Parenting is a duty, which will require you to learn and develop new skills at every stage. And this assumes a greater height if you are parenting an autistic child. Children with autism are not able to find a way of expressing their needs or emotions. And people around them are not able to probe deeper into their "well- fenced" minds! But how can life go on without any social interaction or communication? Encouraging your autistic child to get involved in play-activities may help him overcome this communication gap over time.
Keeping your autistic child engaged for a longer time is certainly a task and a challenging experience. There are ways that can help your child to get actively involved in play and fun-filled games. Most autistic children show interest in music and different sounds. They also love being physically active. It is important to find age appropriate toys and games for your autistic child that can help him develop skills in the area of interaction, socializing with peers and responding to others.
Suitable Games for an Autistic Child (Up to 2 Years of Age)
- Different texture balls will help your child learn to pick up the ball, explore the textures, throw and catch.
- Let him play with the bubbles and it can be challenging for him to blow them also.
- Stacking toys help build a child's eye-hand coordination and allow him to identify different shapes and sizes. These toys will also teach him how to arrange things in descending and ascending order.
- Blocks can keep your child occupied for hours. He may find a real interest in stacking and creating structures.
- Large trucks, wagons and other ride-on vehicles can be fun for your child as they will allow him to explore his environment.
Suitable Games for Your Autistic Child (From 2 to 4 Years of Age)
- Puzzles will be interesting for your child as he will like matching objects.
- Give him colors and different shapes to match.
- Musical toys that can be played are helpful to enhance his motor skills. Hearing different sounds will help him to differentiate between them.
- Gift your child a tricycle with a handle push. It will give a sense of independence to the child. Help him to steer it.
- Children continue to love playing with blocks even as they grow older. This allows them to create various structures in an innovative way.
- Encourage your child to use "draw and erase" boards. Preschool children love to draw and a draw-and-erase board can help stimulate their imagination and motor functioning.
- Give him sand, paints, crayons and beads to enable him to develop his motor skills and to explore his creativity.
- Buy him stuffed animals and dolls. These can act as cuddly companions for your child.
Suitable Games for an Autistic Child (Above 5 Years of Age)
- Buy him keyboard games. The software that allows your child to use a keyboard and a computer monitorcan teach him about cause and effect and can allow him to experiment with technology.
- Involve him with board games. Simple, age-appropriate board games such as "Connect 4" are a great way to engage autistic children in playing with others.
- Motivate him to get involved in art activities. Art activities like drawing or setting up an easel will be enjoyed by your autistic child.
- Playing outside is another great way to keep an autistic child involved with others. Playgrounds with slides, swings and things to climb are especially popular.
- Give him a necklace for beading.
- Pretend play can also be fun with puppets, doll houses, kitchen play and tea parties.
Make sure you are keeping an eye on your child's playing time and toys. Make sure the toys are not edgy, sharp or pointed. A toy or a game that starts out as a fascination for an autistic child can quickly become a dominant obsession, a characteristic autism symptom. So it is your responsibility to set some time limit on your child's play and to let him explore various ways of having fun.
