Gift Giving and Autism

Gift Ideas for Autistic Kids

One would think that after almost 9 years of making Autism's acquaintance, I would be better at this. Alas, the thrill is still there: What to get for Christmas and James' birthday (which lands about 2 weeks after Christmas)?

With autism in the mix, I need to blend several areas of information together and throw "normal" out the window. It's not such a bad thing.

Consider

There are the things that James likes: Caillou (still, heaven help me), Curious George, Thomas Train, Baby Einstein, Upside Down Show, spinny things, gears, music, Pixar.

James' abilities: He is young and playful for his age, has some fine motor skills strengths and challenges, processing delays, and a fickle attention span. His dream is to play games on a Playstation, iPad, iPhone of his own for hours at a time and play arcade games like speedboat racers. He hates flies and gets anxious with outdoor sports and staying with a group.

There are the typical gifts for almost 12 year-old: iPad, iPod touch, cell phone, computer/Xbox, clothes, science/art/magic kits, skate boards, bikes.

There are the fun classic kid presents: Lego, puzzles, solar-powered toys, build your own computer/robot, books, movies, sports gear, toy vehicles, yo-yos, kites.

Discern

Your kid + autism = unique for them gifts. Here are some Christmas presents ideas for 2016:

• All 3 Toy Story movies in one DVD collection and Inside Out: letters to Santa and Social Communication therapy, thank you!
• Maps from AAA: he has been carrying them all over lately, placing cities and travel routes; thank you, CSAA membership!
• This nifty kids smart watch:
  VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX, Royal Blue (2nd Generation) (seriously, just read the features - I am jealous!). James will love the voice and picture filters!
• This smart little DIY marble run: After a frustrating experience with the taller, bendy multi-piece ones, I am hoping for true multi-time use and enjoyment with the Kengadget Crazy Ball Marble Run Set

For a birthday:

• music lessons (probably piano with a local family that teaches music out of their home)
• another movie -- digital purchase because...
• a Kindle Fire with a case

Your mileage may vary with a Kindle. I thought long and hard about it myself, as James has smashed some of his most favourite Apple electronics lately when in a temper and I will not replace them. The Apple IDs and iTunes are driving me nuts with their user unfriendliness.

The Kindle is not locked down very much, so I will let him use it on a limited time basis for good behaviour. It will be his. I am not getting the special kids' subscription or a warranty. I am making it very clear that he breaks it, no more Kindle. It was $33 on a Cyber Monday special with free shipping so the cost is not bad. He can use my Prime membership to watch movies and use his PBS Kids subscription, take videos and pictures, access digital books from our public library. I find it very easy to add apps and borrow/purchase/download media. Did I mention I got a really good deal on this?

There will always be clothes too, like nice big boy PJs, shirts, and pants. James is growing like a weed!

The Morning Of ...

James woke up 3 times after 3:00am, asking if it was Christmas. I finally had to tell him Christmas started after 7:00 am. He played a few games while waiting for teen sister to awake. Both kids settled on the sofa to open their stockings over croissants and morning beverages. Then it was present time!

Many rippings and exclamations of excitement later we are enjoying the warm house on a frosty morning. The kids have swapped videos to their satisfaction and James is watching his long-desired Cars DVD -- without scratches! I can hear him jumping up in down int he next room with happiness.

Gift Ideas for Kids on the Spectrum

I am "behind" with Christmas, having been overwhelmed with some very un-Chrimassy things.

However, some good news came through late this week, and one of the wonderful, relieving things is that I can relax a bit and enjoy the holiday season more than I thought I could.

I already have some gifts. I can think about getting a tree, baking cookies, and using the Christmas savings for, well, Christmas. So I sat down with James and Amazon, our online virtual encyclopedia of world shopping, and asked him what he thought would make good Christmas presents. Without further ado, here are his choices:

Pictionary Card Set: 
 - J:  "I have not played it before, but I will like to."
 - Me: "You mean, you like to play with pictures?"
 - J: "Yeah!"

Laser Pegs: Helicopter building Set
 - Me: "What do you like about his?"
 - J: "I turn the helicopter on, and it spins around."
 - Me: "Do you like that it lights up too?"
 - J: "Yes!"

Frisbee Ring Flyers:
 - J: "I like these because you get to throw these to someone."
 - Me: "You mean, play with someone?"
 - J: "Yes, outside, with my friend, Penny."

Boy's Sports Watch:
 - J: "I love the watch so much. I have to run and jog all the time, with my friend, Ms Jackie."
 - Me: "How Does it help?"
 - J: "You can hold it for 5 more seconds."
 - Me: "Would you use it at home?"
 - J: "Yes."
 - Me: "Have you ever worn a watch on your wrist?"
 - J: "Yes, when Ms Penny was teaching me how to jog. That's how she showed me."

VTech Call and Chat Learning Phone:
 - Me: "What do you like about this toy?"
 - J: "I like the microphone. I use it to call my friends (writes names with left finger in the air)"
 - Me: "Can you tell me the names of your friends? I am really bad with reading reading names in the air."
 - J: "Junior and Mark!"
 - Me: "Well, I don't think it's a real phone that you can use to call your friends. You can pretend to call them."
 - J: "What is the microphone for? Can I see it? Can we use it?"
 - Me: "Yes, you can use it to talk to the bird. Would you like to do that?"
 - J: " Yes!"

