Sensory Play Activities to Get Started

Sensory Play Activities to Get Started

by Daisy Pasan Autism Games and Activities

Sensory play is important for all children—not just individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Sensory play helps build language skills as well as fine motor and gross motor skills. Children with ASD often experience an inability to respond “appropriately” to sensory input, which is why they tend to have challenging behaviors or obsessions (i.e. arm flapping, avoiding eye contact, etc). Furthermore, children with ASD can have problems with social skills and speech and language skills. Most treatment options for children with ASD or with sensory dysfunction include sensory integration.

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A Special Place for Children with Autism in Chicago: Kaitlin’s Hideout

by Holly F. State Resources
Autism Statistics

Source: rachelchinapen.com

Outside the hustle and bustle of the Windy City you’ll find a special place for children with Autism. Here, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, they can take a quiet break, enjoy a computer game or engage their sensory system with lights and sounds. While it’s not a speech therapy center, Kaitlin’s Hideout provides what are sometimes the most essential elements for a child with special needs: high interest materials, comfortable space and sensory stimulation.

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Brooklyn Brings Families Together with Center for Special Needs Children

by Holly F. State Resources
Family at Extreme Kids and Crew

Source: Extreme Kids and Crew

A jump in the ball pit, enjoying the bubble tube and relaxing in the lava lounge? Yes, please! For busy families in Brooklyn looking for great spaces for special needs children, this is the place for you. Born out of parent’s needs to find great sensory-friendly spaces for their children, Extreme Kids and Crew invites you to be a part of their play space, community, workshops, and creative programming. While it is not directly a source for individual speech therapy, a variety of therapists consult and get involved with Extreme Kids and Crew regularly. This center is open and accessible to all families of children with disabilities regardless of income, background, nationality, disability, etc. Children with autism, down syndrome, physical handicaps or any other special needs are welcome!

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Sensory Toys for Children: Top Products for Kids to Include in Your Toolbox

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Sensory Toys for Children - Ball Pool

Image source: Dfdsseaways.co.uk

There are countless at-home speech therapy techniques that you can do with your child to encourage his progress. You may have already invested in educational toys and games to serve as tools for speech therapy lessons, such as flashcards for target sounds or Speech Buddies for articulation practice. As well, consider the use of sensory toys for children.

As your baby grows, he learns about the world around him with various senses. Using a multisensory approach to speech therapy can not only improve knowledge retention, but it may also boost your child’s motivation, according to Tatyana Elleseff, M.A. CCC-SLP. Sensory toys for children may also be used as prompts to encourage vocalization. The child may be asked to describe the feel of a fuzzy tennis ball, for example, or the scent of a cookie. Consult your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) for advice on using a multisensory approach to at-home speech therapy techniques. This is particularly critical if your child has sensory processing disorder (SPD). This is a neurological disorder that disrupts the way in which a person processes information. Over-stimulating a child with SPD can result in an adverse reaction.

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