Buying a gift for an Autistic child...
By Foxxee
@Foxxee (3651)
United States
December 14, 2008 4:00am CST
I want to make this discussion because I know how hard it can be to shop for a child that is Autistic & with the holidays coming up, this might help someone.
So all you grandparents, aunts, uncles, & anyone else who plans on buying a gift for a Autistic child this Christmas, this might help you decide on the perfect gift.
Please check the links out for more information & ideas…
I also want to let people know that you should understand that the age of the child, degree of Autism, communication level & so on will play a part in trying to find the perfect gift.
Some Autistic kids wont appreciate a teddy bear, puppy, baby doll or any kind of imaginary play things because they lack imaginary play. So in some cases, depending on that child, I would avoid things like dolls or play dress up.
You will find a lot of helpful tips in the links I will provide below for you to help you find the perfect gift for that special child.
For us, my son is non-verbal, he lacks imaginary play & has sensory issues… So it can be hard to find the perfect gift.
Kids with sensory issues might not like play-doh… my son wont touch the stuff… eeek!
But keep in mind that not all Autistic kids have high sensory issues & play-doh could be a good gift.
It's important to know the child's dislikes… & know if that child has sensory issues.
Some gifts we are getting our son this Christmas…
Puzzles & Books… (Can't go wrong here for a child with Classic Autism.)
I hope the links help…
Good luck!
Also, for all the parents of Autistic children, please add on to the discussion & let us know what your child enjoys & we can all help eachother out! Also let us know the degree of Autism your child has, that is very helpful & plays a big role!
http://www.ehow.com/how_4545902_choose-gifts-autistic-children.html
http://www.helium.com/items/755215-holiday-gift-ideas-for-autistic-children
If you want more ideas, just google "christmas gifts for Autistic children"
2 people like this
5 responses
@cassandralynn (1084)
• United States
14 Dec 08
Hi Foxxee!
My Autistic 7 year old son has become more vocal lately and this is the first year that he actually is aware of the gift giving aspect of the holidays. This year he is actually giving me some insight into what types of gifts he wants for Christmas. He's asking for video games for his computer,leapster & playstaion. He loves both educational and old school video games like Qbert,Pacman & other similar type of games. For years my son was non-verbal and could not express his wants & needs and I'm very thrilled that he is learning to communicate more vocally. I do agree about puzzles and books for autistic children being great gifts, My son loves puzzles and books, he also loves car's and collects hot wheels . This year my son wants to help wrap Christmas presents then after they are wrapped he kisses each gift then runs and places them under the tree.. He's so cute! I think a great gift for autistic children is Leapfrogs's "Leapser" game system. Last month for my son's birthday me and my husband gave my son a Leapster for a gift and he loves it! Leapster made a education version of "Sonic the Headgehog" and we also gave that to our son for his birthday and it's currently his favorite game.
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
14 Dec 08
I will look into the site carefully. My son is not autistic but has asperger's syndrome. Despite this it might be helpful.. Thanks for providing the link.
1 person likes this
@vega83 (6342)
• Bahrain
14 Dec 08
I really admire this discussion. Not only is it great for gift ideas, but you also mention something in here, that makes a lot of sense, I wanna say you hit the nail right on the head! "It's important to know the child's dislikes", but I would like to also add that it's important to know their "likes" just as much.
I love the ideas that you gave out, and I guess the above statements apply when you buy a gift for anyone...
I work in a martial arts school, like no other, where quality education based curriculum is offered to children. And I do know of one child who is autistic. Granted he has no social skills but when I tried to bond with him, I realized that we shared a similar love. Of video games! This child is an absolute genius, as lots of autistic children are, and even designs video game characters and the like. So on some level we have formed a good friendship based on this alone. He doesn't really respond to many people there, but I'm so happy and proud that he searches me out whenever he is at the school.
Well, I tried not going on a rant, but I guess that wasn't successful...But to make my point, I agree that it is extremely difficult to find that perfect gift for an autistic child and the only way to go about it, is to maybe find out a little more about them. Of course this doesn't mean you have to find a common ground with the child himself, you could always ask their parents, I'm sure they'd be happy to help.
@someonesmom (5761)
• Canada
15 Dec 08
This is a wonderful discussion, Foxxee. My five year old grandson is autistic. We've just had our annual Christmas dinner 'here' as a family last night, and my grandson 'really participated' this year. I am so thrilled by this. This is the first year he's really expressed an interest in the gifts. He actually handed out gifts to me and my daughter, as prompted by his mom. He helped me to open one of mine, and opened his own as well.
He is excellent at math, but struggles with reading etc. It was recently suggested by his teacher, that rhyming books would be very beneficial for him. I found a lovely one, and my daughter read it to him from cover to cover. He was enthralled by it, so it's definitely a hit. He's also skilled at computer games, and was playing our Nintendo Game Cube here last night. He's able to do this without assistance.
He was first diagnosed with severe autism, but he's made such great progress in many areas. He has gone from 'mostly' non verbal, to quite verbal now. It's very exciting to see him expressing himself so much more, and actually understanding much of what's being said to him. His parents have really worked with him, and a good deal of credit goes to his ABA therapist as well. She's a modern day 'Miracle Worker,' as far as I'm concerned.
Take care.
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
17 Dec 08
Well thats wonderful! I'm glad to hear your grandson is doing so well.. It gives me hope for my son who was diagnosed with Classic Autism & is proving everyone different! He's doing good & I hope by the time he's 5, he is doing as well as your grandson!
Good luck & thnx for commenting!
1 person likes this
@someonesmom (5761)
• Canada
15 Feb 09
Thank you, and I really appreciate the Best Response too. I believe your little guy will progress very well also, as there is so much help available these days.
Take care.
@Normadic (1)
• Australia
17 Dec 08
Thank you so much for this discussion thread! My fiance's 8 year old nephew has autism and he's non-verbal. Since we've been together, our lives and jobs have taken us to many locations around the world which means we're usually away from family during the festive season. While I've spent a handful of holidays with his family over the last few years, this will be my first Christmas with them - absolutely looking forward to it, except ... well we've usually consulted his sister about birthday and Christmas gifts and ended up sending money for both his nephews out of ease for us as well as his sister so she can decide how best to spend it or save up for something specific. This year I wanted to make a concerted effort to buy something but didn't know where to start. These websites have been great. B hates all things squishy so while I love the insideout balls he might now. He loves the swimming pool and eating toilet paper which does not help in the gift buying suggestion area. have a few ideas though.. so once again thank you!
1 person likes this