Gifts on a Spectrum

It's Black Friday, and time to think hard(er) about gifts for the kids. Especially as big sister's birthday comes right before Christmas and James' is shortly after New Year's. Aaaaaand the property taxes are due right before then, so we really need to shop wisely because there's not much moolah to spare.

Add to that the fact that finding presents for James is a challenge. I've seen him rip and eat books, puzzles, and flash cards. He looks politely at cars and trucks, for the most part. If he can push buttons and have things light up and make loud noises, he's all over it for about 5 minutes at a time. Unless it's driving me crazy or waking the family, then make that 15 minutes, minimum.

He loves computers, clocks, and CD players. He also loves to rend them into pieces, if given half the chance. My little boy, the Destructor.

Some of the best toys for him have come from therapy sessions. We've gotten more mileage from an ice cream scooper and tongs with a bowl of cotton balls than the expensive LeapFrog read-along electronic gadget. It took 3 years before he became engaged with the super LeapFrog magnetic fridge Word Builder.  I could go on .... and end up with the sad memory of James' Christmas just before he turned 3, when he looked at the presents, but did not get excited about them, let alone want to open them. I seriously cried that Christmas morning because he'd recently been diagnosed, and this was like a knife in the heart.

But things got better. James became more engaged, and this year he's reading, doing math, and started some imaginary play. I've scaled back my expectations and become more philosophical about what will make this child happy.

I'm still thinking of toys, however!

So I was very happy to see this Special Needs Toy Guide by Emily Vanek, mentioned in Five Minutes for Special Needs.  We've already had good success with a number of items listed in her guide. There were some misses too, but that's because kids are different and special needs means, well, the antithesis of "one size fits all."

Oh yeah - he loved these things for years!

Here's what James has liked: Connect 4 and the piggy bank (although we just used a regular one that we had lying around the house). Sensory balls and ordinary balloons have been huge hits. My husband found one of those Fischer Price play kitchens at the Salvation Army and brought it home for our daughter.; both kids ended up loving it. James also loved the Singing Popup character toys.

He did not care for the large building blocks (or wooden blocks or regular Legos). He likes Play Dough but starts to crumble it all over into tiny bits. It's just not work the clean-up for me.

I think I'll take a more focused look at what James has liked. That will not only help me zero in on what might be good to get him, it could also help others.

What kinds of toys have been great for your special needs kiddos?

Magic Marker Monday: Magnificent

Last week, James showed off some new, subtle skills during a craft project. He held his marker correctly, and knew what he wanted to do with it. Both of these things are new for me to see him do.

In honour of Mothers' Day week, the letter they  were learning was "M". Of course they got to colour it with markers. James felt the green one would be great. The only thing I did was help him pop off the cap. He looked excited to start the project, instead of his usual dreamy/thoughtful "don't really care" look.

And instead of wild circles that roared off the paper onto the table top or a hailstorm of frenetic dots, James decided to have fun tracing his hand. All by himself.

He enjoyed playing with what kind of lines he could make, and he tried to stay inside of the M outlines. Again, this is new stuff for him.

 

Marker tattoo lines? Cooooool!

As for me, I got a whole bunch of Mothers' Day presents early by just watching him that morning. Way to go, Buddy!

PS: We have exactly the same kind of hands. Comes from my father. How amazing is that? (Hint: very; can't tell you why)


Visit 5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.




  

Five 'til Midnight: Playtime

Playtime has become big in James' universe. He has liked to play with things for a while. Now he wants to play more with others. First his sister, then his classmates ... then special people:


James loves to play on our piano. He picked out how to play the scales all by himself and stops at 8 notes. No one taught him that. He loves to sing. The highlight of his summer activities was participating in a Music Together class with Star Tom.


James will latch on to special toys from time to time. His father found Mailbox from Blue's Clues and James took it everywhere for several weeks. In fact, he insisted on using it to hold his treats when he went trick-or-treating for the first time ever this year.

Giftulation!

Despite colds and a bit of GI bugginess, we had a great Christmas and quiet New Year's Eve.

Before I even opened one package, I had my best Christmas presents: watching the kids' faces as they opened their stockings and presents. Especially James. Two years ago he was so disinterested in the whole event that we just stopped opening his presents. It made me cry. Last year he was politely interested. What he really liked was playing with the tissue paper: Wheeeee!

*This* year, he ripped those wrappings and got into what was inside. Sounds awful to say this, but my heart sang. Because he was engaged and right there with us. Best gift hands down!!!

He loved his laptop toy so much he wouldn't put it down ...


... until his dad helped him open his bowling set:


Which encouraged him to open his toy stick/wand that makes things slide, twirl, and make noise:


He got a Leapfrog fridge Word Builder magnet set from his Nana. He and his sister have been playing with that, and his laptop. On his new bed. And they play really well together. THANK YOU!!!