You might have heard that sensory activities are an excellent way to help autistic children in the classroom and at home. Also, you might have wondered what are the benefits of sensory play for children with autism. The truth is that there are many different types of sensory play for children with autism to help them long-term.
When it comes to children with autism, sensory activities play a crucial role in their development and overall well-being. These activities are designed to stimulate and engage the senses, providing a therapeutic experience that can have numerous benefits for children on the autism spectrum.
Children with autism often experience sensory sensitivities affecting their daily lives and development. Sensory play, characterized by engaging activities stimulating the senses, holds immense significance in supporting a child’s growth.
The benefits of sensory play for children with autism are wonderful in many ways. The benefits of sensory play for children include engaging their senses and supporting development. Through fun activities, kids can learn, grow, and connect better with the world.
In this article, you will learn about the incredible benefits of sensory play for children with autism. Expert insights from a child counselor backed by research and expert insights will also help you understand how to use sensory play effectively.
Keep reading to find out all about the benefits of sensory play for children with autism.
First of all, What are Sensory Activities?
Sensory activities are anything that stimulates the five senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. These also include anything that engages with the vestibular and proprioception systems involving balance and movement. With how beneficial these activities are, it’s essential to understand what they are and how they work.
The vestibular and proprioception systems are frequently overlooked. The vestibular system is related to the inner ear and helps us maintain balance. The proprioception system involves the awareness of one’s body and helps us understand where each body part is relative to the others.
It also helps us know the force needed when moving objects around. The five senses, touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing, are also important to stimulate. These senses can become overwhelming to children with autism if they are not taught how to process them properly.
Sensory play includes playing with textured materials, exploring different scents, listening to soothing sounds, or engaging in hands-on creative projects. The benefits of sensory play for children with autism can be particularly significant due to their unique sensory processing challenges.
Sensory Sensitivities in Autism – A Brief History of Sensory Play in ABA
Sensory play in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy was first introduced in the late 1970s as a treatment for children who have difficulties with sensory processing. This practice was a response to the discoveries of Dr. A. Jean Ayres, who proposed in the 1950s and 1960s that difficulty processing sensory information could be directly related to difficulties found in everyday life. Sensory play in ABA therapy has since been adapted to meet the needs of children today.
Many children with autism have sensory sensitivities, meaning they can be either hypo-sensitive (under-responsive) or hyper-sensitive (over-responsive) to sensory stimuli. This can lead to behaviors like avoiding certain textures, covering ears in response to sounds, or struggling with transitions due to sensory overload. Sensory play provides a controlled environment for them to explore and interact with different sensory experiences at their own pace.
Sensory play in ABA therapy is significant due to its potential to enhance the effectiveness of interventions and support the overall development of children with autism. ABA therapy is a structured and evidence-based approach that focuses on teaching and reinforcing desired behaviors while reducing challenging ones. Integrating play into ABA therapy can offer numerous key benefits, as outlined below.
Why Sensory Play and Exploration Matters
- Development of sensory integration skills – Sensory play exposes children to various textures, sounds, and sensations, helping them learn how to process and integrate sensory information more effectively.
- Language and communication development– Sensory play can encourage verbal and nonverbal communication. It allows children to express their preferences, likes, and dislikes.
- Emotional regulation – Sensory play allows children to self-regulate their emotions and manage stress. It can have a calming effect and help reduce anxiety.
- Motor skills development – Playing with sand, finger painting, or manipulating objects can enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Social interaction – Group sensory play sessions can foster social interactions, turn-taking, and cooperation among children, promoting positive peer relationships.
- Cognitive growth – Exploring sensory experiences stimulates cognitive development by encouraging exploration, problem-solving, and creativity.
Sensory play isn’t just about having fun; it’s a powerful tool for promoting the development and well-being of children with autism. Providing a safe and controlled way to engage with sensory experiences empowers the children we serve to navigate the world more confidently and easily.
