• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Messy Bun Life

Messy Bun, Get Parenting Done

  • Blog
    • Get Parenting Done
    • Mom Hacks
    • Special Needs Parenting
  • About The Messy Bun Life
    • Contact Laura
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Messy Bun Picks
    • Sign Up For My Newsletter!
    • Free IEP Worksheet

5 Great Sensory Tools for Autism

September 28, 2018 By Laura Epstein Leave a Comment

313 Shares
Pin313
Tweet
Share
Share
Email

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.  Thank you for supporting my blog.

There are some great sensory tools available for children with autism.  Whether your child is a sensory seeker, avoider or some of each there are great tools out there to help your child better regulate their system.  Here are five tools that have helped my son.

Weighted Lap Pads

Weighted lap pads are a great way to calm an upset child or help with focus.  Plain fabric lap pads are great for in the classroom.  They can help with focus when children are sitting in a circle or at the desk.  For younger children weighted stuffed animals are a great animal.  When my son was three and four he had a “heavy kitty” at school which he loved.  The weighted cat combined with his cube chair helped him sit calmly in circle time.  Make sure you chose a weight appropriate for your child (your OT can help or most sites have a guide)

weighted lap pad

Chewies

For kids with oral sensory needs there are an array of chewies out there.  They come in the form of pencil toppers, chewable jewelry and more.  Currently we have had a lot of success with block necklaces (my son is a LEGO fanatic) and chewy bracelets but in the past we’ve had robots, dinosaurs and trains too.

sensory tools for autism

Putties

Putties can also be a great regulating tool.  Putties come in various consistencies depending on how tough you want it to be for your little one to knead the putty.  They also come with themes and items in them and sometimes they are scented. I like to hide coins or trinkets in the putty and then have my son dig it out.  Putties also have the added advantage that they are hand strengtheners as well.

Fidgets

We’ve all seen them (and maybe been annoyed by some of them) but fidgets really are a great tool for helping with concentration and sensory regulation.  My son likes fidgets like the tangle juior and hairy tangle junior but fidgets do everything from squsensory tools for autismish, vibrate to spin.

 

Resistance Tunnels

Resistance are another great sensory tool.  They are a great way to get kids moving and doing some heavy work and take up virtually no space when not in use.  All three of my kids love their rocketship resistance tunnel but this is just one option.

sensory tools for autism

I hope some of these sensory tools work for your family!  What other sensory tools have you used?

Subscribe to the Newsletter
The Laura Chronicles

  • Why I Don’t Treat My Children Equally
  • 15 Great Toys for Fine Motor Skill Development
  • The Best Pants for Moms
  • 20 MORE Easy Activities For Fine Motor Skill Development
  • 22 Essentials for Summer With Your Toddler
5 Great Sensory Tools for Autism
313 Shares
Pin313
Tweet
Share
Share
Email

Filed Under: Special Needs Parenting Tagged With: Autism, sensory tools, tips

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Laura

Messy Bun Life

The Messy Bun Life is a parenting blog primarily authored by Laura Epstein. We are here to support all … ...read more about About The Messy Bun Life

Recent Posts

  • Why I Don’t Treat My Children Equally
  • 15 Great Toys for Fine Motor Skill Development
  • The Best Pants for Moms
  • 20 MORE Easy Activities For Fine Motor Skill Development
  • 22 Essentials for Summer With Your Toddler

Footer

Where You Can Find Me:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 · Laura Epstein, The Messy Bun Life

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT