Hands On Activities for Children with Autism & Sensory Disorders

• Discover new sensory activities to use with a child, a group of children or a whole classroom

You may elect to do one of the formal or informal programs. Keep in mind that the book is packed with activities that can be used for sensory intervention independent of an overall program. The interventions in each topic area are graded by difficulty, making them easier to select. They range from very simple (in the Environmental Enrichment activities) through complex (the multi-sensory projects), and they cover a wide range of sensory needs for children. Below is a quick guide to exercises and activities. The tables are arranged by sense and by type of intervention (education, desensitization and immersion). Each table lists activities in the order of their difficulty and tells which chapter the activity is in. For example, in the touch education and desensitization table, 22 activities from four different chapters are listed. The activity numbers guide you to the location in the chapter.

Cold / Hot

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
4	Hands, feet in bowls	1, 14
4	Coolness /warmth on skin	8, 9, 18
4	Play with cold items	12, 22
4	Carry cooled item	23
7	Drawing with food	3
6	Cook’s helper	7

Emotional education

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
5	Faces in the mirror	6
5	Name an emotion	7

Touch education and desensitization

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
4	Textured objects	2, 19, 20, 22
4	Draw lines on skin + texture	3, 5, 21
4	Matching objects blindfolded	8
4	Touch and manipulation	15, 25
4	Massage	24
9	Fabric swatches	2
7	Drawing with food	3
6	Desensitization to gooey things	1-6
6	Desensitization of food	7, 8
7	Scented dough	6

Touch immersion

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
6	Pipe cleaner activities	9
6	Simple yarn activities	10, 11, 12
6	Yarn projects	13, 14
6	Pebbles and glass bead projects	15, 16
6	Metal and coins	17-20
6	Simple wood activities	21, 22
6	Wood projects	23
6	Gooey immersion	24
9	Scented-fruit mobile	11
9	Collage with dried flowers	13

Visual education

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
4	Blindfold match, blindfold walk	4, 6, 11, 16
4	Matching	10, 12, 20, 31
4	Attention and tracking	13, 27, 33
4	Naming objects	17
4	Visual-auditory	34
8	Read books	3
9	Mosaic project	8

Visual immersion

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
6	Bunny, frog pictures	3, 5
9	Colors and coloring	1, 2
6	Sorting coins	18
6	Simple collage	4
7	Drawing with food	3
9	Stained glass	3
9	Paper strips and weaving	4, 5
9	Mosaics	6, 7, 8
6	Pebble mosaic	14
7	Pebble planter and plants	6
9	Fabric collage	9
6	Drawing with tools	17
9	Mobiles	10, 11
9	Collage projects	12, 13

Sound desensitization and education

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
4	Temperature	8
4	Distract from visual	13
4	Visual-auditory	34
4	Listen to music each day	In chapter 3
8	More music	2
8	Emotional reaction	1
5	Whistles blowing	1, 2
5	Make sounds	3, 4
5	Gestures	5
8	More gestures	4
8	Sound for desensitization	5

Scent education and food desensitization

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
4	Bath scent and oil	7
4	Smell odorant	In chapter 3
6	Play with scented dough	6
7	Eating activities	Food 1, Food 2, Food 3
6	Cook’s helper	7
6	Birds’ nests	8

Sound immersion

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
8	Read special books	3
8	Make and use sound effects	5, 6
8	Rhymes	7, 8
5	Rhythm	9
8	Music	8

Scent immersion

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
9	Scented-fruit mobile	11
6	Play with scented dough	6
7	Make scented objects	Scent 1, Scent 2
7	Using scented herbs	Scent 3, Scent 4, Scent 5
7	Make an indoor garden	Scent 6

Motor immersion

Chapter	Activity	Activity number
10	Popcorn FUNterval	1
10	Zoo FUNterval	2
10	Rock, paper, scissors FUNterval	3
10	Pirate hunt FUNterval	4
10	Make your own FUNterval	5