Wish List
“Our daughter’s grandparents ask us for Christmas gift ideas every year,” commented parents of a ten-year-old diagnosed with autism. “She isn’t able to tell us what she wants, and she doesn’t seem particularly interested in anything except her familiar standby toys. This makes it difficult for us to think of any suggestions for special presents.” Other parents have commented on the difficulty of coming up with a wish list for their youngster. “I don’t even know of a meaningful gift I can buy him,” commented a mother of a young adult with autism. “I’m sure he isn’t excited about getting clothes every Christmas, but I just can’t think of any special presents.”
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Gift selections depend, of course, on the age and interests of each individual with autism. The gift ideas below have worked for some of my friends with autism in the past. They are just suggestions that might get your creative juices flowing and trigger an idea for a special present for someone you know.
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION. This youngster was somewhat amazed that a magazine with his name on it showed up every month in the mailbox. Because he was likely to tear up the magazine, his sister put the pages in plastic page protectors in a loose leaf notebook. This youngster loved Car and Driver Magazine and Zoo Books. He is now a young adult and he still gets magazine subscriptions every year for Christmas.
PERSONALIZED TRIP. Even if our youngsters don’t appear to notice other people, the most valuable gift we can give them is time. So grandparents or siblings can give a youngster a coupon for an afternoon at the zoo or a fishing expedition or a tour of the local fire station. The box on Christmas morning could contain a brochure from the zoo and plastic zoo animals or it could contain a fishing lure or a fire hat.
THERAPY TOYS. Check with your youngster’s music therapist about appropriate musical gifts or as his physical therapist or occupational therapist about textured balls, sturdy toys that light up, or other sensory toys that are safe and fun.
PERSONAL RECLINER. One teenager always liked sitting in my husband’s rocking recliner when he came to my home for music therapy. So his parents moved some stuff out of his room at home and purchased him his own recliner. Over the years, he has worn out that recliner and wants another one this Christmas. Another youngster enjoyed getting her own desk so she could organize all her books and folders and toys in all the drawers.
NESTING OBJECTS. Nearly every person I’ve known with autism loves the nesting dolls that I have in my music room. You can find a large selection at a puzzle company www.bitsandpieces.com
VELCRO. Nearly all my friends with autism love Velcro. Scout around for anything that has Velcro – books, toys, small camping accessory bags.
SHAKE FLASHLIGHT. The new flashlights that shake for power rather than using batteries are popular with my friends with autism.
So, the key here is to think out of the box when shopping for meaningful presents for individuals with autism. We welcome any ideas you have. Just send a message to talk@FAQautism.com.
Note to FAQautism.com listeners and readers: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. You can click on a button to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solutions. Check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. www.FAQautism.com
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