What are Autism-Friendly Activities?
Autism-friendly activities, commonly known as sensory play activities, are games that stimulate children’s five senses: sight, touch, smell, sound and taste. For example, children may be sensitive to certain sounds, lights, or textures, or they may seek certain sensory play activities as a way to regulate their sensory input.
Autism-friendly activities are designed to meet the unique needs and preferences of autistic children, providing opportunities for learning, engagement, enjoyment and celebrating their powers and strengths. Sensory play helps boost children’s imagination, creativity, and conflict-solving skills and teaches them about relationship dynamics.
- Read about Neurodiversity in children and how to support their neurological differences.
Benefits of Participating in Autism-Friendly Activities
The sensory activities are beneficial and effective learning tools for children on the autism spectrum since they help the child’s development, such as emotional, physical, cognitive and social skills and communication development.
Participating in autism-friendly activities offers a range of benefits for autistic people, such as:
Significant improvement in social, communication and language skills
Improved fine and gross motor skills and coordination
Better regulation of how to process sensory information and sensory responses
Improved self-regulation
Improved physical health and emotional well-being
Increased sense of fulfilment and contribution to personal growth and achievement
Sensory-Friendly Activities
Sensory-friendly activities for autistic children are thoughtfully designed to provide an inclusive and supportive environment that meets their unique sensory needs. These activities aim to create spaces where children with autism can engage with their surroundings comfortably without feeling overwhelmed by sensory stimuli.
Whether through sensory-friendly play areas, adapted arts and crafts sessions, or structured sensory experiences, these activities create a welcoming and accommodating atmosphere for children to explore, learn, and interact.
Tips for Creating Sensory-Friendly Environments
Creating sensory-friendly environments involves thoughtful consideration of various sensory stimuli to ensure that autistic people, particularly those with sensory processing differences, feel comfortable and supported. Here are some tips for creating sensory-friendly environments:
- Use soft, natural lighting or adjustable lighting options to minimise harsh glare and bright lights that can be overwhelming for some autistic children or adults.
- Minimise unnecessary noise by using sound-absorbing materials, providing quiet areas, and using noise-cancelling headphones or white noise machines.
- Designate sensory-friendly spaces with comfortable seating, calming sensory tools like fidget toys, and adaptable sensory experiences to provide a soothing retreat for people who may need a break.
- Use visual support, such as schedules, visual cues, and clear signage, to help autistic kids navigate and understand their environment.
- Incorporate sensory materials such as textured surfaces, soft fabrics, and tactile elements to offer various sensory experiences.
- Ensure that there is enough space between furniture and activity areas to allow for comfortable movement and reduce feelings of crowding.
- Offer flexible seating options, quiet corners, and adjustable elements to accommodate individual sensory preferences and needs.
Functional Communication-Focused Activities
Functional communication activities are meaningful and necessary for autistic children for several reasons. Autistic children may face challenges in expressing their needs and desires, which can lead to frustration and behaviour that challenges. Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a therapy specifically designed for autistic children, aiming to replace challenging behaviours with new communication methods that achieve the same goals.
Leaf Complex Care’s therapy team can help autistic children by providing the necessary techniques to support and encourage communication development. By incorporating functional communication activities into daily routines, our team creates opportunities for children to practice and improve their skills in their own homes’ natural settings.
As a multidisciplinary team of specialists in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, we provide the following communication activities:
- Creating social stories – Social stories are short stories that talk about different things that happen in everyday life. These stories help children learn about things they find challenging. Each story is made just for the person, so it’s all about things that matter to them. Families can use these stories to reinforce good behaviour, make their children less worried, and help them do more things independently.
- Using Talking Mats – This visual communication aid is particularly beneficial for children with communication difficulties, including children on the autism spectrum. It supports them in their sensory sensitivities, sharing their views and articulating their feelings using symbols, photographs, or pre-written words, depending on their age and cognitive ability.
- Creating visual schedules – Visual schedules are a way to show the day’s events or activities using pictures or words. They can be changed to suit the person’s likes and needs. Visual schedules are great for autistic people because they show things visually, making them easier to understand and reducing worries about changes. We use visual schedules to plan the day, give clear instructions, and teach new activities step by step.
- Creating video stories – Video stories can help children manage emotions, behaviour, and communication. They are particularly effective at helping children with autism spectrum manage their behaviour. Video stories visually represent upcoming situations and prepare children for what will happen, who will be involved, and what is expected from them.
- Using Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) – A highly effective communication tool beneficial for non-verbal learners. It uses picture symbols that the learner can use to express their wants and needs. The learner hands the picture symbol to a communication partner, who provides the requested item or action. The ultimate aim of PECS is to help the learner progress from using picture symbols to more conventional forms of communication, such as speaking.
Our experiences in practice consistently show that when functional communication-focused activities are part of comprehensive behaviour therapy, it significantly reduces behaviour that challenges both the short and long term. This therapy also helps autistic children develop new and improved communication skills to replace behaviours of concern.
Social Skills-Building Activities
Navigating social interactions can be a challenging task for children on the autism spectrum. However, through carefully designed social skills-building activities, children can develop the tools and confidence needed to engage meaningfully with their peers and the world around them. By focusing on specific areas such as communication, emotional recognition, and social cues, these activities aim to empower autistic children to navigate social situations with greater ease and success.
