Hands On Activities for Children with Autism & Sensory Disorders

Here is a set of activities, listed in order of difficulty, to help a child desensitize to gooey materials. These activities make use of glues and doughs which are easily found materials. As the child progresses in ability to touch glue and dough, think of slowly incorporating gooey foods (yogurt and bananas), and toiletries (shampoos and lotions) into her day.

Go slow with each activity. Let the child be your guide as you decide how much to do in a day. Don’t worry that you didn’t do enough. Even a few minutes of exposure can be useful. Make sure to do a small activity at least 3-4 days a week so that the progress made “sticks.” Remember that a calming activity prior to “facing the gooey stuff” can make your job easier.

It’s wise to have a small cup of water and a small towel nearby to get the goo off fingertips immediately before the child becomes overwhelmed.

Avoid finger painting, vegetable printing and other activities that make use of washable paints, food coloring and inks. Most washable paints are hard to wash off and leave a residue of color. The sight of this could potentially cause alarm. Instead, allow the child to use a brush for painting and keep soapy water and a towel nearby.

Children with autism as a group are known to have mild-to-severe sound and touch sensitivities. The underlying problem appears to be different than typical oversensitivity. In children with autism, the boundaries between sense regions (touch, vision, auditory) appear to be blurred. In addition, the connectors between regions are thicker than in children without autism. As a result, they struggle to process and interpret the touch (and other sense) input they receive.

In some cases, signals aren’t modulated. Some children with autism feel pain when touched on the head during shampooing or hair combing, as well as when their nails are clipped. Desensitizing a child to touch and pain in this instance is tricky. One solution is to thoroughly prepare the child through calming and setting expectations. Another solution is to give the child control over the task (hair combing, for example) and let him do it himself. I cover additional strategies for working with these issues in my book, Self-Regulation Interventions and Strategies.

Touch Activity 1

Cut-and-Paste with a Glue Stick

Materials: Glue sticks; all kinds of paper; magazine pages; small cup of water and a small towel.

We start touch desensitization with a glue-stick activity. Most children with touch sensitivities tolerate using a glue stick, and so this is an easy place to start. However, they are still sticky, and so should be introduced matter-of-factly, and used just for a quick cut-and-paste activity. Keep a paper towel at hand. If there appears to be resistance, keep activities brief and slowly work up to harder tasks such as folding a sheet in two and gluing it together.

Touch Activity 2

Cut-and-Paste with School Glue and a Brush

Materials: A small cup with a mixture of school glue and water; a brush; colored paper, scissors; a small cup of water and a paper towel; optional: decorative materials such as stones or glitter.

Instructions: Set out paper and scissors for a cut-and-paste activity. In a small cup, mix a small amount of water into some school glue. Have the child brush the glue onto the paper, and carefully place the cut-out on top. Remind him that he can wash off any glue that gets on his fingers. Optionally, create by gluing small stones to paper or work with glitter glue instead. The thinned glue mixture will need longer to dry.

Use brushes and applicators for spreading glue during the initial stages of the desensitization process. Keep water and a paper towel handy.

Touch Activity 3

School Glue and a Bunny Tail

A small child can enjoy the sensations of pom-poms and glitter as he learns to tolerate gooey substances. Here is a simple exposure to using school glue that includes soft, calming-to-the-touch pompoms.

Materials: Construction paper; pompoms for the eye and tail; school glue; glitter or glitter glue for the whiskers and ears; image of bunny (in the Appendix); small cup of water and a small towel; optional: scrap of red felt, buttons, beans and stones.

1. Set a cup of water and towel on the table. Put a bit of school glue in a small cup. Optionally, mix it with a few drops of water to make it less sticky.

2. Make a copy of the bunny and cut it out, and glue it to a sheet of paper using a brush.

3. Use the bottle of school glue to apply glue for the eye and tail pompoms.

4. The nose can be made using a scrap of construction paper or felt. Have the child brush glue on the bunny’s nose and use his fingers to put the nose in place. If he hesitates, remind him there is water nearby to wash glue off his fingers—or offer to put the nose in place for him.

5. Make whiskers and the inside ear detail using glitter glue or glue and sprinkled glitter.

6. Draw extra details as desired.

The pleasant sensation of a pompom cottontail overrides the displeasure of having to get fingers close to glue.

Touch Activity 4

Make Collages with Paper Using a Glue Stick, Then School Glue

Create a collage from found pictures, cut-outs, and small objects like pebbles or leaves. Use a combination of gluing methods: glue stick, glue and brush and school glue in a bottle depending on the size and shape of the object to be glued. Keep a paper towel nearby to wipe glue off fingers.

