Children with autism also have problems in playing with toys and other children. They show little response to social stimuli, rarely smile, and also don’t like interaction with others especially strangers. But they do show attachment behavior to their primary caretakers. The autistic children also show aggressive and destructive behavior in response to various stimuli.
Selection of autistic children can be a daunting task because improper selection of toy for autistic child can turn into untoward results and may cause more harm than good. Those toys should be selected which integrate with the autistic child’s senses and do not provoke him by any means. Selection of battery operated toys can over stimulate the autistic child by their blinking lights and noises to which these children are very sensitive sometime.  In such cases wooden toys are the best option for autistic children. Wooden toys provide peace, harmony, and do not create over stimulation by any means. Wooden toys can also integrate very well with the senses of autistic children and provide them ample time to get use to these wooden toys.  Wooden toys provide natural touch and feeling while autistic children are introduced with these toys. Wooden blocks would be the best choice in selecting first toy for your autistic child. Blocks carry the charisma that would hold the autistic child’s attention for longer period of time. Choose wooden toys are that are multicolor and finely crafted to get the attention of your child. You can also go for those wooden toys which autistic child will use to construct something. For such purpose wooden building blocks can be very handy.

Wooden toys are available for various purposes including educational toys, learning toys, therapeutic toys, and developmental toys. You can select out of these any which suit your child’s mental growth. For example, some autistic children will love to work with developmental toys if they are progressing with the optimum growth and later can handle other advanced learning toys or educational toys. Therapeutic toys are specially designed keeping in mind the needs of these special children. Other type of wooden toys called Montessori toys are extremely beneficial for autistic children as these toys are crafted keeping the Montessori’s school of thought which is extremely helpful in dealing with children with autism or other such problems. These toys work on successful and well researched methodologies and can be very handy in autistic children.

The Right Toys for Autistic Children is a post from: LA Toy Store's Blog

How Educational Toys Serve Multiple Functions

Toys have multiple functions that are specific to a child’s age group. A child learns that toys can be bounced, shaken, twisted, tossed, molded and much more. This goes on to increase a child understands of the functionality of objects as well.

Occupational therapy has done wonders to motivate children. Fun based learning through educational toys is the strategy they use. This strategy helps children to learn new concepts and discover hidden talents. The use of such toys helps children who are autistic as well. This is because therapeutic toys and autistic toys give these unique children an opportunity to try new activities and use their imagination to learn. It also endows them with confidence to touch new things and learn what to do with them.

Infant teachers rely on developmental toys that offer children a sense of control and accomplishment. Children learn to understand geometrical shapes, gravity, balance and science. These educational toys contribute immensely to developing an infant’s sensory, perceptual and visual skills. By touching and looking at these vivid colored toys, children learn to understand how things work and how to relate to their environment. That is how gradually infant teachers let their nurture the children under their care.

Fun Based Learning through Therapeutic Toys

Today, occupational therapists, day care providers and infant teachers use Montessori toys or therapeutic toys. To many, it may appear that the protracted phase of fun based learning is too long or agonizing. The edifice of ignorance pertaining to toys as mere objects is definitely crashing down, thanks to these child care professionals. They utilize toys to stimulate visually and refine motor abilities of children, especially autistic children. Autistic children are able to enjoy and learn from toys and games like building blocks, counting beads, grouping tools, using memory cards, and playing with a work table that is shaped uniquely like a chair.

A peek into the most popular day care centers would reveal that it is dotted with fun filled educational toys and games. This is not only because puzzle sets, building blocks or rocking horses add to the fun quotient. It is also because of conscious awareness that playing with toys develops children’s learning.

No doubt, developmental toys enable kids to engage in role play and inventive games, which strengthens their creativity, construction skills and problem solving abilities. By endowing kids with such a terrific start so early in their life, day care centers play a pivotal role in providing a firm foundation for their future as well.

The Importance of Using Educational Toys: An Overview is a post from: LA Toy Store's Blog

It is a well-established fact that creative play is necessary for a child’s development. Heidi Britz-Crecelius, a leading child development author, asserts that children engaged in early creative games excel in academics and in all aspects of life. Infants love playing with brightly colored wooden toys, such as rattles, music boxes, etc. These wooden toys encourage sensory stimulation and development. They gradually learn to recognize and reach for their favorite toys and play with them. These activities help in refining their eye-hand coordination and visual and perceptual skills.

Most toddlers love to ride on an animal rocker. It is interesting to note that such rockers also help a child in establishing control over head, trunk, arms and legs. They also learn to maintain balance, adjust and adapt to changes in movement.

Since these toys are wooden and non-toxic, parents need not worry about their inquisitive kids putting it in their mouth. The kind of wooden toys that parents select for their children depend on the child’s tastes and interests. The games that are bound to benefit kids include physical, logical, musical, spatial play, beginning in solo play and eventually team play.

There are several toys that are known to specifically help children with autism. These toys help improve language development, build strength, body control, coordination, motor and sensory regulation. These wooden toys encourage children to play more and learn more. Some useful autistic toys include the Wheeley Bug, Cutter Set, Picnic Set, Large Rocking Horse and Puzzles, among others.

Wooden blocks are yet another way of developing a child’s imagination and creativity. A child uses different blocks to give shape to ideas. These are just the appropriate playthings for preschoolers. Blocks also help in language development. When a child uses these blocks to pretend play, it is actually enriching his language skills.

Children who play with blocks as a team are able to develop their social skills as well. Working together gives them the opportunity to enhance their communication and leadership skills. Thus, block building paves the path for social, emotional and language development. It also develops and enriches arithmetic and mathematical skills.

Playing with shapes makes him aware of the basic shapes and their uses. The process of construction itself goes a long way in strengthening eye-hand coordination, creativity and role play.

Thus, wooden toys are the perfect answer to a child’s balanced development. Bright, superior quality wooden toys are an essential part of childhood that has the power to lead to a child’s holistic development.

Research links wooden toys to effective pediatric therapy, childhood development and autism is a post from: LA Toy Store's Blog