For anyone that is interested in gifts for your sensory seeking kids, this is for you! 

Kids with autism often crave specific types of sensory stimulation. For our son this typically means he wants us (and by us I mean my husband) to throw him in the air and spin him in circles until we can’t walk straight. 

You may have heard the term ‘stimming’—short for self-stimulatory behavior. It includes repetitive movements, sounds, or object manipulation, such as hand-flapping, rocking, or jumping. These actions are used to increase or decrease sensory input and help these individuals regulate their nervous system and manage overwhelm. 

We are lucky that we have the space in our home to create an environment that gives our son a place to meet those needs. I have posted videos of my son on his swivel chair and every time I get at least one message asking for a link.

So, I figured I’d make a list of the items in his playroom, along with links for easy access.

Examples of sensory stimulation in autism and gifts for those needs: 

Vestibular stimulation: Rocking, spinning, swinging, or jumping to stimulate the balance system 

The Swivel Chair : I get the most request for the link to this one! Conrad will spend SO much time on this and never seems to get dizzy. Just watching him makes me queasy. 

Indoor Trampoline: What kid doesn’t love a trampoline? We’re on trampoline number two because he uses it so much!

Saucer Swing: This one is outdoor, but it can be hung inside in a basement or garage area. We have ours outside.

Indoor Swing: We don’t have this one yet, but it is on my list for his birthday! I’ll let you know how it goes.

Bounce House: Ok, I know not everyone has the space for this one, but if you do go for it! They also have smaller options on Amazon. 

Visual stimulation: Staring at lights, repetitive eye movements, or looking at objects with specific textures. 

Star Projector: This is great for visual stimulation! You can change the colors, it rotates and it’s easy to move around where you go. 

The Samsung Projector: I have posted about this before and it is still a must for us! We can move it from room to room, outside, and play his favorite shows anywhere with WiFi connection. 

Tactile stimulation: Touching certain textures, playing with fidget toys, or applying pressure to the body 

Blanket, blankets, blankets. Honestly he loves all blankets, but does have favorites depending on the texture. This a link for a weighted blanket that he sleeps with at night to help regulate his body. 

Ball pit: He has had this for a few years and still plays with it everyday! Sometimes there are more balls on the floor than in the pit, but whatever floats his boat. 

Fidget Spinning Stacker: This is basically a giant fidget spinner and he loves it!

Auditory stimulation: Listening to repetitive sounds, music, or specific frequencies

Piano Mat: We have a few different versions of this. His current favorite is his Baby Shark piano.

Musical Sensory Pillow: This not only plays music, but lights up and is super soft!

Proprioceptive stimulation: Activities like deep pressure massage, hugging, or chewing on chewy items to provide sensory input from the muscles and joints 

Again the weighted blanket is great for this! This a link for a weighted blanket that he sleeps with at night to help regulate his body. 

What about over stimulation? 

When Conrad feels overwhelmed by too much stimulation, he needs his own space to reset. To help with those times we got him a tent. A small space just for him. His tent is filled with a few toys, a blanket and twinkling lights. 

Hope this helped and gave you some ideas! Let me know how it goes!