Outdoor Toys for Autistic Children

While outdoor toys for autistic children can provide hours of enjoyment, they can be of great benefit in ways besides just fun. From simple sidewalk chalk to elaborate playground equipment, outdoor toys can also provide opportunities to reinforce necessary skills in children with autism, helping them progress towards a variety of developmental goals.

Gifts for Autistic Children

Among the many possible effects of autism is uneven or delayed acquisition of motor skills. Physical therapy is frequently used to address motor skills deficits in children with autism. However, techniques learned from the physical therapist need some follow through between sessions to be most effective. Outdoor play, targeted to address motor skills goals, can be a great tool for the reinforcement of the work done in physical therapy sessions. Toys that encourage climbing, such as jungle gyms or slides, can provide great gross motor reinforcement, as can outdoor play equipment that encourages jumping, like trampolines. Playing catch or Frisbee can enhance eye-hand coordination, and tunnels that encourage crawling can support the development muscle strength and general coordination.

Outdoor activities can play an important role in sensory integration therapy. Used primarily by occupational therapists to address the sensory issues common to autism, sensory integration therapy is used to improve the ability of the brain to process sensory information. Among the many outdoor toys that can be beneficial to those with sensory integration deficits are swings, carousels or sit-and-spin toys, ball pits, sand boxes, and trampolines.

Outdoor play can be used to support the the development of social and communication skills. Deficits in these skills are among the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. Since movement stimulate the verbal centers of the brain, outdoor play can be very helpful in enhancing communication skills. Outdoor toys and equipment that encourage cooperative play can provide a relaxed environment in which social skills can be learned, practiced, or observed. Turn taking and cooperation can be taught with games like baseball, soccer, or hopscotch as well as imitation, a skill that is often compromised by autism. Playground equipment can entice children into interaction with peers, especially beneficial for those who tend to be anxious in and withdrawn in group settings.

Many children with autism express anxiety or over stimulation by acting out, engaging in repetitive or aggressive behaviors. Others are extremely active, finding it difficult to focus or sit still for more than just short intervals of time. Active outdoor play can assist in addressing these issues. Children with excess energy can find an outlet with outdoor toys such as bicycles or ride-on toys, swimming pools, climbing walls, or jungle gyms, rather than inappropriate behaviors. Anxious children can often be soothed by the motion of toys like rocking horses, sit-and-spin toys, and swings.

Outdoor toys for autistic children are available that are made with the special needs child in mind, adapted to suit children with a wide variety of levels of development and physical ability. For example, for children who are unable to hold on or likely to forget to do so, swings with harnesses installed for safety can be purchased. Playground equipment is available with specially adapted, double width slides, ramps, tunnels, or bridges to make caregiver assistance easy. Many outdoor toys are produced with varied textures to suit the tactile needs of children with autism, while others include sounds and lights for visual and auditory stimulation.

Aside from the many therapeutic and general health benefits that are gained by outdoor play, outdoor toys can provide plenty of fun. The daily routine of children with autism can be quite hectic, tightly scheduled with therapy appointments and treatment regimes. A period of free outdoor play can provide a very necessary respite from the hustle and bustle of the day.

Social_Skills_Activities_for_Kids_with_Autism

• Preschool Activities for Autistic Children
• Possible Causes of Autism
• Tips for Raising Kids with Autism
• What Is Your Autism Empathy Rating?

• Lesson Plans for Autistic Children
• Adult Autism Symptoms
• Social Skills Activities for Kids with Autism
• Speech Therapy Ideas for Autistic Children
• Famous Autistic People

• Hands On Projects for Autistic Students
• Category:Autism and Children
• Main Page
• Games for Autistic Children
• Activities for Autistic Children