The 5 Best Fidget Toys for Autistic Children in 2022
For Autistic children, traditional toys are sometimes challenging to play with and engage with, but there are certain Fidget Toys that have proven to be very effective in engaging autistic children and keeping them focused on the task at hand.
It has been suggested that autistic children benefit from the use of fidget toys and fidgeting when it comes to developing their communication and motor skills. In 2022, here are some of the top fidget toys that you can use to engage autistic children in different ways.
1) The best fidget toys will be sensory
Sensory toys can be incredibly effective at calming down kids and adults with autism. For some, they’re a natural way to shift focus when they’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
For others, a certain type of sensory stimulation—be it sight, touch, sound or smell—is overwhelming without careful control. Sensory toys offer tactile sensory input, as well as repetitive motor movements that enable better self-regulation. Give autistic children plenty of sensory toys to play with so they can choose their preferred mode of engagement based on their sensory needs at any given moment.
While not all sensory toys are designed specifically for use by children with autism, many are designed to help kids who struggle to cope with forms of stimulation like light and noise, help people focus, and ease anxiety.
2) They’ll work with games
Many autistic children respond well to sensory play, so fidget toys that work with games or that can be adapted into a game can be helpful. Toys such as a puzzle, bubbles, or Pop It fidgets may stimulate a child’s interest and help them to relax. You can use fidgets for educational games such as matching, creating patterns, counting, learning to spell words, and more!
If you want to provide your child with fidget toys for autism then choosing some good educational toys will help to do that. The best ones might be those that are simple, yet fun or are creative and engaging which will encourage learning at play time. Toys for children with Autism should have opportunities for creativity and open-ended design.
3) They’ll be multi-purpose
The main reason why fidget toys are more popular than ever is because people can play with them almost anywhere. Kids can play with their fidgets at home, in the car, while traveling, and during school giving them multiple uses.
Fidget toys can help reduce anxiety, help kids focus in the classroom, and regulate the senses for activities of daily life.
A multi-purpose toy like these not only provides children with a better learning experience—they’ll also provide both parents and teachers with valuable feedback about how they’re doing.
4) They help executive functioning skills
Fidget toys can help autistic children channel their energy to help improve executive functioning skills including sustained attention, working memory, task initiation and task completion.
Studies have found that fidgeting increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex of the brain which is the primary area for executive functioning processes. This shows how important fidgeting is for successful learning and engagement in challenging tasks.
5) They’ll help children study, not just play
You’ve probably seen fidget toys popping up all over social media or in news articles over recent years. But are they helping serving any educational purpose?
The simple answer is yes, fidget toys can help kids with autism and ADHD focus when learning and studying, which leads to better educational results. Plus, your child will finally have something to do with their hands while they study.
The more complex answer is that they’re definitely not one-size-fits-all; it’s important to choose a toy that’s right for your child and get them started on their new routine as soon as possible.
The DeveloPLAY box is an easy way to get sensory toys for your child delivered to your doorstep. Hand picked by a pediatric occupational therapist with NEW toys every month!
