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Autism Essentials
50
items This thoughtfully curated list of sensory toys is designed to support children and individuals on the autism spectrum through play that soothes, stimulates, and empowers.
Sections
4
Sensory Toys
Health and Safety
Adaptive Essentials
Resources
Sensory Toys
Purposes of Sensory Toys
1. Support Sensory Development
• Help children explore and understand different textures, sounds, shapes, colors, and movements.
• Build connections in the brain related to sensory processing.
2. Encourage Focus and Atten...
For many children, a sensory swing becomes a cozy, secure retreat—a calming zone where they can regroup when feeling overwhelmed.
Sensory Swing
The moving bubbles, floating fish, and color-changing lights provide gentle, mesmerizing visual input that can help captivate attention without overwhelming the senses.
Fish Bubble Lamp
Stepping stones challenge the vestibular system and help children develop balance, core strength, and body control—all essential for everyday movement and physical confidence.
Stepping Stones For Kids
The swirling colors and dynamic movement inside each tile offer captivating visual input that can help stimulate the senses without overwhelming them.
Liquid Floor Tiles
Walking along a balance beam strengthens core muscles, enhances coordination, and challenges the vestibular system—crucial for posture,
Balance Beam For Kids
A small trampoline offers fantastic benefits for autistic children by providing fun, engaging physical activity that supports sensory integration, balance, and coordination. Jumping helps regulate the vestibular system, which can improve focus, reduc...
Little Tikes 3' Trampoline - Amazon Exclusive
Jelly Blox are soft, squishy blocks filled with varying sensory materials—foam beads, mini bricks, sand, stars—that invite pushing, stretching, and squeezing.
Goliath Jelly Blox Creative Kit - 20 Blocks
When paired with balls or toys that drop through or are rolled through the tunnel, children learn cause-and-effect and practice visual tracking, encouraging curiosity and cognitive engagement.
Toy Tunnel Ball Drop Race Track Set (7-Piece)
Tunnel play provides controlled sensory input. The enclosed environment and repetitive movement help children process stimuli more comfortably and self-regulate in overstimulating environments
Play Tunnel
The gentle, even pressure from the Peapod mimics a calming hug or weighted blanket, helping soothe the nervous system. This deep touch pressure can reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and help with sensory regulation.
Inflatable Peapod
Provides Proprioceptive Input (Deep Pressure)
Jumping, falling, or crashing into the pad delivers deep pressure stimulation to the body, which helps regulate the nervous system.
Cheer Collection: Crash Pad
Autistic children who are sensory seekers often love to crash, climb, and jump—activities the Nugget supports safely. The soft foam cushions offer proprioceptive (deep pressure) input, helping regulate the nervous system and reduce sensory overload.
Nugget Couch Alternative
Spinning activates the vestibular system, which helps the brain process motion, balance, and spatial awareness.
Playskool Sit 'n Spin Classic Toy for Toddlers
Star projectors provide gentle, slow-moving light patterns in soothing colors (like blue, purple, or green). This low-stimulation visual input can:
• Reduce anxiety
• Help children decompress after a busy or overstimulating day
• Support emotional...
4 LED Star Projector Bulbs 12 Colors USB
The snug, even pressure from the body sock offers calming proprioceptive input, helping to regulate the nervous system. This can:
• Reduce anxiety
• Promote relaxation
• Help with emotional self-regulation
Body Socks
Playing with balloons helps develop gross motor skills like reaching, hitting, kicking, and throwing. This promotes hand-eye coordination and overall body awareness.
Balloon Powered Toy Car
Wobble discs offer vestibular and proprioceptive feedback by gently shifting under the child’s movements. This type of input can help calm the nervous system and improve emotional regulation.
• Helps reduce anxiety
• Promotes self-soothing through ...
Simplay3 Two Sided Rock Around Wobble Disk
• Autistic children often experience sensory processing differences—hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity.
• Groovy fruit toys (e.g., chewable, squishy, or textured) can help meet their sensory needs, providing calming or stimulating input depending o...
Schylling NeeDoh Groovy Fruit Sensory Fidget Toy
The repetitive action of stamping can be calming and regulating for children with sensory processing differences.
Dot Markers
Tactile and visual tools designed to help children identify, express, and regulate emotions. For autistic children, who may face challenges with emotional recognition, sensory processing, and communication, these tools can be especially beneficial.
Rainbow Emotion Fidget Poppers for SEL
Learning Resources Cool Down Cubes are sensory toys designed to help children—especially those with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing challenges—manage emotions and self-regulate.
Cool Down Cubes Sensory Fidget Set
• The added weight provides sensory input that helps children understand their body position in space.
• Beneficial for children with sensory processing issues or autism.
Ankle Weights Kids
1. Enhances Fine Motor Skills
2. Improves Turn-Taking and Social Interaction
3. Supports Color and Number Recognition
Goliath Pop The Pig Game - New & Improved
🚨The bat has been RESTOCKED! hurry before it sells out for a 5th time!
Many children with ASD have sensory processing challenges. Warmies provide:
• Deep pressure and gentle weight (like a light weighted blanket).
• Warmth, which can be soothing t...
Warmies
Health and Safety
Safety that supports independence and peace of mind.
