Do you know that there exist toys to improve your child’s brain stimulation?
Autistic children have problems with their senses. Their brain and muscles are either hyperstimulated or not stimulated properly.
Thanks to modern research, sensory toys for autism are now available that can regulate the sensation of touch, balance, texture, smell, and hearing, and also aid in verbal and nonverbal communication in your child.
Let us know about sensory toys used for treating autism.
What are the Issues in Autistic Children Related to Senses?
Autistic children experience sensory challenges like hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity. Hypersensitive individuals may be overwhelmed by stimuli like light, smell, or sound. This may lead to discomfort or anxiety.
Hyposensitive children may seek excessive sensory input, which means they might not react to sounds, smells, or light that others find noticeable or even overwhelming.
These sensory issues can affect their daily activities, social interactions, and learning experiences. That’s why it is important to understand and address sensory needs in supporting the well-being of autistic children.
At the same time, you need to remember that toys are just an aid to autism treatment. Your child needs expert attention to overcome the challenges of autism.
How can Sensory Toys help Autistic Children?
Sensory toys aid children with autism in skill development and provide a structured and supportive environment that promotes learning and play.
For hypersensitive kids, toys designed with soothing textures, muted colors, and gentle sounds can help create a calming environment, reducing sensory overload. On the other hand, for hyposensitive children who seek sensory stimulation, toys with vibrant colors, varied textures, and interactive features can engage their senses and promote sensory awareness.
These sensory toys can help in mimicking a special event and teach a child to play naturally.
10 Best Sensory Toys for Autism
Let us now check how different toys cater to the needs of autistic children.
1. Sensory Mats
Sensory mats can be great toys for children with autism. They can feel the different textures of the sensory mats and regulate their sense of understanding texture.
You can give your child various kinds of sensory mats and ask the child to tell what kind of texture they are feeling in their mind.
2. Sand or Putty
These sensory objects can be used by the children to make new designs; for example, a small miniature house model can be built. This definitely improves the motor skills of autistic children and activates the sensory pathways of the brain.
The sand can be variously colored, helping the children to regulate their visual senses. In short, these types of toys help in enhancing creativity.
3. Chewing Toys
Chewing toys are meant for autistic children who have texture sensation problems and chewing and biting sensation problems.
Chewing toys can be the dotted type or have ridges, or they may be smooth. Chewing toys are made up of materials that are completely non-toxic for the body.
Therefore, these toys can be very effective for facial muscle exercise and sensing something with various textures and surfaces.
4. Rainmaker Toys
Rainmaker toys are for those autistic children who have problems regulating sound senses. The sound of falling rain makes the minds of the children calm and also helps them relax their sense of hearing.
The color of the toy and the beautiful sight of the falling beads also make the sensation wonderful for the children. They can even listen to the rainmaker toy while playing and doing other activities.
5. Fidget Spinners
Fidget spinners are great toys, as the spinners can be worn in the hand or on the fingers, and they keep autistic children focused.
They have also become popular among the nonautistic population as a tool for anxiety and stress relief.
6. Pin Artboards
Pin artboards are excellent sensory toys for autistic children, as they enhance creativity and also regulate the sense of texture in children.
They can touch the toys and feel the design they have created. It also increases the motility of the fingers and improves the muscle tone of the hands.
7. Electronic Toys
Electronic toys are known to improve the autistic condition in children. Autistic children cannot tolerate different kinds of noise, but the sounds of pets and home appliances can regulate their hearing senses.
They touch the dog, and the dog makes a sound. This helps the children adapt to objects and also improves their socialization skills.
8. Vibrating Cushion
A vibrating cushion helps in improving tactile or touch sensation in autistic children. The toy helps in initiating verbal communication and also helps in improving socializing skills.
9. Body Sox
Autistic children put themselves inside breathable, flexible, and colorful body sox that gently resist the movements of the autistic children.
The soxs help in putting slight pressure on the body, which helps the children to calm down and release their anxiety.
10. Reflective Balls
These mirror balls reflect items that are brought near them. The balls create a distorted image and are ideal for autistic children who have visual perception problems.
They are also known to improve the motor skills of the children.
Why MedicoExperts Recommends a Combination Approach?
There is no doubt that sensory toys are tools that can work wonders for both hyperactive and hypoactive children. But you will see better and faster improvements when these toys and activities are combined with therapies personalized according to your child’s specific needs.
MedicoExperts offers expert-led developmental sessions and combines traditional wisdoms like Ayurveda and homeopathy with advanced medical sciences like stem cell therapy to ensure that your child sees lasting results.
Want to know how combination therapy can change your child’s growth?
Takeaway
Sensory toys for autism are not just playthings. These toys help your child explore their senses, calm anxiety, and build essential skills. But the deeper challenges of autism need more than these toys. That’s why we have come up with a combination therapy to ensure your child receives holistic support and long-term progress.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q1. What do kids with autism like to play with?
A: Kids with autism like to play with sensory toys that will calm down their perception of different sensory stimuli.
Q2. What are the 8 sensory needs?
A: The eight sensory needs are sight (visual), taste (gustatory), touch (tactile), hearing (auditory), smell (olfactory), vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (movement), and interoceptive (internal).
Medically Reviewed by MedicoExperts Editorial & Clinical Review Board on 9 September 2025