What would be a great Christmas Gift for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Christmas is approaching fast and choosing gifts is not always easy; especially if you are buying for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and you aren't sure what to get.
The Autism Service have shared with Beehive Healthcare Ltd their top tips for buying a gift for a child with ASD.
Their first piece of advice is to find out, if possible, what the child you are buying for is really interested in. This will help with your decision making as no two children are ever the same and that is even more so with ASD. See below the top five gift ideas for children with or suspected as having ASD.
Top five presents for an autistic child:
- Sensory gifts - from a furry toy to a lava lamp, gifts that allow the child to experience different sensory experiences often go down well.
- A blanket - this can also be a sensory experience for them but many children feel safe and warm with their own blanket, especially a weighted one.
- Gift cards - sometimes children with ASD like to choose their own gift - some find it difficult to understand why someone else would try and guess what they would like, it doesn’t make sense to them...
- Fidget toy - there are lots of fidget toys on the market for all children and these can be a good gift for children with ASD who find it difficult to keep their hands still a lot of the time.
- Books - Books that children with ASD can relate to and see themselves reflected in can be extremely effective in inspiring a love for books and reading.
Introducing The Autism Service
The Autism Service offers diagnostic assessment, support and mental health consultations for adults and children who have or are suspected as having ASD. The service was set up by Dr Lisa Williams in 2019, in response to feedback about existing services for people with ASD; children and adults were not able to access reliable assessments in a timely manner, nor were they able to access specialist interventions. The service has expanded nationwide within a year. It now has teams of psychologists, nurses, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists working in locations across the UK to provide private healthcare.
More information and contact details can be found on their website: www.theautismservice.co.uk
