Play is an integral part of all children’s development, learning, wellbeing, and confidence. Sensory toys provide sensory stimulation that engages sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, as well as balance, body awareness, and internal physical feelings and cues.
As such, they are particularly useful toys for children with sensory issues:
- If your child is hypersensitive to sensory stimuli, sensory toys such as stuffed animals can provide a sense of calm, keep their hands busy, and help to decompress when suffering from sensory overload.
- Autistic children who seek stimulation are hypo-sensitive. Bright colors provide visual stimulation while tactile stimulation is engaged with squishy or textured toys.
The first thing most people visualise when thinking about toys for ASD kids is a fidget toy. Yes, they are effective! But there are so many more toys available to help develop your child’s senses and motor skills, soothe and relieve stress, and assist self-regulation. Here are some of our favourites.
Sensory Mats
Did you know that there are over 200 000 nerve endings in each foot? That is more per square centimetre than any other part of the body!
No wonder the barefoot stimulation of sensory mats aids physical and cognitive development:
- Just as in pre-shoe times when we would have walked over soil, twigs, and other uneven surfaces, these textured mats promote the growth of muscles and joints, boost core strength, and improve motor skills.
Proprioception can be explored by balancing and jumping on areas of the mat. - By building nerve connections in the brain, cognitive development and levels of concentration are improved.
But that’s not all! The tiles of sensory mats can be touched by hand too. You can also use them to help your child visually process shapes, colors, and different textures.
Clay or Putty
Modelling clay, kinetic sand, and therapy putty all benefit your autistic child in two ways:
- Development of motor skills – especially when other objects are incorporated into the experience. Hand strength and hand-eye coordination are particularly improved when playing with this type of sensory toy.
- Tactile stress relief works by increasing sensory awareness in your child’s fingers, mitigating anxiety in stressful situations. Additionally, by calming the nervous system, concentration is improved.
Moreover, many of these options come in different colors to spark interest and, most importantly, a sense of fun. Make sure that the product is child safe – non-toxic, latex, gluten, and casein free, and crumble resistant.
Textured Toys
Because children on the spectrum often have a hard time processing the senses, textured toys are a helpful sensory aid.
Increase tactile awareness with toys that are rough, soft, silky, slippery, scratchy, and crinkly, for example, bean bags and soft toys. Many weighted lap pads double down on their calming effect with a mixed texture exterior for sensory and tactile stimulation.
Chewing Toys
If your child craves oral stimulation, a chewing toy is the ideal solution. As a bonus, it doubles up as a teething tool when they are still infants!
As well as providing the much-needed stimulation, chew toys also develop vestibular input, biting and… well, chewing skills.
Look out for products that are:
- Non-toxic with no chemical smell or taste
- Medical-grade silicone
- Dishwasher safe or easy to sterilize
- Durable
- Smooth or textured with dots or ridges
- A grip design for younger children, or discreetly worn around the neck or wrist as chewelry.
Chewing toys can even be used to fidget with at a push.
A Therapy Swing
Many children with autism struggle to calm down before or during a meltdown.
Using the swaddling-like feeling of a therapy swing, your child may find this cocoon is just what they need. Think of it as a calming hug thanks to the compression it offers and therapeutic stimming thanks to the rocking motion.
Not only does a therapy swing put your child at ease, but it also encourages vestibular awareness.
For support and further guidance on choosing the best sensory toys for your preschooler, get in touch with Autism Center for Kids right away.
