Some indoor fun options for children with autism

All children love to play and explore new games and sports. Children with autism are no exception. There are a wide variety of indoor games available in the market that can help improve the cognitive development and overall well being of all children.

Subhashini Rao, co-founder of Sankalp, an NGO for children with autism in Chennai, says there is a variety of games parents can look at.

There are some great puzzles that are available in the market exclusively for children with autism. Colouring books are also good. But always be careful when you give them sketch pens and colouring materials. They tend to be careless and might put it inside their ears or even poke into their eyes. – Subhashini Rao, Co-founder, Sankalp

Check out these four fun indoor games for children with autism.

• Clay sculpting – Different colours and brands of clays are available that enhance a child’s imagination, conception and even motor skills. Children love to see clay being moulded into different shapes. If your child is non-verbal, then clay moulding helps them to bond better with other children too.
• Matching the cards – All you need for this game are a few cloth clips, cards with pictures of things that interest your child and small pieces of paper. Write down names of things on each paper. Stick them to different cloth clips. Place a few cards on the table. Ask your kid to attach the cloth clips to matching cards. This indoor game helps your child to pick up information and also helps in knowing things better.
• Finding toys – Take a huge plastic tub and fill it with your child’s favourite toys. Now, blindfold them and ask to identify the toys. This is a simple game and helps in improving your child’s sensory skills.
• Smell zones – Children with autism can definitely benefit from this simple game. All you need is a few different aroma oils and strips of paper. Spread some aromatic oil onto different strips. Now ask your child to smell and identify which oil. You can use lemongrass, rose, jasmine and so on. But make sure that your child is not allergic to any particular smell or oil.

Smrithi, is parent to a child with autism who loves indoor games! She has an exclusive YouTube channel for parents who have children with autism.

“My son loves painting with hands. This has helped to improve his sensory skills. Even outdoor games like basketball, dart board and shooting excites my son”, says Smrithi.

Watch in Sign Language