Toys and Games for Autism

If you have a child on the autism spectrum, then you should know about ToyBox Tools.
ToyBox tool teamed up with Hasbro and the Autism Project to assist parents with developmentally disabled children with evidence based practices as it relates specifically to Hasbro toys. The ToolBox site enables parents to access, download and print play tools to educate caregivers with different aspects of play and alternative ways to play with a toy, and playing with peers.

If you don’t have a child on the spectrum, then you probably don’t know that play does not come naturally to autistic children. They have to be taught how to play and be imaginative. It is a skill set that does not come naturally to this group of children, so the ToyBox Tools helps those parents who just got the autism diagnosis, and/or family members, teachers and friends, to understand and to learn how to teach autistic children how to play {and how to play with them}.

In the ToyBox, there are Play Books, Plat Mats, Videos and written supports to provide parents the “How To” steps to teach a child with developmental delays to play a game using common ABA practices. Even if your child does not have a developmental delay, the tools are assistive to parents teaching toddlers how to play games, with the same steps that they need to learn too. Thus, it can be a useful tool in a family with multiple children – of which some are normal functioning. The site also provides its thoughts on some key Hasbro games and teaching opportunities within those Hasbro games.

Check out my blog posts here about great toys and games for Autism, like these top ten toys, as well as other autism resources and reviews.

All in all, there is no reason that autistic children can’t have a playful childhood, and the ToolBox Tools helps do just that.