Different Types of Sensory Activities and The Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Autism
1. Sensory Activities in the Classroom
Some activities are more appropriate for the classroom. The best ways to reset the brain are those that are less messy and can be performed as breaks between lessons.
One of the most common sensory activities is simply jumping. This is a great way to release pent-up energy and stimulate someone’s sense of movement. This technique mainly helps the vestibular and proprioception systems since it activates both areas. You can incorporate many different things into jumping, such as a jump rope or exercise ball.
Another technique would be noise-canceling headphones. Sometimes it can become overwhelming when many different sounds are happening at once. Wearing noise-canceling headphones can help decrease this stimulant and bring more focus to the other senses. The other students can become overwhelming in a classroom, so it’s important to understand when things become too much.
One last activity would be a sensory path. This is a wonderful way to exercise both the brain and body. This activity involves a series of guided movements for the child to follow on the ground. The activities are meant to engage different parts of the brain and body. Some examples of activities could be jumping like a kangaroo, spinning around, or crab walking.
2. Sensory Activities for Visual Stimulation
Visual stimulation plays a crucial role in sensory activities for children with autism. These activities focus on engaging and developing the visual senses, promoting exploration and learning. Here are three sensory activities that can provide visual stimulation for kids with autism.
i. Color Sorting Activities
Color sorting activities are an excellent way to enhance visual perception and discrimination skills. Through these activities, children with autism can learn to recognize and differentiate between different colors. Here is a simple color-sorting activity:
- Prepare a set of objects or cards in various colors.
- Provide containers or trays labeled with corresponding colors.
- Encourage the child to sort the objects or cards into the appropriate containers based on their color.
This activity not only helps develop visual discrimination skills but also promotes color recognition and fine motor skills.
ii. Light Table Exploration
Light table exploration is a captivating sensory activity that can stimulate visual senses and promote focus and concentration. A light table is a flat surface illuminated from below, creating a visually engaging experience. Here’s how you can incorporate light table exploration:
- Place various translucent objects on the light table, such as colored blocks, glass gems, or transparent shapes.
- Encourage the child to explore the objects, observing how the light passes through them and creating different visual effects.
- Prompt the child to arrange and manipulate the objects, fostering creativity and visual-spatial skills.
Light table exploration provides a mesmerizing visual experience and can be a calming and engaging activity for children with autism.
iii. Visual Texture Boards
Visual texture boards are tactile and visual sensory activities that promote sensory integration and visual-tactile exploration. These boards consist of different textured materials arranged in a visually appealing manner. Here’s how you can create a visual texture board:
- Gather a variety of textured materials such as felt, sandpaper, faux fur, feathers, and fabric scraps.
- Cut the materials into different shapes and sizes.
- Arrange the textured materials on a sturdy board or canvas, creating a visually interesting and tactile surface.
Encourage the child to explore the visual texture board by touching and feeling the different textures. This activity can help enhance sensory perception, tactile discrimination, and visual-tactile integration.
By engaging in these sensory activities for visual stimulation, children with autism can improve their visual perception, discrimination, and integration skills. These activities provide opportunities for exploration, learning, and sensory development in an enjoyable and supportive environment.
3. Sensory Activities for Auditory Stimulation
Engaging in sensory activities can greatly benefit children with autism, providing them with opportunities for exploration, learning, and enjoyment. When it comes to auditory stimulation, various activities can help children with autism develop their auditory skills and enhance their sensory experiences. Here are three sensory activities specifically designed to stimulate the auditory senses:
i. Sound Matching Games
Sound-matching games are a fantastic way to improve auditory discrimination skills and promote concentration and focus. These games involve matching similar sounds or identifying sound patterns. Here’s a simple sound-matching game you can try:
- Prepare a collection of cards or objects that produce different sounds, such as animal sounds, musical instruments, or everyday objects.
- Shuffle the cards or arrange the objects randomly.
- Encourage the child to listen carefully and match the sounds to the corresponding cards or objects.
