What were your favorite sensory/therapy tools/toys? (Autism)

[AimeeM]

What were your favorite buys (toys, tools, etc) for your sensory seeking kiddo? We're looking at weighted vests, a weighted blanket, etc... but what about learning/function tools and toys?

 

I was looking at chewy toys, because he does mouth items he shouldn't, but doesn't that confuse a kid? We've been telling him for years, after all, that only food items or toothbrushes go in his mouth, so I feel odd buying him a toy that he can put in his mouth, kwim?

 

The Marvelous Flying Marco is a serious sensory seeker. I'm looking at the large "crash mats"... possibly to serve as both a bed for him (he isn't allowed a mattress because... well... the "bounce" factor is too much temptation for him) and something he can "crash" into when he's having a meltdown.

 

Anything else?

 

 

ETA: He's on waitlists right now for occupational therapy and speech. We need natural environment and his Interventionist would prefer he have someone experienced with autism, so right now we're having to just do things "us." He does receive Early Intervention still, because of his dx, but right now that's it. 

[Lecka]

We are on our second body sock.

 

They had one at my son's pre-school and he loved it. We got him one, it got holes after extensive use and my 3 kids all getting in it together, we got a second one and it has held up well.

 

It is for sensory seeking but the kind where kids like to push against things. It is great for him.

 

Other than that we are more informal and have some large stuffed animals and pillows that he likes.

 

I think trampolines and swings are nice, but we have never gotten one for home. Those would be my next things to look at.

 

He loves hammocks too, but I haven't gotten one.

 

I see ads for Yogibo on Facebook all the time (they are targeting me lol) and they look nice too, but we haven't gotten that either.

 

But we have been very, very happy with the body sock.

 

Edit: I have seen some honest reviews on blogs for yogibo, too, and they do look good to me.

 

Oh, other pre-school favorites were a tunnel and a yoga ball. There is a lot to do with yoga balls, kids can rock on them, they can also lay down and have a yoga ball rolled on their arms and legs, my son liked that at pre-school and in K. But I never got them for home.

 

We did a lot outdoors instead or just with blankets and sleeping bags and pillows that we had around, and then the body sock.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Lecka

[PeterPan]

My ds uses his closet, filled about a foot deep with pillows, blankets, etc., for his retreat.  It's a really essential thing for him, and his bed won't do.  I think it's a pretty common thing to need a retreat like that.  You might want to have it be separate from his bed.

 

Yes, my ds jumps and crashes on his bed.  I FINALLY got a moment of cheap brilliance and got some little $2 cups that go under the bed wheels to keep it from sliding around.  

 

We never got my ds' crashing to slow down until we got him into gymnastics, a LOT of gymnastics.  There they REWARD you for crashing.   :lol:   He does 3 hours twice a week, and if I could get more I would.  He used to do shorter sessions (1-2 hours) more frequently (3-4X/wk).  He also does swimming year round.  Right now he does it three days a week.  In the summer, on top of the swim team and team gymnastics he also did weeks of soccer (3 hours a day), tennis, basketball, etc. camps.  If there was only one hour of physical camp, I would take him to the basketball court, track, take him out on the trails with his bike, etc.  

 

Our county board of disabilities has some funding and we use that to pay for the Y.  That's how I can afford to keep him in so much, because of the special pricing and funding.  But really, it keeps him toned down.  Still the ABA workers do a LOT of physical breaks with him.  We're discussing ADHD meds.  We haven't pulled the trigger on that.  Right now I'm trying 1/2 tablets of Energems for the caffeine to see how they do.  I'm just being frank and saying that the extreme body paired with social thinking problems is a LOT to reign in.  That's what we're really doing, and his energy is still astonishing.  

 

You can get compression shirts at Walmart.  They're fine.  I haven't made his weighted blanket yet, even though I bought the beads, ugh.  The taping was AMAZING.  Kinesio tape applied to his back.  We had threads in the past.  He asked for it again recently.  I had backed off because the tape seemed to be irritating his skin.  It's really extremely calming to him.