Stepping stones challenge the vestibular system and help children develop balance, core strength, and body control—all essential for everyday movement and physical confidence.
Child Wrist Leash
Many children with autism have difficulty regulating their body temperature. A cooling vest helps prevent overheating by providing consistent, gentle cooling—especially important during outdoor play, summer months, or physical activity.
Cooling Vest For Kids
Many children with autism are prone to ear infections or sensory-related ear discomfort. Regular home checks help identify problems early, such as infections or excessive earwax, allowing for quicker intervention.
Otoscope Kids
A door alarm can be an important safety tool for families with autistic children, especially those who are prone to wandering or elopement.
Door Alarm
Easily remove insect venom, stingers or splinters with gentle suction!
BUG BITE THING Suction Tool for Bites & Stings
Childproofing sliding glass doors is especially important when you have an autistic child, as it supports both safety and peace of mind. Autistic children may have unique sensory needs, a strong sense of curiosity, or a tendency to elope (wander off ...
Child Safety Lock For Sliding Doors
The Sunflower Lanyard is a discreet yet powerful symbol used to indicate that someone has a hidden disability—including autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, or other non-visible conditions.
Sunflower Lanyard
EllaOla offers unflavored, colorless powdered multivitamins that blend easily into food or drinks—ideal for children who reject pills, gummies, or flavored vitamins.
Multivitamins
Our Wonderfold just got an accessibility upgrade! This disability sign helps prevent judgement, questions and stares — because not all disabilities are visible #inclusionmatters
LUAATT Wagon Wheelchair Tag Stroller Sign
Parents can attach an AirTag to the child’s backpack, clothing, or personal belongings.
• Enables easy tracking and quick location of the child if they wander or get lost, a common concern for autistic kids who might have a tendency to elope.
AirTag
The Apple AirTag Wrist Band for Children is a specially designed accessory that securely holds an Apple AirTag, making it easy and comfortable for kids to wear while keeping them safely trackable.
typecase: Airtag wristband for kids
Kid-safe kitchen knives are specially designed tools that allow children to safely participate in cooking and food preparation.
Kid-Safe Cooking Knives from Tovla Jr. – Tovlajr
Melatonin supplements can be beneficial to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) primarily because sleep difficulties are extremely common in this population—affecting up to 80% of children with ASD. These challenges can significantly impact t...
Kids Sleep Chewable
Adaptive Essentials
Adaptive tools for autism are specially designed supports, devices, or strategies that help individuals on the spectrum navigate daily life more easily.
Adaptive scissors are specially designed cutting tools that support children who have difficulties with fine motor skills, hand strength, or coordination—challenges often experienced by children with autism.
Adaptive Scissors
Egg pencil holders (or egg-shaped pencil grips) are specially designed to help children, including those with autism, hold writing tools more easily and comfortably. Their unique shape provides both sensory and motor support, making them an excellent...
Egg Pencil Grips
The three-sided shape naturally guides a child’s fingers into a tripod grasp (thumb, index, and middle fingers)—an important foundation for handwriting.
Crayola Crayons, 16 : Toys & Games
Chair bands offer proprioceptive input (deep pressure and resistance) through the legs and feet. This kind of input can help autistic children:
• Self-regulate during seated tasks
• Stay calmer in overstimulating environments
• Reduce anxiety or p...
Chair Bands
The Crayons Pop and Paint Watercolor Set is a vibrant, versatile art kit that combines the fun of crayons with the creativity of watercolors—perfect for kids who love to explore colors in different ways, including autistic children who benefit from s...
Washable Pop & Paint Watercolor Palette
Many sensory sheets provide gentle resistance or pressure when children sit, lay, or press on them, helping develop body awareness and muscle control.
Sensory Compression Twin Size Stretchy Sheet
Using children’s chopsticks builds:
• Finger strength and dexterity
• Pincer grasp (important for handwriting and other precision tasks)
• Hand-eye coordination
This is especially helpful for autistic children who may have delays or challenges wit...
Kids Chopsticks
Solid tempera paint sticks are a versatile and mess-free art supply that can offer numerous developmental, sensory, and emotional benefits for autistic children. These tools combine the fun of painting with the control of crayons, making them highly ...
TBC Paint Sticks, 12 Classic Colors, Washable
Dinosaur and Cat Ear noise canceling headphones! Noise-canceling headphones can be especially beneficial for autistic individuals, since sensory processing differences often make certain sounds overwhelming, distracting, or distressing.
cumunebula Kids Noise Cancelling Headphones 28dB
Resources
📍Rhode Island Resources
And online resources for gestalt language processors.
The Meaningful Speech® website is a comprehensive resource dedicated to supporting individuals—especially children—who process language in gestalt patterns, such as those who use delayed echolalia.
Meaningful Speech
Boho Speechie is your partner in embracing neurodiversity-affirming supports for your child or clients' language journey.
Boho Speechie | Home
The Daniel Tiger for Parents app is a free, educational tool designed to support parents and caregivers in teaching young children essential social-emotional skills.
Daniel Tiger for Parents Mobile Downloads
The Pok Pok Playroom app is a Montessori-inspired educational platform designed for children aged 2 to 8. It offers a unique approach to screen time by focusing on open-ended, creative play that fosters curiosity and learning without the pressures of...
Pok Pok