In some self-contained and mainstream classrooms, students with autism are provided with a diversity of learning tools and educational toys to enhance and engage them in the learning process and outcome. Below are tips that teachers can use in selecting educational toys that will serve the needs of children with autism in their classrooms:
1) Pace of cognitive and emotional development varies in autistic children. When selecting toys for autistic children, use their IEP (Individual Education Plan) to find out developmentally and cognitively what toys will provide learning opportunities and maximize academic and behavioral skills.
2) Do not buy toys that are divided in several pieces, but try to buy toys in one big piece to reduce choking hazards or losing of pieces. Avoid buying toys that break easily since autistic students may have difficulty handling fragile toys for long periods of time.
3) If you are thinking of gifting a book, buy a book with stiff paper or plastic book so that an autistic child could not tear it because some autistic children enjoy tearing and ripping papers.
4) Toys should be such that they integrate the senses of the autistic child. For example, drums, keyboards, and xylophones involve motor, visual and auditory stimulation. These toys are ideal for developing gross motor, visual and auditory skills.
5) Select toys with different shapes and colors such as bubble blower, picture or word lotto, drawing, coloring and painting books to help autistic students experience and apply an integration of their sensory skills .
6) Toys can be selected that involve physical exercise such as swing, slide, football, rocking horse etc. which can help autistic students focus and engage in an activity for extended periods of time.
7) Repetitive behavior is a characteristic of autistic children. Repetitive motion calm autistic children. Therefore toys with push button, turn knob will keep them busy.
8) Some autistic children are hypersensitive to loud noises and certain colors. So if you buy musical toys for an autistic child it could be torturous and disengaging for him/her. Use the student's IEP to make appropriate toy selections.
9) Toys that involve co-operative and collaborative peer teamwork will help autistic children to develop social skills. These educational toys will help autistic children to learn to share and communicate with their peers.
10) For younger autistic children you may also consider tickets or memberships to sports club, visit to museum, zoos where the child could enjoy and learn new things.
Toys for autistic students can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and weights in addressing the diversity of learning styles and needs of students navigating their own educational journey through hundreds of classrooms and doing it in a way that is unique to the autism that defines them, but that doesn't confine them in being successful in learning.
