Parenthood is one of the biggest blessings in everyone’s life. While this journey is filled with many joys, being a parent can be equally challenging, especially if your child has autism. Children with autism have difficulty learning and communicating, which can lead to frustration among parents.
While many parents get exhausted in the efforts to help their autistic child, every parent with autism can save themselves from exhaustion with the right steps. Hobbies and activities are ideal to help a child with autism develop skills and interests.
Here are some activities that can help you keep your child with autism engaged.
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1. Finger Painting
One of the biggest concerns parents of autistic children share is facing difficulty in communication. It can be very hard to get your message across to your child with autism and understand their point of view. According to many reliable resources such as Autism Parenting Magazine, finger, and foot painting are great ways for children with autism to express themselves.
However, it is important for parents to be prepared to deal with a bit of mess. You can dress your child in an easily washable outfit and set up a tarpaulin sheet. This space can be ideal for your child to express their emotions.
2. Create a Little Ocean
Children with autism love hobbies that come with detail. Creating a little ocean is one of such important hobbies that can keep your child with autism engaged. It is easy to make and can serve the purpose for a very long time.
You can look for a shallow bucket and fill it with sand on one side and water on the other. You can add items like a shell, prop seaweed, toy fish, and urchins to make it as close to reality as possible. This toy can keep your child with autism mesmerized all day long.
3. Craft Some Slime
The process of slime creation can be satisfying for adults and children alike. While many preferences may differ for children with autism, finding satisfaction in the creation of slime is no different. It is one of the favorite hobbies for children with autism.
You can easily create slime with your autistic children at home with some basic ingredients. All you need is some corn flour and a bowl of water. You can mix the two ingredients till it reaches the right consistency. You can also add glitter, color, and sparkles to add more fun to the activity.
4. Food Painting
As mentioned earlier, painting is one of the most expressive hobbies for children with autism. They can be messy with the paints and create as many masterpieces as possible. Painting can also become an edible sensory activity with the right choices.
Instead of paints, you can use squishy and soft foods to let your children paint. You can use foods like chocolate syrup, crushed berries, yogurt with food coloring, and purees. This way, your children can create food that looks and tastes amazing.
5. Mud Pottery
If you are concerned about your child with autism not spending enough time in nature, mud pottery may be an ideal activity for them. It connects your child with nature and works on their improvisation skills to create various masterpieces.
Your children can create a range of items ranging from plates, bowls, and pots. Over time, they can create a lot of toys and collectibles that can be cherished forever. The best part is that you do not have to worry about gathering several ingredients. All you need is mud and water –the rest is left to your child.
6. Pouring Games
Children with autism have an unspoken connection with colors. Different colors can help them express their emotions better and feel mesmerized. That is why colors are an important part of poring games for children with autism.
Pouring stations can be set up in the comfort of your home within minutes. You can take a few jugs in a tray to the backyard of your home or the bathtub and add different colors to every jug. In such activities, children with autism can have a great time playing with colors and improving their motor skills.
7. Paper Emoticons
Communication is one of the biggest problems shared by parents with autistic children. It can be hard to go on without getting frustrated at some point. While it’s out of your child’s hands to make things better, you can use productive activities to enhance communication with your child.
You can give your child colored paper, markers, and glue to create emoticons. You can also cut out eyes, mouths, and noses for your children. This activity can engage your child with autism and also help your child communicate better with you and your teachers.
8. Snack Sorting Activity
Just like every child, your child with autism also appreciates a snack of their liking. While snacks can be a part of positive reinforcement for children, they can also help autistic children learn a lot about colors and problem-solving in math.
Sorting activities for children with autism are a fun way to engage and educate them. You can do so by giving your child a pack filled with snacks. You can tell the child with autism to sort these snacks according to size, shape, and texture.
Further, you can also use these snacks to teach basic math skills such as addition, subtraction, and counting to children with autism. Children with autism love these games as they always get to eat the snacks after grasping the concept at hand.
9. Fidget Toys
Fidget toys are one of the most common sensory tools that are loved by children with autism. These toys have proven to have helped autistic children with anxiety stay calm, focused, and collected. Hence, they are one of the best gifts for your child with autism.
Fidget spinners can also help children with autism deal with their surges of emotions, such as anger and frustration. In addition, fidget spinners can also improve the focus of your child, ensuring that they get the best out of any engagement.