Below, we list activities that promote social interaction and relationship-building:
Role Play
Sometimes, autistic children may not feel ready to engage with others outside of their immediate family, experiencing discomfort or irritability in social situations. In such cases, role-playing can be helpful in teaching essential social skills. By re-enacting familiar scenarios and discussing various ways to manage these situations, children can learn valuable strategies for navigating social interactions. Consistent practice is key to the success of this activity, as it helps the child internalise the concepts and apply them in real-life situations. Furthermore, encouraging the child to express what they would say or do in specific scenarios sharpens their social skills and strengthens their relationships with others.
Board Games
Learning to use manners and show politeness are integral aspects of social interaction. Board games provide a natural context for practising these behaviours. Encouraging children to take turns, offer well-wishes to their opponents before and after the game, and engage in fair play fosters the development of empathy, sportsmanship, and cooperation. With a wide variety of board games suitable for different age groups, this activity promotes social skill development. It provides a platform for children to have fun and bond with their peers, creating meaningful social engagement and growth opportunities.
Would You Rather?
By presenting social scenarios using visual aids or stories, children are encouraged to consider and articulate their responses to various situations. This activity provides an opportunity to discuss different options and the reasoning behind each choice, stimulating critical thinking and perspective-taking. Encouraging children to consider the feelings and perspectives of everyone involved in the scenario “Would You Rather?” promotes empathy and a deeper understanding of social dynamics. Tailoring the scenarios to suit the child’s age ensures that this activity can be adapted for children from primary through secondary school, making it a versatile and valuable tool for social skills development.
*These activity proposals are most accurate when tailored to meet each child’s individual needs and strengths. Always have in mind the child’s wishes and preferences before joining an activity.
Special Interest-Based Activities
Special interest-based activities for autistic children provide a personalised skill-building and personal development approach. By focusing on individual interests and strengths, these activities offer a unique venture for children to explore their passions, enhance their abilities, and nurture a sense of confidence and accomplishment.
Special interest-based activities your child might love include:
- Water beads
- Creating a sensory ocean
- Toys in jelly
- Music classes
- Art lessons
- Autism-friendly movie screenings
- Finger painting
- Making your own musical instruments
- Lego club
- Chess club
- Scented playdough
*These activity proposals are most accurate when tailored to meet each child’s individual needs and strengths. Always have in mind the child’s wishes and preferences before joining an activity.
Physical and Outdoor Activities
Physical and outdoor activities offer invaluable opportunities for autistic children to engage in physical exercise and outdoor exploration, promoting both physical health and sensory stimulation. These activities provide a dynamic platform for children to build physical skills, enhance sensory experiences, and develop a deeper connection with the natural world.
Here are some autism-friendly physical and outdoor activities:
Hopscotch board
Cookie-cutter bird feeders
Nature walks
Sensory-friendly playground visits
Gardening
Farm visits
Swimming
*These activity proposals are most accurate when tailored to meet each child’s individual needs and strengths. Always have in mind the child’s wishes and preferences before joining an activity.
Benefits of Outdoor Activities for Promoting Health and Well-Being
Outdoor activities are essential for the development and well-being of autistic children, offering many health and social benefits that can significantly improve their quality of life. Exposure to nature has been shown to positively impact children’s physical health, including decreased blood pressure and heart rate, improved oxygen saturation, and better sleep quality. Furthermore, regular outdoor play can improve motor skills, agility, balance, handgrip strength, flexibility, and overall fitness.
Outdoor play promotes cognitive function and sensory development, as it provides a multisensory experience that stimulates cognitive development and enhances coordination and motor skills. Natural environments encourage language, cooperative skills, awareness, reasoning, and observational skills.
Through many experiences in practice, time spent in nature can improve confidence, self-esteem, positive self-identity, and emotional regulation. It also can help autistic children become calmer, more patient, better listeners, and more independent.
Leaf Complex Care is an Advocate for Neurodiversity Inclusion
At Leaf Complex Care, our commitment to autism awareness and respecting people’s fundamental rights forms the cornerstone of our approach to supporting autistic children, young people and adults.
Our therapy team is dedicated to providing personalised and proactive support and tailoring activities to meet each person’s specific needs and preferences. Through a holistic approach, we aim to create a nurturing and inclusive space where autistic children and adults can thrive.
We recognise the importance of person-centred approaches, working closely with each person to understand their unique needs and preferences. Through activities designed to enhance sensory, social, and motor skills, our therapy team aims to create meaningful and enriching experiences that contribute to the overall development and happiness of the people in our care.
Please take a moment and watch Hayden’s story.
“Hayden is happy and can go and choose the activities he wants to do. Hayden has two carers who support him every day. They have built a great relationship with him. They know him very well, almost as well as us as parents. They can see him getting dysregulated before it happens, which often makes the whole difference to the day because it gives him a chance to be supported at the moment and do what he loves the most.” – Jaycee, Hayden’s mom.
You can contact us today for any additional info on our bespoke care services.
You can also contact and visit us in our Bristol, South East, Birmingham and Somerset offices.
