what play activites can i use for young children with autism?

Question

such as ages 3yrs old and 6yrs old

Answer 1

Autistics remain in the infancy level of play because of their difficulty with socialization (at least until they are older and able to learn the "why" behind social rules). They parallel play rather than interact with others.

Therefore, any games that are individual play are good. Many autistics do enjoy social company, with careful respect for their personal space and interaction focused on their own interests.

Try puzzles, interactive educational computer programs (like Reader Rabbit), art activities, etc. Many autistics will "play" with objects that spin, swirl, etc. because it keys in to their fascination for repeating details.

With older autistics who like puzzles, we often use them to start to teach the idea of "turn taking." Your crowd is a bit young for that, though.

Don't forget that autistics absolutely must have rigid structure and routine. "Play time" should be carefully defined, organized, and at the same time every day... and you may have difficulties the first few times you do it until the kids get used to it being part of the routine.

Answer 2

Puzzles, like the ones that make animal sounds or other sounds when you place the piece back into position. Anything that spins. It really depends on their developemental age, not the same as their biological age, and their abilities, since autism covers a big range. Toys that play music and light up are good ones as well, but keep the volume on low. My son does games on the puter, ie Mercer Mayer, nick jr, pbs has games as well. They all stimulate them visually and teach them reading skills.

Answer 3

Check out TEACCH . I don't know the website, but it is a program for autism and developmentally delayed children. Also on About.com there is a Special Education link and it has wonderful newsletters and parent/teacher participation.
There are websites for autism which have activities appropriate for various degrees of autism/sensory perception. Just search on autism and you will find more than you can possibly use.
Also there are catalogs with toys/equipment for developmentally delayed children/adults. Let me know how you do on this.

Answer 4

With autism it all depends on the child's likes and dislikes. figure out what they are into and focus games and activites around that. For example One child I work with enjoys tv shows like blues clues, seseme street etc. you can recreate things or experiments you see on tv or movies in real life. Thats just one example but I hope it helps.

Answer 5

Hi, I think that good activities vary between children. Try out differant activities with him and see what he likes. Maybe kicking or throwing a ball or skating or riding bikes. My daughter doesn't ride bikes or particularly care for sports, I think she sees no purpose to them. But she loves to go on walks. We have a mountain with trails close to our house and she loves to let go of my hand and just follow the trail. She also loves to swim. Is there a county funded pool in your area? They are generally much cheaper. She also likes to go to the park or school and play on the equipment. We usually go to a place that isn't real crowded because she doesn't like all the noise and competition for equipment. She also likes to swing. I taught her how to pump her legs and she will go on and on. I hope this helps you out. :)

Answer 6

I've found that outside some of my kids are drawn to things that have repetative motion; swing, see-saw, slides, running through the sprinkler. You have also got to think about sensory issues.

Answer 7

http://www.daylon.com/autism/

That's a link to a paper I wrote on the topic of Autism. Hope it helps.