Hello again. Hope you are well. In today’s blog I want us to briefly talk about some sensory products we have used throughout Jayson’s autism journey. I feel like as parents, we always are on the hunt for the next great toy or product that our kiddos can use. That is even more true for us autism parents. We all know that sensory needs are a big part of autism. Some of our kiddos require high sensory stimulation while some are very sensitive. Jayson is a child that needs a lot of sensory stimulation in order to feel at ease/balance. When we first got our diagnosis, sensory was one of the main symptoms he presented with. He would constantly grab anyone’s hand and use it to hit his head. He would jump off couches, off the bed, literally off anything he could find. He needed sensory stimulation throughout the day. In the early stages of our journey, I have to be honest, I had no idea what sensory stimuli was. I was so naive to it and would oftentimes get angry at Jayson and yell at him to stop. As I became more educated on ASD and learned more about proprioception (our bodies awareness system that tells our bodies where they are in relation to objects) I began to realize that sensory stimulation was part of the diagnosis.
Toys for autistic teenager
Below are pictures of products that we have used over the years. All of the products below are still part of our tool kit and Jayson uses them as he sees fit. Jayson’s favorite in the early stages of our diagnosis was the Chuckle Ball. It is a vibrating toy that gives off really deep vibrations. He loved that thing. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to change the battery on that thing. He still plays with it until today. I can’t forget to mention his trampoline. We bought Jayson his first trampoline when he was 3 years old. Similar to the picture below, it was a small one we could keep in the house. That saved my couches for a while, but he soon outgrew that one. We now have an outdoor trampoline with an enclosure. He can jump on that thing for hours and truly he is happiest when outdoors! I love it as well because that gives me the chance to get my exercise while playing with Jayson and Emma. I hope these few tools can help your kiddo as well.
For strengthening For relaxation To play and jump For belly hopping For indoor jumping
Stay strong family.
Your friend in Christ,
M.J.