Materials: Cardstock or heavy paper; different color papers including papers with print, giftwrap and pages from magazine; school glue; scissors; markers or crayons; a cup of water and a small towel; optional: found objects such as small beads, pebbles, flower petals, leaves, and so on.

1. Set out the cup of water and towel.

2. Cut pictures and text from magazines or shapes from colored and printed paper.

3. Arrange them and any found objects you are using on a piece of cardstock or heavy paper and, one by one, glue them in place.

4. Complete the collage by decorating with crayons or markers.

Touch Activity 5

Make Mosaics with Glue Stick and School Glue

Mosaics are a fun project for children of all ages. The challenge for the child lies in gluing small bits of paper in place. There is a good possibility that the child will accidently touch the glue—and touch it often. So keep the atmosphere calm. Most important, do just a little at a time, stopping when the child has had enough. This project can be done over a period of several days or longer.

Materials: Cardstock or heavy paper; different color papers; one of more large shapes for the mosaic; school glue; scissors or paper cutter; a cup of water and a small towel. Use very simple shapes or pictures such as a heart, a house with trees or the tree frog (in the Appendix). An older child might try a more detailed picture.

Let a child get used to the sensation of glue-from a glue stick prior to having him work with school glue.

Instructions:

1. Set out the cup of water and towel.

2. Draw a simple picture onto the cardstock or lightly glue a coloring book page to it.

3. You can create the “tiles” in one of two ways:

a. Cut up small or medium size pieces of colored paper to use as tiles in the mosaic.

b. Copy the main shapes of the picture onto appropriately colored paper. Cut out the shapes, then cut them into smaller, but recognizable, pieces—like a jigsaw puzzle—to be glued onto paper. See the picture of the tree frog, above.

4. Put a small amount of glue in place, and then place one or more squares onto the drawing. Keep the water and towel handy for when she touches the glue.

To make a quick mosaic activity, cut out body and head of an animal (a tree frog is in the Appendix), then cut additional rectangular pieces for legs and circles for eyes and toes. It’s a good idea to trace the image onto paper so the child has an outline to work from.

For a child fearful of touching school glue, do small projects such as putting toes on a tree frog. Be sure to keep a cup of water and a paper towel close by.

Touch Activity 6

Scented, Colorful Dough

Here are two recipes for edible dough. One recipe has a gluten-free option. The first recipe optionally uses a fruit drink mix, and the second recipe calls for flavored gelatin. In both cases, use sugar-free products which will not mold as sugar does. You can find cream of tartar in the baking section of your grocery store.

Simple dough

• 1 cup of flour

• 1 cup of boiling water

• 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar

• 1/2 cup of salt

• 1 tablespoon of oil

• Optional: food dye and a drop of essential oil (for scent), or sugar-free Kool-Aid™ for color and scent.

Instructions: Mix these together with a large spoon, kneading the dough until firm. Form it into a ball and store it. It will keep for a month or more.

Safety hazard: Boiling water.

Boy making a snake using Jell-O dough.

No-cook Jell-O™ dough

This dough has a pastel color and a silky texture. If you use sugar-free gelatin, it will store for a long time in the refrigerator.

• 1 3-ounce package of sugar-free gelatin

• 1 cup flour (can substitute all-purpose gluten free flour)

• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar or baking powder

• 1/4 cup salt

• 1 cup boiling water

• 2 tablespoons oil (avoid olive oil which will discolor it)

• Extra flour, as needed

• More flour to remove stickiness

Instructions:

1. Put the gelatin, flour, cream of tartar and salt in a bowl and whisk them together.

2. Add the boiling water and the oil.

3. Stir with a spoon until the dough becomes unmanageable, and then knead it with your fingers, removing any lumps and mixing completely.

4. The dough will be sticky. Knead-in (add in) more flour. You might have to add quite a bit of flour to make the dough silky without a sticky texture.

5. Put it into a zip-lock bag in the refrigerator until you are ready for it. Return it to the refrigerator between uses to prolong its life.

Safety hazard: Boiling water.

Top left: The bowl contains a very sticky dough mixture without the additional flour. Top right: Dough was transferred to a flat dish for kneading-in flour. Bottom: Some finished dough.

Touch Activity 7

Cook’s Helper

Once the child is able to face small amounts of messiness and messy fingers, being a cook’s helper is an easy way to get additional exposure to new textures. Making a sandwich, stirring soup, making cookies, or peeling potatoes are easy ways to acclimate to the world of messy things. Your role is to give the child control over her task and let her do it in her own way and in her own time. We need to be patient as she develops the courage to face her fears and to learn new skills.

