Moms of kids on the spectrum....

[Lovingliv]

I'm needy today!!!!

Can anyone help me with suggestions for a "big brother" gift?

My niece just had her second baby and her 2 1/2 year old son was diagnosed with autism. I am not sure any details....but he still can not talk.

I would like to send him something for becoming a big brother.....he is very "touch" sensitive....can't wear/won't wear hats ect....

any ideas?

[SammyeGail]

Is there any way you could ask your sis/bro what a good gift would be? I don't know if her son is particular about what fabrics are against his skin, but I would imagine a 'big brother' t-shirt might work. There are a ton of cute ones online. They should be 100% cotton. Could you ask your sis/bro if t-shirt graphics bother him?

I saw here they sell big brother picture frames. http://bestbabyshower.com/bigbrotsisgi.html

That way he could have it on his dresser or wall and it would still be a 'big brother' keepsake. I would maybe suggest a little toy too. I don't know if he's into blocks or cars. Alot of austistic children like stacking blocks/dominos, but my son loves cars, or anything with wheels he can spin. He gets so happy when he gets a new car, he pushes (or carries) them around more now and only spins when he's nervous.

The more I think about it, I like the picture frames, he can always have it with the pic of him and his newborn brother/sister. He'll outgrow a t-shirt and you don't have to worry about the graphics bothering him.

Good luck, its very, very thoughtful of you to take his autism into consideration : ).

Samantha
Noah and Jonas
2 yr old twins

[Lovingliv]

Thanks so much Samantha.....

This is a new diagnosis....so everyone is so upset...and I want to get the little guy something he will really enjoy...not upset him!!! I will start searching for a great frame....thanks for taking the time to respond! I appreciate it!

[egfmba]

Well, most kids on the spectrum are self-explanatory; that is, they 'tell' you what they'd like by playing with the same type of toy over and over again.

So, what does your niece's son like to play with now? Get him more (if you want) of that type of toy.

Another alternative is to get him something in which to organize what he already likes. For example, if he likes little cars, get him a car carrying case.

Also, you could get him some texture balls. Like the balls at this site: http://shoponline.pfot.com/sensory-ss3.htm#324. It would help slowly desensitize him to different textures, offering a therapeutic toy. Some even light up!

You could also try giving him colored shaving creams for the tub (I know DS1 got a Lightning McQueen shaving set with pink shaving cream for his birthday). That's good sensory stuff. Or, you could buy him body paint for bath time. Or just plain old finger paint would help.

You could also try the Super Duper website: http://www.superduperinc.com/. They've got lots of fun sensory and integration toys for kids on the spectrum.

You are great to be thinking of his needs. When the diagnosis is fresh, it's sometimes harder to get started down the therapy road (a bit of denial sometimes creeps in), so the fact that you're already looking towards his needs really speaks volumes about you!

eva