 

Honestly, the most super awesome thing we're doing right now is the How Does Your Motor Run program.  We've done lots of good things, but this is just so PRACTICAL.  We do checkins (like Zones of Reg) and he decides whether he's rabbit, tortoise, or human.  Then we pick sensory activities that fit that to get him back toward human.  And the OT we're using now is superb with reinforcing calming strategies, noticing how you feel, being able to self-advocate for breaks.  After all, we can't get their bodies to magically whatever, but we can teach them enough skills that they can understand and self-advocate.  THAT is long-term success, not the disappearance of the problems.

 

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on mats or crash pads.  I had a bunch of old feather pillows I had picked up for like $5 each at Odd Lots or whatever.  I covered them in a variety of fabrics.  He likes to burrow.  He likes the textures and that they're soft.  We have in there all kinds of things, so an old fleece dog blanket, a sleeping bag, etc. etc. He keeps stuffed animals and beanie babies in there too.  He really likes beanie babies!  We use the beanie babies for toss games.  Toss games are simple and very calming and centering for him.

[kbutton]

A wagon that he filled with all kinds of heavy stuff and pulled all over the yard. He likes heavy work. As an infant (like 6 mos.), he would drag large baskets filled with magazines across the floor. 

 

He also likes to be squished with heavy stuff. Really heavy--our OT was stunned at how much he liked it and how heavy he wanted things to be. They had this giant beanbag (about 4 feet tall) that required two people to drag it around. He liked having that on top of him. I am guessing it must have been like having a large mattress on top of him weight-wise.

[MyLittleBears]

My ds is older but he loves having a big stuffed rocking chair in his room.

[prairiewindmomma]

By any chance, do you have a big empty space somewhere in your house (like a basement)?  

 

rope or trampoline level with foam pit + foam pit: 

 

roller tunnel:http://www.flaghouse.com/Motor-Skills/Gross-Motor/Barrels-Tunnels/Roller-Tunnel---34-dia.axd

 

indoor swing: whichever style your child prefers--platform, sling, sky chair, spinnable, whatever

 

mini-trampoline

 

swiss ball/exercise ball: for laying on and rolling around, for bouncing on, and for general motor work

 

wobble board or swaying balance beam

 

zip line

 

rock wall (my friends have a climbing wall built into their garage with a crash pad underneath)

 

some kind of rope climbing set up with monkey bars (my kids like to hang and feel the pressure on their shoulders)

 

 

 

[gardenmom5]

What were your favorite buys (toys, tools, etc) for your sensory seeking kiddo? We're looking at weighted vests, a weighted blanket, etc... but what about learning/function tools and toys?

 

I was looking at chewy toys, because he does mouth items he shouldn't, but doesn't that confuse a kid? We've been telling him for years, after all, that only food items or toothbrushes go in his mouth, so I feel odd buying him a toy that he can put in his mouth, kwim?

 

The Marvelous Flying Marco is a serious sensory seeker. I'm looking at the large "crash mats"... possibly to serve as both a bed for him (he isn't allowed a mattress because... well... the "bounce" factor is too much temptation for him) and something he can "crash" into when he's having a meltdown.

 

Anything else?

 

 

ETA: He's on waitlists right now for occupational therapy and speech. We need natural environment and his Interventionist would prefer he have someone experienced with autism, so right now we're having to just do things "us." He does receive Early Intervention still, because of his dx, but right now that's it. 

 

I was actually a bigger sensory seeker than dudeling (he's been formally diagnosed.) -perhaps I met his needs more.

 

sit-n-spin  (I had to spin)

 

things that facilitate being upside down.

 

hammocks

 

huge bean bags (bigger than a dog cushion)  -stuff with foam chunks.  if he really likes to crash, have a few.  put workout mats on the floor.  firm foam blocks

 

a ball pit

 

a mini-tramp for dudeling.  what a difference . . . (I jumped on my bed .. . . )

 

one of my *favorites*! was the spring door stop.  I could easily sit there for 15 minutes whacking it back and forth.  it was fascinating to me.  you can build a board or something with that sort of stuff.

 

eta: a sand/water table.  or even just a big chest with rice or small beans (easier to clean than sand) and a water wheel, funnel, measuring cups, etc. to put in it.  it really gets the tactile senses going.

Edited October 16, 2016 by gardenmom5