Touch Activity 8

Birds Nest Cookies

Here is a delicious way to get children actively touching something gooey. These are no-bake cookies that are formed to look like bird nests. Put a few berries or jelly beans in them when they are chilled.

Materials: Microwave oven; bowl and spoon; measuring cups; baking sheet lined with waxed paper for shredded wheat version; paper cupcake liners and cupcake pan for coconut version.

Ingredients: Crunchy peanut butter (substitute nut butter or sunflower butter, if desired); chocolate chip bits (gluten-free, dairy free, soy free chips are available in health food stores); shredded wheat, All Bran™, or shredded coconut; berries or jelly beans. Use about 1 spoon each of cereal, chocolate chips and peanut butter for each nest.

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave using moderate (level 5) power for about 1 minute. Use a mitt; the bowl will be very hot.

2. Place the cereal or coconut into a cup or bowl.

3. Add the chocolate and peanut butter and mix gently

4. Have the child take a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and shape it in to a nest. Place the nest on waxed paper or in a cupcake liner. Repeat until the batter is used.

5. Chill the nests. Optionally, add 2 or three berries for eggs.

Birds nests

More

• See Taste Activity 3: Food drawings and paintings.

• See Making bath bombs in environmental enrichment, exercise 7.

Touch Immersion

Children (and adults) may find pleasure in various properties of objects (particularly natural objects). Glass, tile, stone and metal are smooth and cool to the touch. Fiber like yarn is soft and warm. Bread dough is gooey. Wood makes the transition from rough to smooth as we sandpaper it. Wood is cool to the touch, but less so than metal and glass. Seeds, beads and small stones can be manipulated between the fingers. Finger foods can be dry (bread, crackers), wet (peaches, melon), hot or cold, firm, mushy (bananas and French fries), oily, messy (bar-b-q chips) and so on.

Our brain senses these properties and may develop an attraction to them and sometimes a craving for them. The point of this section is to engage children in activities that appeal to them and calm them. You will want to explore the impact of the touch, temperature and manipulability characteristics on the children you work with so you can better understand which types of immersion activities will appeal to them.

Work with Yarn and Fibers

Here are a series of activities that are graded by skill starting with making pipe cleaner animals and simple yarn wrapping activities and ending with a multi-day project making a 20” yarn-doll monkey with cap. All of these tasks are within the skillset of a young child (in the case of the monkey doll, assistance is required from an adult for assembly of the pieces).

Goal: Calming through soft touch; to increase visual-motor skills.

Touch Activity 9

Pipe Cleaner Dolls

Materials: Pipe cleaners, both full size and a few cut and cut in half.

Instructions:

1. Roll one-half of a pipe cleaner into a ball for the head. Tuck the raw end into the ball.

2. Use a full length pipe cleaner to form the head, ears, body and tail.

3. Twist the ends tightly around the body and turn the raw ends into the fur.

4. Push the rolled ball into the shaped head and pinch it tight.

5. Use one-half of a pipe cleaner each for the front legs and the back legs. Center each set of legs in place over the body and twist them two or three times to secure them.

6. Bend the leg ends for feet and bend the tail.

To make an animal, fashion a head, ears and tail from one pipe cleaner. Cut a second pipe cleaner in half to fashion the legs. Twist pieces tightly together and hide pointed ends.

Make a simple beaded pipe cleaner bracelet. Be sure to hide the raw wire ends in the pipe cleaner fur.

Touch Activity 10

Yarn Wrapping

Wrapping yarn is simple enough for a young child. The steady movement and soft yarn are calming.

Materials: Yarn; cardboard, paper tubes or jars; optional: glue, bowl of water and paper towel.

Instructions: Wrap yarn or string around cardboard, tissue tubes, or other cylindrical objects.

Decorate a tube, box or jar

Cover a section of the tube (box or jar) with school glue or a glue stick. Wrap lengths of different colored yarn around the tube. (Have a bowl of clean water and a towel nearby to rinse glue off fingers.)

Yarn wrapping is easy enough for a small child to do. Children with touch sensitivity love the feel of soft yarn on their fingers.

Touch Activity 11

Yarn Doll

Materials: Yarn; strips of cardboard or cardstock; string or more yarn for ties.

