. You will need to be present and have helmet and pads for the child, but the smiles and the laughter when they get it is well worth it!

5) Doctor kit- Kids Doctor bag $15 at Toys R Us I think this is a great gift. It can help kids over come their fear of the doctor. It can also teach emotions and bring out the gentler side of any kid. My son has one and has had one for three years now. I would pretend to cry and he would go get his kit and make me better.

6)Poppin fun Ele- poppin fun park elefun $30 at toys r us This cute little toy is great for a less functioning kid. The elephant pops the balls from their trunk, the kid retrieves it, puts it in the space with the others and voiala hours of pure giggles. Its great at cause and effect and can be used to teach colors.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Ages 4-5

1) Mickey's Camping Adventure Play set $40 at toys r us This cute little play figure set allows kids the chance to express their imagination. Act out their favorite shows or cartoons. Allows them to make believe. You can use this set to teach them social skills and consequences as well.

2)Dont Break The Ice game $5 at toys r us This is a great turn based game to teach kids the value of sharing. It also focuses on co-ordination and cause and effect. Very worth while game to have!

3)LeapFrog Explorer System $70 at Toys R us This little system is absolutely worth getting. It teaches them colors, and all kinds of good things. They get better at co-ordination. It addresses problem solving and math as well! You can connect this to your pc and it opens up a new little world that they can explore and learn with! This lil gem also allows YOU to track their progress!

4)Fisher Price IXL- IxL available at Toys R Us for $60 This little gem has saved me HOURS of frustration. It allows them to do math, is touch screen like the explorer. It does have a limited amount of games, but it is SO durable! The battery life is amazing ( my son has had this for 1 year and has only gone thru 3 batter changes and he uses it frequently). It loads MP3s, pictures from your pc. Come loaded with 1 game/book/song series on it and has some of kids favorite characters to play with as extra add ons for later! It teaches math, works on co-ordination. teaches phonics and cause and effect.

5)48 inch enclosed trampoline- available for $90 at toys r us This is a great self regulating toy for various ages. I put it here because at this age, they are starting school or pre school and might need more down time to regulate than previous years.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Ages 6-7

1) Operation game $19 at Toys R Us This works for either gender. It works on turn taking again and also on co-ordination. It also does have some sound to it to work a little bit on audible sensitivities in Autistic children. The pieces are small tho and can be easily misplaced, be sure to watch carefully as they take out the pieces.

2)Transformers- $14 at Toys R Us There are many models. These little gems help with co-ordination, imaginative play and problem solving! Most girls will not like these, most likely. But I know many young boys who do! Make sure to get the sturdy kind. They can take more abuse. If they are small and fit in your palm, please be advised that they can break and pieces can go missing!

3)Fijit Friends-$50 at toys r us These little cuties teach sportsmanship. They are all girly! Loves games,dances and responds to 30 or so commands! These are very interactive. Encourages interaction via voice or music. I think this is the cutest thing EVER!

4) Nintendo Wii- Nintendo Wii available in various bundles for around $160 This gaming system i have found to be great. It works on co-ordination. Promotes Turn taking ( if you do family or sports related games) and teaches and encourages sportsmanship. It allows them to work on their co-ordination by seeing and feeling what their body does and what the results are. There are so many wii games available. Wii sports ( the baseball, tennis, boxing one) is my sons favorite. But there are other engaging games. Be sure to look up games: I encourage Pet based games because it teaches how to handle a pet, shows that they need care and demonstrates responsibilities that any child with autism can understand. Dog is hungry, you feed dog. It's dirty, you bath it.

5) Nintendo Ds- Nintendo DS hand held gaming system $150
I think this is a great system. It is very responsive, is pretty durable, and has various apps you can find for non-verbal children with autism. It has a little more variety for learning games than the wii so far, but i think its because it a personal system.
___________________________________________________________________________________


Ages 8+

For this age I recommend the last 2 from my previous age group recommendations. Build to their likes here. If they are good at problem solving/puzzle games, purchase those for them for a gaming system.