Items for sound-matching games include the following:
- Animal Sounds
- Musical Instruments
- Everyday Objects
ii. Music and Movement Activities
Music can be a powerful tool for engaging autistic children and promoting self-expression and communication. This kind of activities help children explore different rhythms, tones, and melodies while encouraging physical coordination and creativity. Here are a few ideas for music and movement activities:
- Dancing to different genres of music, such as classical, pop, or jazz.
- Playing musical statues, where children freeze in different positions when the music stops.
- Creating a musical story by moving to the rhythm and changing movements based on the music’s mood.
a. DIY Musical Instruments
Making and playing homemade musical instruments is not only a fun sensory activity but also a great way to enhance auditory stimulation. Children can explore various sounds and experiment with different materials to create their unique instruments. Here are some DIY musical instrument ideas:
- Rainstick
- Shakers
- Drum from empty containers
Encourage children to decorate and personalize their instruments, fostering a sense of ownership and pride.
By incorporating these auditory sensory activities into playtime or therapy sessions, children with autism can develop their auditory skills, expand their sensory experiences, and find joy in exploring the world of sound. Remember to adapt the activities to each child’s individual needs and preferences, allowing them to interact with the auditory world at their own pace.
4. Sensory Activities for Tactile Stimulation
For children with autism, engaging in sensory activities that focus on tactile stimulation can be highly beneficial. These activities help children explore and develop their sense of touch while providing a calming and enjoyable experience. Here are three sensory activities that can promote tactile stimulation for kids with autism:
i. Sensory Bins with Textured Materials
Sensory bins filled with various textured materials offer a wonderful opportunity for tactile exploration. These bins can be filled with items such as rice, dried beans, sand, or water beads. Incorporating different textures like smooth, rough, soft, or bumpy materials can provide a range of tactile experiences.
Encourage children to dig their hands into the sensory bin, feeling the different textures and manipulating the materials. Add small toys or objects for them to discover and engage with. This activity not only stimulates the sense of touch but also promotes fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
ii. Playdough and Clay Creations
Playdough and clay are excellent mediums for tactile exploration and creative expression. Children can squish, mold, and shape the dough, experiencing the sensations of its texture. These activities provide a calming effect and can help improve focus and concentration.
To enhance the sensory experience, you can add various elements to the playdough or clay, such as glitter, scents, or small objects for children to embed or manipulate. This allows them to further engage their sense of touch and creativity.
iii. Tactile Sensory Boards
Tactile sensory boards provide a hands-on experience for children to explore different textures and surfaces. These boards can be created by attaching various materials with distinct textures onto a board or a wall. Examples of materials to include are sandpaper, faux fur, bubble wrap, fabric, and Velcro.
Children can freely touch and explore the different textures on the sensory board, stimulating their tactile senses. This activity can also be combined with other sensory elements, such as visual or auditory components, to create a multi-sensory experience.
By incorporating these sensory activities into a child’s routine, parents, caregivers, and educators can provide valuable opportunities for tactile stimulation. These activities not only engage the sense of touch but also offer a means of relaxation, creativity, and sensory integration for children with autism.
5. Sensory Activities for Olfactory and Gustatory Stimulation and Its Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Autism
When it comes to engaging children with autism in sensory activities, olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) stimulation can play a vital role. These sensory experiences can help children explore and interact with their environment uniquely. Here are three sensory activities specifically designed to stimulate the olfactory and gustatory senses in children with autism.
i. Scented Playdough
Scented playdough is a fantastic sensory activity that combines tactile and olfactory stimulation.
It allows children to engage their sense of touch while also experiencing different aromas.
To create scented playdough, you can add essential oils or extracts to a homemade or store-bought playdough recipe.
Encourage children to knead and manipulate the playdough, enjoying the different scents and textures.
Here are a few scent ideas to get you started:
Taking Play-Doh and adding different scented oil extracts to it allows children to activate their sense of smell and identify various aromas. Though these scents may smell delicious, make sure the child does not eat the Play-Doh during this activity!