Instructions:

1. Wrap yarn around cardboard for the body.

2. Tie off the head with string.

3. At the opposite end, cut through the loops to make the legs.

4. Use a shorter piece of cardboard to wrap the arms.

5. Tie the ends of the arms with string and snip through the loops of yarn at each end.

6. Split the body in two parts (front and back, see photo.) Center the arms between them. Tie a string around the waist to secure the arms in place.

7. If making pant legs, split the yarn into two parts and tie each leg at the ankle with string. Leave untied for a skirt.

Make a yarn doll: Left side shows cardboard being wrapped with yarn. Right side shows the simple construction steps.

Touch Activity 12

Roll a Ball of Yarn

To wrap yarn into a ball: once past the first inch, lay each wrapping of yarn next to the previous wrapping while at the same time, turning the ball slightly. Wrap tightly, turning the ball in all directions as you wrap.

To prevent the ball from unwinding, put a small dab of school glue under several pieces of yarn while wrapping the final layer.

Boy rolling a ball of yarn.

Touch Activity 13

Yarn Chains

Instructions(reverse for left-handed child):

1. Unwrap about 2 feet (2/3 m.) of yarn from the ball.

2. At the yarn’s end, make a knotted loop with a 2-3 inch (5 cm) tail.

3. Hold the tail firmly with the thumb and index finger of the left hand. Loosely hold the long end with the other fingers on the left hand.

4. Use the fingers of the right hand pull a small loop of yarn through the loop. Pull it tight. You now have a new loop.

5. If the new loop is too big, pull on the yarn to make it smaller—you want it large enough for your fingers to get through.

6. Continue making new loops until the chain is the length you want, then snip the yarn somewhere on the loop. Pull the end tight.

Materials for making yarn chains.

Yarn Chain Crafts

Decorate cups, boxes, jars and other objects with yarn chains by gluing the chains in circles around the cups. The chains can also be glued in spirals and squares to fit the object they are glued to. Consider using chains of complementary colors and consider adding beads to the yarn chains as you make them.

Combine all of the ideas for working with yarn together in one long project by creating the yarn monkey at the end of this chapter.

Left hand instructions for chaining are the reverse of right hand. Form a loop of the yarn, and then pull the long end through the loop, making a second loop. Hold the second loop and pull the long end tight. This is the first chain. The chain will grow as you continue making loops and pulling them tight. When you have a long enough chain, make one last loop and snip it at the top (of the loop). Pull the snipped end tight. Trim both ends of loose yarn, Bottom right: a portion of a yarn chain has been glued to small box lid.

Finished box. The sides were covered with paper and then wrapped with yarn that was not chained. The heart is cut from felt.

Touch Activity 14

Project: Monkey Yarn Doll with Cap

Here is a multi-day project constructed of easy steps for the child with construction assistance from an adult. The monkey is made of yarn balls and wrapping. His hat is made of yarn chains glued to a plastic cup.

The instructions for this project can be found in chapter 11, Multiple-day projects.

The finished monkey.

Glass, Stone, and Metal

Small children who like the cool touch of glass, metal, stone and tile will typically find themselves playing with things such as instruments and board games rather than creating things such as crafts. Older children might find pleasure in using wood-working tools for wood projects, making jewelry or in getting out the pots, pans, baking dishes and stirring spoons to cook and bake. Here are a few ideas for immersing children of all ages in the touch of cool, smooth objects.

Simply lining up stones can be soothing for a child with autism.

Touch Activity 15

Stone Covered Jar or Cup

Stones are glued to the top of the cup. They must dry before the cup can be turned, so this activity requires 5-8 short sessions.

Materials: Pebbles, a plastic cup or glass jar, a container large enough to hold the cup; sand; school glue; a cup of water and a paper towel.

Instructions:

1. Put 1 inch (3 cm) of sand in the container. Put the cup into the container, scooping sand inside to weigh it down.

2. Put a thin coat of glue along the side of the cup that is facing up.

3. By hand, place pebbles on the glue.

4. Let it dry, turn the cup and repeat.

Boy is steadying a stone he has placed on the cup.

Sand inside the cup holds it in place. Glue stones to the top and let dry.

Touch Activity 16

Tile Mosaic with Glass Stones or Pebbles

Materials: Different colored glass stones; a used cd disc, an old plate or square of corrugated cardboard, school glue; a cup of water and a paper towel.

Instructions:

1. Make an interesting design or picture using the stones or pebbles.

2. Transfer the stones to the CD or plate and glue them in place.

A used CD is covered first with paper and then with glass beads.

