Topic “Autism”  

– Toys that respond to actions (e.g. pop-up toys, switches, musical buttons, sound books, light up toys).

1. Present one cause-and-effect toy within easy reach.

2. Model the action once and allow your child to explore freely.

3. Pause and wait for your child to repeat the action to gain the sensory feedback.

– Objects that create sound when acted upon (e.g. shakers, drums, crinkly materials).

– Light-up toys, mirrors, or reflective surfaces.

Exercise ball or trampoline

– Familiar toys or materials the child enjoys.

1. Imitate your child’s current play.

2. Slowly introduce a small change in your own play (e.g. moving to a different toy).

3. Wait to see if your child notices and follows the shift.

– Two activities with shared sensory features (e.g. water play to bubbles, textured toys).

- Two simple activities placed next to each other (e.g. puzzle and blocks).

Character toy or laminated print out of favourite TV or film character

Incorporate your child's favourite character into free flow learning, e.g.

1) If you are learning "We're going on a Bear Hunt", allow the character to go through the grass, mud river etc.

2) If you are learning Three Little Pigs and playing with toy houses, allow the character to visit the houses.

3) If you are learning transport, using a train set, use a laminate of the character and blu tac to allow them to ride the train.

– Toys, objects or media linked to the child’s special interest (e.g. trains, dinosaurs, animals, letters, numbers, cars).

Different materials, fabrics and textures, e.g. feather duster, vibrating massager, fake fur, hand fan

1. Show your child one of the objects, allow them to explore it, then use their hand or arm to show them how it feels.

2. Look for signs that your child is enjoying/not enjoying the interaction and then continue or stop as appropriate.

Use, for example, one of the following sets of items:

Sand tray with spades, pots etc.

Water tray with pots, sieves, pourers etc

Rice tray with pots and pourers etc

- A piece of material - this could be a blanket, a muslin, a cloth, a scarf.

- Small instruments like a drum, tambourine, or shaker.
- Comfortable space where the child can sit with you.

1. Sit with your child and play an instrument together.

2. Encourage the child to make sounds and watch your response.

3. Respond enthusiastically to the child’s sounds by smiling, clapping, or mimicking the sound.

Hands, scarves, or small objects to hide behind.

- Everyday objects like a ball, toy car, or cup.
- Comfortable area to sit or stand together.

Variety of textures (foam, lotion, slime, fabric)

1. Show your child the texture.

2. Touch a small amount to your child’s hand or arm.

3. Pause and wait.

4. Remove the texture when your child shows refusal (wiping hand, pulling away).

Fan

Water spray

Bubble wand

Vibrating toy

Tickles

Non-preferred toy, food, or object

Toys that make sounds (rattle, bell, crinkle toy)

1. Briefly activate the toy to gain interest, then pause.

2. Let your child explore by shaking, tapping, or squeezing.

3. Use single-word comments linked to your child’s actions or sounds.

4. Continue while your child remains engaged.

Basket with a variety of everyday objects (spoon, cup, ball, soft toy, lid)

Objects should be safe and easy for the child to manipulate

1. Place the basket within reach and wait for your child to choose an item.

2. Allow your child to handle, turn, bang, mouth, or visually inspect the object.

3. Observe and follow the child’s lead, positioning objects so they are easy to see and reach.

4. If child loses interest, take another object out of the box, showing excitement to try to regain attention.

Safe household objects (cups, spoons, lids, boxes)

Simple cause-and-effect toys (pop-up toy, push-button toy, spinning toy)

Tray or bin with sand, rice, water, or jelly

Small objects hidden inside (cups, animals, blocks)

Containers with lids, boxes, bags

Small toys or objects to place inside

- Sensory toys and materials for messy play (e.g. trays with sand/ cornflour and water/jelly).

- The best toys are those that the child can manipulate easily to produce a result.

1. Guide your child's hands and visual attention to toys/trays of material(s) that they can touch and look at.

2. Let your child explore the toys/materials in the tray and encourage them to investigate all their properties, stimulating all of the child's senses as far as possible (colour, smell, texture).

3. You may need to draw the child's attention back to the activity if the child becomes distracted. Use your voice to regain their attention (e.g. a drawn out "ohhhh!", or an intake of breath).

Toys with different textures (soft, bumpy, smooth, squishy)

Safe household objects (cups, spoons, lids, boxes)

- Desired and undesired toys, other objects

To begin with hold out a liked toy and a neutral object like a piece of paper - encourage the child to reach for what they want.

When they can do this consistently hold out two toys - encourage the child to reach to choose.

- Two types of food

Use a small box or bag to collect toys which target different sensory areas

e.g.

Auditory (noisy toys) toys (rattles, squeakers, shakers, musical items, drums etc.)

Visual toys (flags, streamers, Slinkies, spinners, bubbles, flashing items, torches, pop-up toys, windmills etc.)

Tactile toys (toys that feel different) (balls of different textures to squeeze, brushes of different textures to be tickled with, materials e.g. velvet, sandpaper, feathers, pots of rice/macaroni to feel, Play dough to squeeze/cut )

Scented toys (play dough, Plasticine, some rubber toys)

1. Collect some toys from each of the sensory categories described.

2. Store the toys in a container which you use only for this specific activity and is otherwise stored away from children.

3. Find a quiet comfortable place to work either at a table or on the floor. Try to make sure the child cannot easily run off or get distracted.

4. Make a show of shaking the suitcase and seeming happy about the approaching activity.

5. Take out two toys from different sensory categories and place them in front of the child - note which category of item the child chooses/reaches for and put the other item back in the suitcase.

6. Allow the child a short time to enjoy the item chosen then say 'Your name's turn' (e.g. "Mary's turn") and gently but firmly take the item for your turn.

