Childhood is the most amazing phase of our lives because that is the time when we learn so many new skills and implement them when we grow up. The skills we learn during childhood stay with us till our last breath.
Every child is different from the other one; some children have amazing grasping power that whatsoever you do or speak, they will grasp immediately, while some children do not have the same level of activeness and grasping power.
Some children are good at interacting with people around them, whereas some are not equally good at interaction. Children who find difficulty in using their motor skills properly or find it difficult communicating with others, then they might be suffering from a disorder called autism.
What is Autism?
A general term used to characterize a category of neurodevelopmental disorders is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), widely known as Autism only. Autism is a disorder that is found in a lot of people around the world.
After examining plenty of cases regarding autism, doctors concluded that the main cause of autism is genetic disorders. Many scientists, after a few analyses, concluded that there are numerous causes of autism that change the ideal development process in people by serving together.
Symptoms of Autism
The early symptoms are visible in kids before they turn 5 years old. Some kids start to show the signs of autism within 1 year of birth, while some kids show the symptoms clearly by the time they turn 3 years old. The visibility of the symptoms varies from child to child.
The earliest symptoms of autism in infants are finding it difficult to maintain eye contact, and by the time they turn 9 months old, they do not respond to their names easily and not expressing their emotions like surprise or anger.
By 12 months, kids suffering from autism avoid engaging in basic games that need interaction with other people, using the least hand gestures, etc. By the age of 15 months and more, kids avoid sharing their likes and dislikes with others.
By the age of 18 months or more, kids with autism find it hard to point things at a distance or where others are pointing. Once they reach the age of 2 years, they do not notice much about other people’s expressions, like when they are sad or hurt.
By the time kids diseased from autism reach the age of 5 years, they avoid playing “pretend to play” games where children are supposed to play with characters or baby dolls; these kids also avoid playing games in which everybody has to take turns.
These were some of the most common symptoms of autism, but actually, the symptoms of autism are indeed different for every child. Some children with autism do not show any autism symptoms until the age of 24 months and acquire new development skills without any hurdles. Still, after growing older than 2 years, their level of gaining new skills diminishes, and ultimately instead of accomplishing new skills, they start to forget the old skills.
Wooden Toys for Kids Suffering from Autism
As we all are very well aware, toys are so helpful in a child’s development period. Similarly, toys help children suffering from autism improve their sensory and motor skills, social interaction, speaking, and problem-solving skills.
Sensory toys are known to be the best and the most effective for these children as they help them overcome their sensory processing problems. These sensory toys are easily available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sensory toys are designed especially for these kids that engage with the child’s cognitive and physical skills in such a way that kids' senses, like sight, taste, touch, smell, and sound, are stimulated.
Wooden Block-building
Wooden toys will never go out of style, even after an eternity. Not only children with autism but even ordinary children are fascinated by the block-building toys, as these toys act like puzzles and include different types of shapes and color blocks, some with letters, some with numbers, and some with vegetables, fruits, and even animals.
Providing your child with block-building toys helps your child learn about the basic shapes and colors easily. Along with this, the bright colors of the blocks attract the kids and encourage them to reach out for those toys and improve the kid’s motor skills.
Wooden Magnetic Toys
Like all other toys, wooden magnetic toys also do wonders for these innocent child’s development. While playing with these toys, kids may try to interact with other kids and start to have a friendly bond with them. The kids develop fine motor and problem-solving skills with an active play session.
These magnetic toys as similar to block-building toys and come in various shapes because kids can learn about different shapes and patterns. With all these benefits, these wooden toys improve the concentration level of kids by encouraging them for new creative ideas and imaginative play.
Wooden Memory Games
Memory games are the best for kids affected by autism as they keep the child engaged for so long and improve their problem-solving skills. If they cannot recall any piece or object of the memory game, they can ask for help from others and they can build a good bond of social interaction with others.
Wooden Music Box
Handmade wooden toys are becoming the favorites of newbie mothers as they are durable and safer than plastic toys. Try giving your kid an old-fashioned handmade music box among the traditional wooden toys, as it turns on only when a key attached to it is rotated properly.
By playing with this wooden toy, your kid will try engaging with its audio and video senses and motor skills more easily. By rotating the key, the child will learn new mechanical skills and will enjoy the wooden toy’s interaction.
Conclusion
Kids who have autism spectrum disorder need to be treated the same way other normal kids are treated. Because of their slow learning process, it might take some more time to absorb everything, but toys can make the task easy.
Before buying any toy for a kid suffering from autism, consider their age, i.e., which toy is more suitable according to their age, the kid’s interest in specific toys, and most importantly, their sensory needs. Always remember that kids diseased with autism are normal like other kids, but they need a little bit more special care, nothing else!
This article is written by Eshika Jaipuria . Eshika likes to write about Wooden Toys, Open Ended Toys, and Pretend Play Toys Set.