by Amber Lesovoy

Created on: September 18, 2009   Last Updated: October 25, 2009

Bubble wrap and refrigerator boxes reign supreme

In the past five years of gift shopping for my autistic son, I cannot count the number of times I've thought that it would be more logical to bypass the expensive, flashy toys in favor of the boxes and wrapping that he enjoys so much more! How many fellow autism parents have developed an eye twitch after spending hundreds of dollars on high tech toys promised to develop skills that these kids are lacking, and seeing them toss the toy across the room then grab the bubble wrap and scream with delight? Fear not, however, I have finally found some toys that can compete with their packaging.

If it's fragile, it's a bad, bad, bad idea! The biggest characteristic of a good toy for kids with autism is durability. If it's not durable, it will not last long. Toys have to withstand throwing, stomping, dropping, moisture, food being mashed into them, and being left out in the rain. As cool as that Nitro Notebook laptop toy is, it's $80 badly spent in this case. Delicate electronics don't stand a chance. Porcelain dolls are dangerous. Stuffed animals often get shredded.

There are certain toys that a child gets attached to, to the point of not being able to handle being away from it. In our case, it was a stuffed horse that came from Wal Mart. By the time it had worn to pieces, Walmart had stopped selling the toy. Get something relatively generic, so it can be replaced with an identical one later down the line. It will save you a lot of heartache, headache, and you won't have to watch the child carry around the shredded, filthy remains of whatever the toy started out as.

I've yet to meet the autistic kid who did not absolutely love music playing, light flashing, noise making toys. A favorite of my son's is Playskool's toddler guitar. It's a noisy, headache inducing toy, but he has been unable to break it, and has not tired of it. Anything with lots of lights and cound will keep an autistic child interested, but after awhile the parents may ban you from giving them!

So called "fidget" items are really useful for kids with autism. Small balls with different textures offer a wide variety of tactile play, a bucket of beans is always a favorite, and small puzzles like the plastic Tangle toy or the Rubix cube are great, depending upon the age of the child. Play Dough is good for certain kids, but not so much for individuals who are sensitive to messy hands.A huge Tupperware box of dry rice and beans can provide a wonderful, affordable

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