Hands-on activities for autistic children (preschool)

[Staceyshoe]

I haven't posted on this board before but am hoping you guys can point me in the right direction. I realize this probably isn't the type of question that comes up a lot here, but I'm not sure where to go to ask.

 

I frequently watch my nephew who has autism. Because our house isn't set up for him, I pretty much need to follow him around constantly or he's toppling furniture, flushing things down the toilet, banging doors until the windows rattle, turning the TV on full blast, etc. (I literally can't leave him for 2 minutes to go quickly go the bathroom without some kind of problem.) This is very difficult for me, as there are usually 4 other young children here at the same time.

 

Today I gave him one of the Montessori activities that I have for my preschooler, and he spent a lot of time working on it. I think a lot of the problems when he's here are because he's bored. I'm starting to think that having some special activities for him when he's here would greatly help everyone. I did a quick You Tube search on activities for children with autism but didn't find much. He's 6 and does not communicate in any way. Any ideas?

Edited June 29, 2010 by Staceyshoe

[sbgrace]

You know every child is so different. What was it about the activity you have that seemed to appeal to him? That might help you think of other ideas or help others help you better.

 

My son loved/loves to play with beans or beads (or sand outside of course) or similar. I had a large tub of different sized beans and he would dig/fill/pour for long periods of blissful for him time. He could also spend a long time with playdough or pudding on a tray or similar. But he may be completely different than your nephew. He's a sensory seeker so that stuff was wonderful for him and child who doesn't like to feel stuff or finds goop intolerable would hate it. Aslo, this wouldn't be safe if he puts the stuff in his mouth (or a younger child would get them).

 

I filled an old crib with a crib tent with those ball pit balls and he absolutely loved playing in there. I wouldn't have done it of course if I didn't already have the old crib and tent. The tent helped because otherwise the balls were thrown or knocked out. A pack in play would work too and I did that for a while as well.

Edited June 29, 2010 by sbgrace

[Staceyshoe]

Thank you for the ideas! He does not like different textures, so some of the things you mentioned probably wouldn't work well. I had him playing with a homemade toy (putting the metal circles from frozen juice concentrate cans through a slit in an empty oatmeal container). I think he really liked the sound it made. I think the balls and beans would work well. I'll have to give those a try!

 

I was hoping there might be a website or something with suggested activities, but I guess it's probably trial and error since every child is so individual. I may try a few other Montessori type activities too. (I'm just starting to get familiar with Montessori now.) If anyone else has suggestions, I'm :bigear:.

[Laurie]

I frequently watch my nephew who has autism. Because our house isn't set up for him, I pretty much need to follow him around constantly or he's toppling furniture, flushing things down the toilet, banging doors until the windows rattle, turning the TV on full blast, etc. (I literally can't leave him for 2 minutes to go quickly go the bathroom without some kind of problem.) This is very difficult for me, as there are usually 4 other young children here at the same time.

 

?

 

Maybe he'd enjoy some noisy toys (although you might not;) ) My dc are both on the spectrum and when they were little ones they both loved the toys that made noise ...and if there were flashing lights, too, all the better! Here are some favorites that come to mind: Books with buttons to push for sound effects, Neurosmith "Music Blocks", the game Simon, a collection of little drums/triangles/maracas/bells, toy vehicles with sirens or other noisy sounds , flashlights to shine on the walls and ceiling.

[chiguirre]

What toys does he play with at his house? That will give you an idea about his interests. My oldest loves animals and ds2 loves vehicles. He was a huge Thomas fan at that age.

[Staceyshoe]

What toys does he play with at his house?

 

I know he does like the toys that light up and make noise, like Laurie mentioned. I might invest in a couple of those. His home environment is fairly chaotic, and he spends a lot of time wandering around and getting into the same kind of trouble that he does here. (The advantage is that their home is set up for this, so there are "safe zones" he can access and parts of the house that are gated off. Furniture has been chosen that can't be toppled over, no lamps, etc.)

 

I know he thrives in a structured environment, like a school setting, which is what made me think that more structured activities that interest him might be just what he needs. He was very focused on getting the circles into the container and did it repeatedly. If I can just find more things like this, it would be good for all of us. Are there any books/websites that would give me hints about what kinds of activities would be appropriate for a child with significant delays? He's not considered "high functioning," and the websites I found dealt more with that end of the spectrum. Or should I delve deeper into Montessori preschool for a child like this?

[AspieMel]

A schedule with visual cues should help him out, but I'd do the schedule loosely, until you get a feel for his likes/dislikes. OT type activities would work well, cards, texture activities, stringing beads, puzzles, "action" toys with lights and sound are always a plus, maybe big block legos, a sit n spin... If he needs anything to make transitioning from one house to another that would make things easier. Maybe a lovey, or a toy from his house that would make him feel comfortable?