What is a Good Toy for a Child with Autism?

It’s often the case that autism is accompanied by sensory issues, which is where specially designed sensory toys can help children with autism to develop numerous skills at once – be it sensory, social, problem solving, or otherwise.

By playing with sensory toys, someone with autism can develop their senses in a safe and nurturing environment – either on their own or with a play partner. Specifically, it can help with gaining a better understanding of their own sense of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. The right toys can help children with autism to relax, concentrate and feel more comfortable. Some studies suggest that sensory toys can also help develop social skills like negotiation, planning and sharing.

So, what are these toys and where can you get them?

A guide to useful toys for children with autism in Australia

Any plush toy or stuffed animal is likely to provide some form of comfort, but toys like the Yogarilla Otis Weighted Neck Wrap also offer proprioceptive input and deep touch pressure, which helps children with autism to self-regulate. His Velcro™ paws allow the loveable plush monkey to sit snugly on a child’s shoulders.

As for toys like board games and flash cards, something like Hidden Rules : Friends (a lively game with similar rules to Uno) allows children with autism to practice various social behaviours that don’t always come naturally. Playing games like Hidden Rules: Friends, Social Inferences , and Ask & Answer Social Skills can serve as valuable tools for teaching children how to control the volume of their voice, respect other people’s personal space, and understand subtle body language indicators.

Finally, picture/word association games like Picture My Picture – Opposites Flashcards are extremely useful for encouraging language development, communication and conversation in a fun and engaging way for children with autism.

What about resources for understanding how to support children with autism?

Aside from toys and games for children with autism, there are also endless resources available for parents, teachers, therapists and caregivers who want to learn the best way to engage a child with autism and support them.

At Fun Stuff, for example, we stock a carefully curated collection of books and DVD’s that can be exceedingly helpful for teaching people how to support children with autism in their development learning. We also carry an endless range of games and toys for children with autism (like the ones mentioned above), all of which are chosen by qualified industry experts – psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and educators.

Browse our selection online and please don’t hesitate to ask us for expert advice and recommendations on which toys may be best suited to your child’s specific needs.

Get in touch

Simply give us a call on 1300 FUN STUFF or submit our online contact form and we’ll respond to your query as soon as possible.