Autism Spectrum Disorder
Is Chewelry Safe?
Chewelry has become popular in recent years: wearable silicone jewelry meant to be chewed or sucked on. Chewelry is intended to help release stress and anxiety in children and adults who use it. Moreover, advocates say that chewelry normalizes the use of sensory aids by repackaging chewing supports as fun, colorful jewelry pieces that anyone…
Read MoreHow do Fidget Toys Work?
We’ve written about sensory toys before on this blog, but today we’re focusing on fidget toys and their usefulness. Fidget toys are devices that provide a repetitive action that a user can engage in with little to no thought. Fidget devices are often visually pleasing and may also offer tactile or auditory stimulation, such as…
Read MoreHelping Your Child’s Social Anxiety with Role Play
Today we continue our Mental Health Awareness Month series by talking about a common anxiety disorder in children. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects between 7% and 12% of the U.S. population. Increasingly, it’s impacting young people. Global research has found that nearly 1 in 3 respondents aged 16–29 years meet the threshold criteria for SAD. …
Read MorePuppets as Therapeutic Toys
Our last article for Autism Acceptance Month focuses on the usefulness of puppet play for children with autism. Puppets have been used as entertainment since ancient Greece, though puppets have also been found in ancient Egypt, Australia, China, India, and across the Middle East. The art form is ubiquitous anywhere that humans have a history…
Read MoreSensory Toys Buying Guide, Part 2: Sights, Sounds, and Smells
In our last post we covered the most common types of sensory toys, which are tactile or chewable. However, many sensory products stimulate other senses. In this post we will talk about how auditory, visual, and olfactory sensory toys can help children with sensory processing issues regulate those senses. Toys for Auditory Stimulation Auditory awareness…
Read MoreSensory Toys Buying Guide, Part 1: Tactile and Chewable Toys
People have used different types of sensory aids long before the term “sensory toy” came into popular use. Settling into a hot bath after a long day, nervously chewing gum while watching a close football game, or listening to white noise to try to fall asleep are all examples of everyday sensory stimulation used for…
Read MoreSensory Toys: What are they? What do they do? Who benefits from them?
Sensory toys are not a new thing. In 2017, fidget spinners were all the rage. The fad featured a fun toy assured to entertain children for hours while driving their teachers and guardians up a wall. Caretakers were divided on the utility of these spinners. Were they great tools for helping children get out nervous…
Read MoreWhy Children on the Autism Spectrum Love Jigsaw Puzzles
As we head into Autism Acceptance Month*, we begin a series examining the benefits of different types of toys for children and young people with autism. Our first piece focuses on why jigsaw puzzles are a popular activity for children with autism. Puzzles are a commonly reported favorite activity for children with autism, for a…
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