At this age, most of the time you can usually start to go more high tech if you can. Look into things like the ipad, an android tablet ( be sure to check which brands are supported by the market if you are looking to purchase. Just because it says android does not mean you can get into the marketplace. They do have listed which brands are able to down load their applications. Some of these tablets are only able to load third party stuff. Sure they are cheaper, but not all the games/ app are available for you.) Kindle Fire, or ipod touch.
These are great ways to expand their horizons and still have therapy tools and apps for autism available to you. Kindle Fire doesn't have too many yet, but its a new device. It is great tho for reading and watching videos.

Those are my Toy recommendations for kids with autism. Obviously there are things I didn't include for lower functioning kids.
For them things like building blocks,Bounce ball with handle to ride on, weighted blankets, writing aid tools ect might be a better fit than what i have listed above.

Autism products on the cheap part #2

In this blog I will be covering items for floor time. Products to help with circles of " communication". If you are unfamiliar with what a circle of communication is: They are exchanges of communication. Be it eye contact during play. Pushing a car back and forth. Or even just humming a tune with you.














I was fortunate to have a great speech therapist to help me with this with my son, because as a parent sometimes you can't see any other options for resolving problems because you are too invested in the day to day.

Here are some basic products that I find help.

Free printable pages: enchanted learning dictionary or Grocery items from online grocery stores or flyers. print on card stock and laminate ( or if you are me, take some clear tape and use that instead. Cheaper.) With this you can ask them to get items using the cards in a cupboard. Ask them if its food or drink using sign language. Get them to sort them into colors, food groups ( fruits, vegtables ect). Make a matching game.

Bubbles:
bubbles from oriental trading company
This you can use as a reward later if they like it. I would start out getting them to pop them, chase them, blow them ect. Make it a game. If they can blow them, make it a they take a turn, you take a turn popping/blowing. If your child is a sensory seeking one, be sure to be very animated when you blow them. Pretend to be out of breath when you blow one bubble. Ask them to help. See if they come and try to blow with you. If you pop them wiggle and giggle and pretend they heavy as they land on you. Be creative about getting them involved. I will provide a blog later about common floor time practices and examples.

Blocks:










blocks from toys r us
These are different shapes, and textured. Best part: They dont hurt if they child throws them if they get upset. Foam all the way. With this you can make a fun game of building it up and knocking it down using balls, cars, horses, or pretend people. Once again be very animated and be silly. Kids respond the best to funny or silly things. Get them to identify shapes, colors or texture ( bumpy, smooth).

Cars: You can get matchbox cars at most stores for a buck a piece. Though, personally I like the chunky wooden vehicles.
wooden cars at oriental trading company
Here you can ask them to make the sounds the vehicle makes. Firetruck sirens, ice cream truck songs, car vrooms. Get them to pass the car back and forth. Or get them to play while you sing a song about the wheels on the bus. Every time they play with a car or bus, sing the song. Eventually they might start to hum along. Be creative. There also barbie cars that are nice. Like: doll car
This comes with figures. You could get them to give you items, ask for help and sing songs about family or places to go. Again. Be creative.

Balloons: You can get these at your local dollar store, or grocery store. You can blow them up and bat it around. You can also, if your child doesnt have a fear of loud noises, make a game out of letting it go after you blow it up. Get them to chase it. Tell you to blow it up again. Let the air blow out in their faces. Draw a face on it, and tell them its Mom, Dad, Grandma ect using a marker. This is cheap and easy. Make a big deal of blowing up, like it takes alot of air to blow it up. Or you cant do it. Get them involved. See if you can keep them engaged for longer and longer periods of time.

Build-a-contraption: This is a cause and effect thing.
marble contraption
This is usually a crowd pleaser. You can get them involved after you build it, before you build it and any time in between. Make it big or small. Get them to help build it, or tell you colors, directions using words or sign language. Get them to drop the marble in different areas. Be creative, and exaggerate things. I can't stress this enough.