Along with exercising your child’s sense of smell, you can also encourage them to construct different shapes using the Play-Doh provided. This can help further increase their motor skills, as well as their sense of creativity during designated sensory playtime.
ii. Taste-safe Sensory Bins
Taste-safe sensory bins provide an opportunity for children with autism to explore various textures and tastes in a safe and controlled environment. These sensory bins can be filled with edible materials, allowing children to engage their sense of taste while also incorporating other sensory elements. Here are some ideas for taste-safe sensory bins:
Ensure that the materials used in the taste-safe sensory bins are appropriate for the age and dietary restrictions of the child. Always closely supervise children during these activities to prevent choking hazards.
iii. Aromatherapy Diffuser Activities
Aromatherapy diffuser activities can provide a calming and soothing experience for children with autism.
These diffusers disperse essential oils into the air, allowing children to benefit from the therapeutic properties of different scents.
Set up a diffuser in a safe and well-ventilated area, and select essential oils known for their calming or uplifting effects.
Here are some examples below and their benefits:
Ensure that the diffuser is placed out of reach of children to prevent accidental spills or ingestion of oils. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe and appropriate use of the diffuser.
By incorporating olfactory and gustatory stimulation into sensory activities, children with autism can explore and engage their senses in a meaningful way. These activities can not only provide sensory enjoyment but also promote relaxation, sensory integration, and emotional well-being.
6. Sensory Activities for Proprioceptive and Vestibular Stimulation
Children with autism often benefit from sensory activities that provide proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation. These activities help to improve body awareness, balance, and coordination. In this section, we will explore some engaging sensory activities specifically designed to target proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation.
i. Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses are a fantastic way to engage children with autism in sensory play while promoting proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation. Create a course using various objects and furniture, such as tunnels, balance beams, and cushions.
Encourage children to crawl, climb, and jump, challenging their proprioceptive and vestibular senses. You can also incorporate sensory elements like tactile materials or visual cues to enhance the experience.
ii. Swinging and Spinning Activities
Swinging and spinning activities are highly effective in providing proprioceptive and vestibular input for children with autism. Swings, such as platform swings or hammock swings, allow for rhythmic movement that promotes balance and coordination.
Spinning activities, like spinning chairs or spinning boards, offer rotational movement, stimulating the vestibular system. Ensure supervision and start with slow and gentle movements, gradually increasing the intensity based on the child’s comfort level.
iii. Heavy Work and Deep Pressure Activities
Engaging in activities that involve heavy work and deep pressure can have a calming and organizing effect on children with autism. These activities provide proprioceptive input, which helps to regulate sensory processing. Some examples include:
- Carrying heavy objects like weighted backpacks or buckets filled with sand
- Pushing or pulling objects, such as furniture sliders or therapy balls
- Engaging in wall push-ups or chair push-ups
- Providing deep pressure through activities like deep-pressure massage or joint compressions
These activities help children with autism develop body awareness and provide a sense of grounding and stability.
By incorporating these sensory activities, children with autism can experience the benefits of proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation. Remember to consider the individual needs and preferences of each child, providing a safe and supportive environment for them to explore and engage in these activities.
There are many different activities that you can do to stimulate multiple senses at once. We have created a list of various activities with which senses they invoke.
Examples of Sensory Activities for Kids with Autism
Since the creation of sensory play, as well as the integration of sensory play in ABA therapy, there have been numerous activities developed to accommodate children with autism. Some of these activities and their benefits include the following:
1. Activity: Making Slime
Stimulated Senses: Touch, Smell, Sound, Sight and Proprioception System
Why:
- Brightly colored slimes with different smells can add stimulants for the brain to digest.
- The different textures create a variety of sounds providing more information for the brain to interpret.
- Playing with slime helps the proprioception system since it involves hand movements.