7. Use the toy for a short time then offer it the child again. Say 'Child's name's turn'.

8. Repeat a few times but stop before the child gets bored.

9. Start the process again by offering the child a choice of toys from two different sensory categories and then follow the turn taking routine.

10. Continue with the activity for approximately 10 minutes - stop before the child gets bored.

11. Store the sensory suitcase in a secure place until the next session.

Use a selection of the following:

Paint pots and brushes, felt tips, computer painting programme, pots with different coloured bits of paper to stick and a sheet of paper.

Use, for example, one of the following sets of items:

Sand tray with spades, pots etc.

Water tray with pots, sieves, pourers etc

Rice tray with pots and pourers etc

• Digital camera
• Velcro
• Laminated sheet of paper
• Stickers
• Laminated symbols for  ‘Hello’

If you don't already have a symbol for "hello" you can find one in the Commtap Symboliser.

1. Agree with 3 familiar people that the child is going to start greeting them by saying ‘Hello’.
2. Explain to the people you have selected that the child is learning to greet another person and there are a number of steps to this.
3. Explain that the child will get a sticker reward for starting to say ‘hello’.
4. Ask the people you have selected to respond to the child’s greeting by making eye contact and saying ’hello’ with a welcoming gesture.
5. The steps for greeting include:
• Stopping
• Looking
• Gesturing
• Handing over a symbol of ‘Hello’
• Saying/signing ‘Hello’
6. Take photos of the people you want the child to greet and laminate.
7. Put the photos on a laminated sheet of A4 paper using velcro.
8. Next to each photo velcro on a laminated symbol of ‘Hello’.
9. As you approach the target person they need to stop and get down to make eye contact with the child and say and gesture ‘hello’. It is best to use just one word.
10. Help the child identify the person in the photos by pointing to the photo.
11. You model saying ‘Hello + name + welcoming gesture. As you do this point to the person’s photo and then point to the ‘hello’ symbol.
12. Support the child to do the same if needed.
13. The child gets a sticker for stopping / looking / gesturing / saying ‘Hello’ verbally.
14. As the child learns the routine slowly give fewer and fewer prompts for greeting targeted adults.
15. Keep giving stickers for as long as the child needs this reinforcement.

Attractive and non attractive food stuffs

1. During snack time have crisps/fruit etc on table and raw onion.

2. Offer raw onion. Model shaking head and saying 'no' and 'I don't like it' when raw onion is offered. Praise child for making appropriate refusal and then offer more attractive food. Model saying 'yes' appropriately.

3. When the child is used to this activity can you offer an unattractive food and wait for a short time before offering an attractive food?

4. Incorporate another adult in this activity who can model accepting and rejecting in a good way and a bad way. Can the child comment on the adult's behaviour and say if it is good or bad accepting/rejecting behaviour.

Warm clothes

Cool clothes

Broken or very babyish toys

Popular toys for the child's age group

A ‘HELP’ picture symbol 

Container the child can see into but can't open e.g. screw-top jar/zip-top bag etc which contains a motivating reward e.g. crisp, raisin, sticker.

You can get symbols with the Commtap Symboliser.

1. Put the ‘Help’ symbol in front of the child.
2. Put the motivating reward into the container.
3. Shake the container and get the child’s interest.
4. Give the container to the child, so they can try to get the item out of the container.
5. Make sure the child can give you the container for you to open it for them. At first you may need to take the container from them, open the it, and give it back to them for a few goes.
6. When the child can do this, when they are going to give you the container, redirect the child to the ‘Help’ symbol and hold out your hand to receive the ‘Help’ symbol. Say ‘Help …… I want help.’
7. Wait for the child to say ‘Help’ or hand you the ‘Help’ symbol.
8. If this does not happen help the child to hand over the ‘Help’ symbol. Say ‘Help’ as the child gives you the symbol.

Container the child can see into but can't open e.g. screw-top jar/zip-top bag etc which contains a motivating reward e.g. crisp, raisin, sticker.

Make sure you know the sign for help before doing the activity (e.g. Signalong, Makaton).

Materials as needed, for example:

• Pictures for cutting out e.g. old Argos catalogue
• Scissors
• Simple board game
• Blunt pencil
• Pencil sharpener
• Paper
• Equipment for an activity the child enjoys
• Bubbles

Home made visual timetable with 'finished' box or envelope and Velcro strip.

Set of laminated symbols for timetable activities e.g. 'swimming', 'maths', 'carpet time' with scratchy Velcro on the back.

You can create symbols cards in PowerPoint with the Commtap Symboliser.

1. Make a long cardboard strip approximately 10cm wide and 60cm long. Attach a 'FINISHED' box or plastic envelop at the bottom of the strip.

2. Stick a strip of soft Velcro along the centre of the long laminated strip e.g.

3. Arrange symbols of the activities a child will cover for - say - a morning down the Velcro strip.

4. Just before an activity starts help the child put the relevant symbol into the 'I am doing this now' area at the top of the laminated strip. This shows the child what to expect to happen now.

5. When the activity is over help the child remove the symbol for the 'I am doing this now' area and post it into the 'FINISHED' box or envelope. Help the child take the next symbol and put it into the 'I am doing this now' area etc.

"Now /next" visual timetable with 'finished' box or envelope and Velcro strip.

Set of laminated photos for timetable activities e.g. 'story', 'outside', 'carpet time' with Velcro on the back.

Make a picture of child with coat on and coat off. Laminate if possible.

Show the child the relevant picture before/after play and help take coat on/off. As you do use the same phrase to describe your action e.g. 'Coat on' or 'Coat off'.

As child becomes used to this routine stand back a little and see if the child will do own coat?

Will child do own coat if you just ask without using the pictures and eventually will the child follow the routine appropriately with no support?

Tidy up box/bag

Toys to tidy

Picture of line up time