10 Tips That Will Aid You in Buying Gifts For Autistic Children

There are many specific considerations that must be made when purchasing gifts for children with autism. Age, the degree of autism, the child's learning level, how well they communicate, along with their particular interests - all come into play.

1. The first tip is to do your research. Find out all the information that you can about the child you are shopping for. Their learning level may not be the same as their age or grade level, so do not assume that the toys aimed at a certain age is appropriate.
2. With this said, not all autistic children need or want toys under their age group, so keep this in mind when looking to purchase a toy. If you are willing to take a look at toys in any age group, this will give you a greater chance at finding that perfect gift!
3. Choose a gift that is helpful in verbal development and interaction. With a little effort, you can find a pack of flash cards depicting emotions, designed specifically for autistic children.
4. Pick a gift that aids in sensory, visual, and fine motor skill development.
5. Handwriting can be difficult task for many children with autism. Looking for gifts that will help a child in their specific problem area is a great gift idea.
6. Even though all children with autism are different from each other, it has been observed that a commonality is a fascination with music and texture.
7. Autistic children are often fascinated by toys with unique textures, helping them focus their senses on that object, inducing a calming effect.
8. Since music is another common interest for many autistic children, a gift that allows listening or making music stands a good chance of putting a big smile on the youngster's face!
9. Autistic children can become frustrated easily, resulting in tantrums, or worse, them hurting themselves. Avoid buying any toy that is small and easily swallowed such as marbles or coins. Avoiding toys with sharp edges is also a good rule to keep in mind.
10. A quick list of suggestions:
• A cheap mp3 player.
• Spiky ball.
• Flash cards.
• A cheap radio.
• Weighted pens.
• Smooth glitter ball.
• Koosh balls.
• Play dough.
• Dry-erase boards.
• Sound recorder.

Andrew Nolan suggests looking here for more gift ideas for autistic children!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Nolan