- Pulling the slime can help the child understand the grip needed to pick it up and the amount of stretch required between the hands.
Tips:
- To add another layer to the touch, try putting the slime in the fridge to give it a nice cool feeling along with the different textures.
2. Activity: Taste Test Challenge
Stimulated Senses: Taste, Smell
Directions:
- Blindfold the child and offer them different foods they enjoy.
- After they taste each, have them guess which of their favorite foods they have eaten.
Why:
- Sight muted allows the other senses to pick up on things they might otherwise ignore.
- Gets the brain firing to identify which food item they are eating.
Tips:
- Do not spring random foods on them and only use foods they already enjoy.
3. Activity: Dancing
Stimulated Senses: Touch, Vestibular System, Proprioception System
Why:
- Gets the body moving and helps create links to where each body part is relative to the other.
- Stimulates the inner ear to help keep balance while moving around.
- Become more aware of the clothes brushing against their skin and the ground under their feet when dancing around.
As always, the type of sensory play that is utilized in ABA therapy can be completely dependent on the child’s preferences and needs.
More Examples of Sensory Play and Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Autism
1. Finger or Foot Painting and the Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Autism
This is the perfect sensory play activity for children to express themselves without having to use words. All you have to do is set up a painting station and materials for the child, come up with a topic for them to paint, and let their imagination run wild! Also, during this activity, the child can paint with their hands or feet depending on their preference.
2. Sensory Walks and the Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Autism
Sensory walks can help aid your child’s balance and coordination.
This activity involves letting your child walk or crawl across various mats or rugs so they can take in all the different textures they feel as they navigate their way across.
For a twist on this activity, sensory bins are also one of the best sensory activities for kids with autism.
For this activity, we recommend filling a bucket with different textured materials, such as rice or sand, and hiding toys for your child to find.
Once completed, this sensory play activity can provide hours of fun as children further improve their hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
3. Pouring Station and The benefits of sensory play for children with autism
This sensory play activity is another great way for children to practice their hand-eye coordination. For the best experience possible, our team recommends placing a container that can be filled with water on the floor. From there, gather other containers that vary in both size and shape. The types of containers you choose can include the following:
- Water pitchers
- Measuring cups
- Eye droppers
- Water bottles
- And more!
Finally, add a little bit of food coloring to some of the containers, and allow your child to pour from one container to the next, ultimately diluting the colors. This type of sensory play in ABA therapy is known to increase your child’s attention span, as well as increase overall concentration.
The Takehome on the Benefits of Sensory Play for Children with Autism
Engaging in sensory activities can have a range of benefits for children with autism. Here are some of the key advantages:
- Sensory Integration: Sensory activities help children with autism integrate sensory information from their environment, allowing them to develop a better understanding of the world around them.
- Sensory Processing Skills: By participating in sensory play, children can improve their sensory processing skills, including sensory discrimination, modulation, and integration.
- Motor Skills Development: Many sensory activities involve movements, which can enhance gross motor skills, fine motor skills, coordination, and balance.
- Emotional Regulation: Sensory activities provide a calming and therapeutic outlet for children with autism to regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety or stress.
- Cognitive Development: Sensory play encourages creativity, problem-solving, and cognitive skills development, as children explore and manipulate different materials and objects.
- Social Interaction: Sensory activities can create opportunities for social interaction, cooperation, and communication with peers or caregivers, helping children develop social skills.
- Self-awareness and Self-regulation: Engaging in sensory activities can help children with autism become more aware of their sensory preferences and sensitivities, empowering them to self-regulate and seek sensory input when needed.
Certainly because of understanding the importance of sensory activities and the benefits they offer, caregivers, educators, and therapists can incorporate these activities into the daily routines of children with autism, promoting their overall development and well-being.
Sensory play offers countless benefits for children with autism. It boosts learning, builds skills, and reduces stress. Additionally, because of the inclusion of sensory activities in your child’s daily routine, you can create a world of difference for them. Start small and watch them flourish!