Sensory toys are mainly designed to engage and stimulate the senses of babies and children no matter what age they are. But do you know that it also helps children with special needs?
Sensory Toys: A Big Help for Special Needs Children
All children, no matter what their ability and needs are, will find sensory toys beneficial. In fact, these toys can benefit kids who fall on the autism spectrum as well as those who have special needs.
Sensory toys are also very engaging and entertaining for kids in the mental and physical sense. This is possible as they stimulate human senses, specifically touch, taste, sight, sound, smell, balance, and movement.
As for kids who have special needs, it is advisable to give them sensory toys that feature sharply contrasting colors. As much as possible, the toys should be able to produce sounds. They should be effective in stimulating at least two of their senses every time they play.
If your child has ADHD, then you can also seek the help of sensory toys. In this case, you can try using a fidget toy. It is useful in enhancing a child’s focus and concentration by keeping their hands busy.
Sensory toys are also good for special needs children as those are actually designed for them. These objects are meant to let kids go through sensory stimulation safely while staying in a safe and controlled surrounding.
With the presence of these toys, kids with special needs will also feel more motivated and encouraged to use their senses as a means of processing new and additional information. As the toys engage specific senses, your child will also remain relaxed and comfortable.
Benefits of Sensory Toys for Kids with Special Needs
Sensory toys refer to objects mainly used as a means of stimulating your tactile sense. With the help of these toys, kids have tangible means of interacting with the environment, thereby helping them learn and understand the world surrounding them.
All sensory toys help kids with special needs for a wide range of reasons. The following are just a few of the things these objects can do for them:
Provides a calming and regulated sensory experience
A major advantage of sensory toys is that they can calm you down. Their calming effects help soothe children with special needs. These are also helpful in refocusing attention and handling overstimulation, especially for those with autism.
Just a few of the most calming sensory toys that work for those who are anxious, fidgety, or stressed are chewable jewelry, noise-canceling headphones, and weighted pads. Basically, any toys with soothing capabilities will suit the needs of most children who have special needs.
Most sensory toys and activities also include sensory stimuli that are appropriate for one’s age to help develop and hone their emotional resilience. By letting them indulge in sensory play, you will notice them calming down while receiving therapeutic benefits.
You can let them play with different sensory objects that also have various textures, such as Play-Doh, stress balls, slime, and moon sand. These things can offer relief from extreme stress and tension. The toys can also make your child feel calm, happy, relieved, and excited.
Kids with special needs even get the chance to hone their self-confidence as they keep engaging in sensory play. It cultivates a sense of self since several activities also require them to choose depending on their preference.
Supports sensory integration for enhanced focus
Sensory toys are also helpful for kids with special needs as those are effective in boosting sensory development. Note that the brain of your child tends to respond to sensory input in complicated means. With the help of sensory toys, your child will get to explore all their senses while being in a more regulated and safer setting.
The toys are also of help in learning how to anticipate and process sensory experiences even outside of the classroom. Since there is proper sensory integration, you will also notice an improvement in your child’s focus.
They will be able to start fostering awareness of their surroundings, which is beneficial in making the child concentrate better when dealing with real-life situations, even those in classrooms. Kids who have problems with focus can also play with fidget toys that have different textures, colors, and shapes, so this ability will be honed.
Fosters a sense of inclusivity and empowerment
Sensory toys are also good for kids with special needs as they promote a sense of inclusivity. It makes these kids feel like there is a place where they belong. The fact that there are toys designed to entertain them and help them develop in various ways is also a great source of empowerment.
They will feel more empowered, which is also a big help in boosting their confidence. Expect these kids to feel genuinely happy as they keep on traversing the world they are in with more confidence, focus, and calm.
3 Recommended Toys for Special Needs Children
So how can you make sure that you are enjoying the mentioned benefits of sensory toys for special needs children? The answer is you have to pick the appropriate toys – one that they truly like and suits their unique needs.
To give you an idea, here are your options:
Chewable Necklaces
Kids with special needs can greatly benefit from playing with chewable necklaces. In general, these necklaces are safe to use, especially for those who have autism and require sensory teething toys.
By having a chewable necklace as their teether, it is possible not to lose the item since it will be kept on their neck. It is a good oral sensory stimulation designed to calm them down, too. Just make sure that your choice of necklace is BPA-free and non-toxic.
Weighted Blankets
You may also want to invest in weighted blankets, those that can provide deep pressure designed to boost your special needs child’s focus and relaxation. In most cases, these weighted blankets come in the right size for children so that they can use them when doing schoolwork.
You can also expect the weighted blankets to offer the kind of compression sensation without the need to feel like it is already too much. It can calm down and relax a lot of kids, especially those with special needs and who are suffering from anxiety.
Fidget Spinners with Textures
Choose fidget spinners featuring various textures if you want your child to receive tactile engagement specifically meant for their senses. With the help of fidget spinners, kids with special needs will be able to use something that has visual stimulation to calm them down.
Most fidget spinners that have different textures are also effective in relieving anxiety and stress unobtrusively. The textures will have a nice feel, allowing kids to explore their sense of touch.
Conclusion
Sensory toys are indeed among the most valuable items for kids who have special needs. The good news is that you get the chance to tailor sensory play depending on the unique needs of your child by investing in the right toys.
As much as possible, set a goal of making your special needs child develop themselves mentally through exploration with the help of sensory play. Aim to strengthen the connections of their brain, so they can start to process and respond to sensory information more efficiently.