What kind of toys and movies do kids with autism like?

Question

What kind of toys and movies do kids with autism like?

Answer 1

Well, if you figure out the "toys" answer, that will save me tons of money on her birthday.  I've gotten it wrong almost every time, and ended up just giving her money, which she LOVES and obsesses over!  LOL!  

Seriously though, it totally depends on the child. You might as well be asking "what kind of toys do 5 yr old boys like?"  My daughter LOVED LOVED LOVED her Leapfrog Alphabet phonics desk when she was younger. She was letter obsessed and this fit the bill nicely. She also learned to write every three letter word known!  The Leapfrog Math desk was a second favorite, number obsession.  The Magnadoodle was great for practicing writing those letters and numbers, as well as shapes.  Also an excellent tool for me to help calm her during tantrums while we were out and about.    My daughter loved Little People, but she only lined them up.  They had several "movies" that she also loved, and she'd try to reinact them with her toys.   Sit and Spin was alot of fun, and the TRAMPOLINE was the biggest hit of all.  Anything to do with water, splash pool, was also big on my daughters list.   So, toys that play into interests, or sensory issues have been big hits in our house.

As for movies, it would take viewing from down the hall peeking around the corner, hearing it from another room, walking through the room while it was playing before she could sit through a movie like Toy Story.  She loved that movie for a long time, and again, the toys that went with it were favorites.    

She loves the commercial for "Space Chimps" but would not be able to just go to the movies and watch it.  She's 9-1/2 now and loves Sponge Bob, and iCarly "because it has laughs, huh Mom?"  Drake and Josh, and Fairy Odd Parents round out her favorite things to watch.  

I know alot of little boys on the spectrum like Thomas the Train and anything associated with it.  Alot of typical boys like it as well though, so what does that tell you?  Oh, and video games.  Mine loves PacMan, All the Mario Nintendo type games, Sonic, and SSX Tricky (and she's REALLY good at that one!)  

Whew!  Well, there's some ideas anyways!

Answer 2

each child that has autism is different with different likes, dislikes, etc. Some autistic children love puzzles, while others like sandpaper activities and more tactile activities.Some like books, while others prefer music. I have had autistic students that didnt like certain sounds (my one girl hated the vacuum, or airplanes). So without knowing the child/children it is hard to say exactly. Bring a bunch of different things if you are babysitting

Answer 3

That's kind of like asking about what an 8th-grader likes. It all depends on the individual autistic child's preferences.

Answer 4

Every child is different. There are no toys or movies in particular that appeal to all children with autism.

Answer 5

My mom works one-on-one with a 9 year old autistic boy and she found that puzzles are his favorite and keep him occupied while encouraging positive brain development.

Rubik's cubes, locking blocks and other hands on puzzles with big pieces are great for autism as well as "stress" toys such as sand-filled latex balls or squishy foam blocks. These type of toys are great for quiet social settings where the child's "autisitc behavior" could get out of hand and there is no other outlet.

You might also find that a putting a vest on them with small weights in various pockets will offer a sort of calming experience to a child who cannot seem to sit still. The pressure created by the weighted vest comforts their need to move around and makes them feel secure.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

The girl I know loves Disney movies, books about birds, and all the funniest videos shows.