Ipod/Ipad touch: There are many different applications you can use to help improve communication for floor time activities on here:
kindergarden dot com ipad/itouch apps
Applications are a dollar or so each.

Autism products on the cheap part #1

There are many different varieties of Autism. Some are high functioning ( where you can hardly notice they are Autistic) to low functioning ( where you notice they don't talk, dont interact, and sometimes have other issues).

Well I am going to share some links and helpful hints for various aspects of delay that some/most Autistic children/adults might find helpful.

In this part of the series I am going to cover some fun mouth instruments that help blow, suck, and use the tongue for motor control.. Here's the best part: They wont cost an arm and a leg!!!

Bubble blowers: I find the best ones come from the dollar store, and you can let the child/person pick it out themselves!

Water whistles: you put water in them up to a certain level and they sing/tweet. I found them:

Blowing things up is a good trick. Be it a beachball, a balloon, pinwheel or other inflatable/wind powered toy item, they strengthen lips, lungs and other facial muscles while blowing into the object.

Then there are your whistle varieties: These help them strengthen their lips, flex their tongues and also allows them to work on their diaphragm by blowing or even inhaling.
Link 1: the kind you can blow in and out of that goes in your mouth

Link 2: the kind that goes in your mouth, but works mainly by blowing out.

Link 3: The kind that you can blow in and out but does not have to be inserted in mouth, but just pressed to the lips.

Link 4: The train whistle: This is a good one because it uses lip control to be able to blow in the small 4 holes that differ in pitch.

Link 5: straws. Cups with see through sides that bend, curl and make designs are a pleaser. These novelty items show a child that when they suck on it, they get a drink of their favorite drink/food ( milkshakes for the advanced or milk for the beginner).

Whistles that work on more than just oral control are ones like the Flute slider. A flute slider has the child blow into the item ( its an insert into your mouth usually) that also has an insert that the child can pull at the end to change the pitch of the whistle. So it's a co-ordination kind of toy as well as oral exercise.
A kazoo is another example of a more complex oral toy that is cheap. The child has to make a noise and blow into the kazoo at the same time.

Fart whistle: Definately a silly toy indeed. Yet, because of the way it is made it makes small vibrations usually too the lips as the child blows into it. This for a child with a sensation integration problem is hard to do, but a toy that could help them slowly adjust to it.

Blow out whistles: These have a curled paper bit that when you blow out will straighten in a line, but usually make noise. Tho you can find the kind that does not make noise if the child has audible sensory issues and avoids loud or sudden noises.

Then you have the toys that don't make noise.
One of the options is for a child to use a toy to strengthen their jaw muscles. They give you all kinds of ideas for this, but i find that a bath toy that squeaks usually is a good option. But you put it in water instead of just letting it take in air. you put the toy in a shallow pool, have the child place part of it in their mouth and just using their mouth take water into the toy and squirt it back out.

Fun blow an item up kind items that are cool are ball blowers. They are inserted into the childs mouth, and then as the child blows harder the small balls will float, spin and often fall down. You can even make it a game if you have more than one. Who can blow the ball highest, longest or make it do the funniest tricks.

Some children find that chewing on something is soothing and will sometimes chew on anything and everything when they are feeling out of sorts. Here is a set of tubes that are also good for different textures.


Sometimes you just need to let them make their own noise and let them hear what it sounds like. An echo microphone is the best example!

I realize most of these links supply more than one of any given item, but as a parent I have learned that having multiple is very advantageous. Mainly if one gets lost or broken, you have a back up. Or if a sibling wants one too, you have enough to share. Even a visiting friend or family member might want one to play with and to prevent meltdowns I have tried to keep multiple of many things on hand.

What products have you found on the cheap that you think others should know about, feel free to share by commenting or even email me with a link and a review.