Something that’s musical (added bonus for some if they light up!) Think about the visual effects of a lava lamp, waiting for a slow change.Ĥ. Tapping into the visual system can be calming for many individuals, especially those with autism.
Scarves - add different colors or textures for visual interest.Movements needed to shake the following toys involve those finger and hand movements required to “fiddle”, and then some more - the upper arms and shoulders are involved when accessing these types of toys: In an attempt to curb some of these extraneous movements while still providing feedback, check out these toys to fiddle with: One of the hallmark sensory seeking behaviors is hand flapping and finger flicking, these hand movements provide increased input to the joints of the arms and hands. Something to fiddle with: shake it, flick it, fidget with it! If you have any favorite stim toys that aren't on the list, let us know in the comments! 1. There is a long list of toys that could be used as stim toys, so we are breaking the list down into 10 different categories under which you can look for stim toys on. Remember, we all have multiple tools in our self-regulation toolbox, so explore multiple options! Whatever your reason for researching stim toys or fidget toys for autism, keep the preferences and sensory profile of the user in mind so you can appropriately match the options to their needs. In some cases, the stim toy redirects what may turn into self-injurious stim behavior. Some parents, behaviorists, therapists, or educators may base their selection of a stim toy in order to provide a more appropriate replacement behavior that is less distracting or less stigmatizing. That being said, we will refer to the products in this article as “stim toys” because they are often chosen to redirect or replace “stim” behaviors.įor people with autism, the recommendations for complexity and function of stim toys may be slightly different depending on the user’s motor skills, preferred stim behaviors, and reasons for implementing a stim toy. The benefits of both are positive, no matter what the toys are called. If you read our guide, Everything You Need to Know About Fidget Toys for ADHD and Anxiety , you learned about some fabulous fidget toys that support focus and engagement.įidget toys can be stim toys and vice versa!
When considering specific stimming behaviors in terms of one’s auditory, visual, tactile, ve stibula r, gustatory (taste), and olfactory (smell) senses, it is easier to identify the why behind the behavior and to find a replacement, like one of the toys below, if you are looking for one.
We use our sensory systems to help regulate, focus, interact, and function in our daily lives. When looking at why people with autism prefer certain stims at different times, it’s important to look at the purpose the movements serve from a sensory perspective. The list of self-stimulatory behaviors is much longer than those we’ve listed, but when you look at the sensory functions of some of these stims, it’s easier to recognize their purpose and perhaps find a replacement that meets these sensory needs in a different way. While it looks like fidgeting, it is something a bit beyond your average fidget. These self-stim behaviors are repetitive in nature, can be whole-body movements or movements of objects, and serve a sensory purpose. In other cases, the self-stimulation is to provide more sensory information in order to increase their arousal level because their bodies are not appropriately registering the information and they need more input! In some cases, people with autism engage in self-stimulation, or “stimming” behaviors in an effort to combat sensory overstimulation, tune-out the extraneous sensory information, and decrease their arousal level. This sensory dysfunction often drives some stereotypical behaviors that are characteristic of a diagnosis of autism.įor more information on sensory processing and autism, be sure to read Harkla’s article h er e. People with autism typically have a level of sensory integration dysfunction that causes them to misinterpret, be overwhelmed by, or under-register sensory information from their bodies and surroundings.
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