Spending For the Autistic, a Gift
of Common Ground
November 26, 2006
By JULIE BICK
Almost
everyone knows of a family affected by autism, the disorder that can
impair a child’s ability to form social and emotional connections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says autism-related
disorders are more common than cerebral palsy, Down syndrome,
blindness and deafness — some of the other major childhood
disabilities.
Children with autism often have a
hard time interpreting emotions in others, may learn to speak later
and can experience hypersensitivity to noise, light and touch. As
the holidays approach, family members and friends may wonder what to
buy for any children with autism on their list while accommodating
their special needs.
Play is the work of all children
because it lets them practice new skills, find new interests and
develop mentally and physically. For a child with autism, the right
kind of play at the right time is crucial. Play can help deliver
some basic communication and life skills that may not come
naturally.
Children with auditory processing
problems, for example, may have trouble translating a verbal request
like “put on your coat” into a physical action. Games like the
Hullabaloo DVD Game ($24.99), from Cranium, which playfully asks
children to jump to different floor pads while showing others
performing the desired action on screen, combine auditory and visual
cues that can help children follow directions.
Although some toys are specially
designed for children with autism, many families may prefer toys
from the mainstream, like the Hullabaloo game. Lauri Perry of
Seattle, the mother of Clark, an 8-year-old with autism, buys
off-the-shelf items rather than custom products. “I want him to have
the toys everyone else has, so when kids come over, they see things
they know and like,” she said. “His room shouldn’t look like a
therapy station.”
On the other hand, a specially
designed therapeutic toy can focus more directly on a specific
skill, like maintaining appropriate eye contact.
Autism disorders fall on a spectrum
from mild to very severe. Mari Stobbe, a founder of the Autism
Spectrum Treatment and Research Center of Seattle, said: “It is
vitally important to help children on the spectrum develop social
connections, and to find common ground with typically developing
children.” She said a shared interest in a toy could help foster
that bond.
Ms. Perry also wants to make sure
Clark has popular items. One favorite is a SpongeBob SquarePants
backpack with a cloth tongue that rolls out when he unzips it. “The
other kids think it’s cool,” she said.
For the past 13 years, Toys “R” Us
has published a “Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids,” originally
in print and now at www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled. It offers tips
for buying mainstream toys based on factors like multisensory
appeal, safety and potential for interaction.
The toys in the catalog have been
evaluated by Lekotek (www.lekotek.org), a nonprofit organization in
Chicago that aims to make play more accessible for children with
disabilities. Each item is tagged with symbols showing which
abilities the toy may help promote, like social interaction, fine
motor skills or language development.
When Ms. Perry first saw the Toys
“R” Us catalog, she felt put off. “It felt condescending, like we
weren’t able to choose the right toys ourselves,” she said. “Clark’s
interests are not that different than other kids.’ ”
But as she examined the catalog
more closely and saw the symbols, she realized that it could be
useful. “There are definitely areas Clark needs to work on, and the
symbols show where a toy could help,” she said. “So if it saves me
from spending time and money on the wrong thing, it is valuable.”
Many toys are hard work for
children with autism because they stretch the child’s capabilities
in language, social skills or sensory integration. While these are
crucial to the child’s development, Susan Malmquist, director of
educational and clinical services at the autism research center,
advises care providers to balance instructional and therapeutic toys
with their favorite types of toys. If the child loves airplanes, for
example, provide them as a break between more therapeutic
activities.
Children with autism usually have a
limited set of interest areas, but those interests are very strong.
So whether an interest is in animals, trains or cars, it is hard to
go wrong buying more items in that category.
Many Web sites offer information
and products for children with autism and other special needs.
Stars4kidz.com offers toys grouped by development category, like
cause and effect, or sensory play.
Neurodiversity.com, through links
to Amazon.com, suggests gifts as well as children’s books featuring
characters with autism, including “Of Mice and Aliens” by Kathy
Hoopmann (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, $12.95) and “Tobin Learns to
Make Friends” by Diane Murrell (Future Horizons, $16.95). The site’s
books for siblings include “All About My Brother” by Sarah Peralta
(Autism Asperger Publishing Company, $16.95).
For parents who want more
information about a toy than the mall or the Web might offer,
Discovery Toys (www.discoverytoysinc.com) of Livermore, Calif., will
send a sales representative to make a presentation for a parent’s
support group or a play group. Working with a child development
expert, the company has chosen a variety of toys for children with
autism in different skill-building areas. The Castle Marbleworks
Play Tower ($36.99), for example, teaches cause-and-effect
relationships using balls and interlocking plastic ramps.
Ellen Notbohm, author of “Ten
Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew” (Future Horizons,
$14.95), advises gift-givers to think beyond the toy store,
especially by emphasizing everyday items that provide sensory
experiences. One year she gave her son with autism a tissue-lined
wicker basket containing 10 cans of shaving cream, to be dispensed
at will in the bathtub, sink or wading pool. “He was beyond happy,”
she recalled.
Because children with autism often
like to play with one type of thing for a long time, large
quantities of typical items can delight them, she said, like a
bucket of flashlights or a treasure chest of costume jewelry
collected from local garage sales.
“Any idea can be terrific, and any
idea can be disastrous, depending on the child,” Ms. Notbohm said.
“Parents will appreciate it if you have thought of three or four
suggestions and ask them which might be most appropriate.”
Asking parents in advance is wise
because special needs can vary so widely. Children on the autism
spectrum usually have a concrete view of life, so fantasy characters
and toys may not appeal to them. For some, a sense of danger is slow
to develop, so be sure to ask parents about toys with an electrical
cord. And though grandparents may like to shower a child with gifts,
one large present may be better than many small ones. Too many
things going on at once, too many choices, can overwhelm a child
with autism, who finds it easier to focus on one thing at a time.
Membership to the local zoo or science museum (where the family can
visit when it is not too noisy or crowded) is another possible gift.
Most buying guidelines for children
with autism are the same as those for any other children, according
to Dr. Malmquist at the autism research center. Find toys based on
their interests, toys that will help them develop and toys that are
safe and matched to their intellectual capabilities. It may just
take a little more research.
|