Touch Activity 17

Metal Pen and Pencil and Drawing Tools

Metal or mechanical pencils are uncommon today, but metal pens can still be found as give-aways from merchants and as the higher-price option in an office supply store. These are the ultimate touch fidget for a child who rubs his fingers on objects. In addition, metal (aluminum) drawing and drafting tools such as rulers, angles, compasses and protractors can be found at reasonable prices at art and drafting supply stores and websites.

Metal drawing tools for the analytic sensory child.

Touch Activity 18

Start a Coin Collection

Collecting coins can provide a child with hours of tactile and visual fun. There is an added thrill in finding a 1949 penny in mom’s pocket change. Get a spare folder to hold unusual or old coins.

Materials: Pennies or quarters; inexpensive coin folders (found online or in some coin shops.)

Instructions: Sort coins into the folders. When there are doubles, keep the best coin.

Touch Activity 19

Musical Instruments

Playing an instrument is an excellent way to get touch immersion. And using an instrument for touch immersion is an excellent way to learn to play, since one must “practice, practice, practice.” Here are some instruments that produce the cool touch response. See the section on sound for more about musical instruments.

• Stringed instruments with metal strings or parts (guitars, electric bass, dulcimer and so on)

• Horns and whistles

• Percussion such as spoons, cowbells and triangles

Metal instruments that are smooth and cool to the touch can satisfy a touch craving in some children.

Touch Activity 20

Games with Tile, Stone or Metal Pieces

Many games have interesting textures. Look for used versions with stone tiles or pieces.

• Dominos

• Checkers

• Chess

• Go

• Mahjong

• Erector sets

Wood

The rich sensation of smoothly sanded wood appeals to some children. The activities presented here provide a good introduction to woodwork for children five years and older. Younger children may enjoy playing with unfinished wooden toys, Tinker Toys™ and Jenga™.

Touch Activity 21

Sanding Wood

A child enamored with the feel of wood will enjoy the silky feeling of the sanded object and the texture of the wood grain.

Materials: A small piece of pine or other soft wood with an interesting grain pattern; sandpaper: 100, 150 and 220 grit; a tack cloth; optional: a small unfinished wood object such as a birdhouse or car (available at craft shops).

Instructions: Sand the wood first with the rougher (100 and 150 grit) sandpaper. Wipe it clean with tack cloth; Repeat with the 220 grit sandpaper.

Safety hazard: Avoid exotic woods, redwood, red cedar and western cedar which can be allergenic. Pine is a safe choice.

Here are several different sanding activities: a tiny set of drawers or a birdhouse (both from craft stores), or cut out a snail or car with adult cutting tools.

Touch Activity 22

Sanding Wooden Objects

Cut a shape for a child to sand. The car and snail illustrations in the Appendix can be cut from a 1 x 4-inch board.

Materials: A piece of 1 x 4-inch pine board; sandpaper: 100, 150 and 220 grit; a tack cloth; tools: a jigsaw or coping saw; car and snail illustrations in the Appendix.

Instructions:

1. Draw the image onto the board.

2. Use a coping saw or a jigsaw to cut out the object.

3. Have the child sand the wood first with the rougher (100 and 150 grit) sandpaper. Wipe it clean with tack cloth. Repeat with the 220 grit sandpaper.

4. Optionally, add the details from the drawing of the snail or car using a pen or a knife (older child under supervision).

Touch Activity 23

Building A Truck

This activity involves simple sawing and drilling that is easy enough for an older child (or a non-handy adult) to perform.

Materials: 2 x 2 inch pine wood; 6 sewing machine bobbins for wheels (found at fabric shops); dowel rod to fit inside bobbins; sandpaper; a tack cloth; tools: a miter box and saw or a wood saw; a drill, glue.

Instructions:

1. Cut a 5 inch (12 cm) piece of wood for the trailer.

2. Cut a 2 inch (5 cm) piece of wood for the cab and cut off a corner to make the windshield.

3. Drill holes above the bottom edge for the axel (dowel rod) to fit through (see photo).

4. Cut three lengths of dowel rod to equal the car’s width plus the width of two wheels.

5. Thread each dowel rod through the car body and wheels, glue it to both wheels. (The wheels will turn on the axels.)

6. Attach the cab to the trailer with glue or a fastener.

Safety hazard: Avoid exotic woods, redwood, red cedar and western cedar which can be allergenic. Pine is a safe choice.

Making a truck is only a bit more work than making a car.

Touch Activity 24

Gooey Revisited

Doughs and clays are useful both for sensory immersion and for touch desensitization. Many dough products are available on the market, as well as many recipes for making dough (see the above section of tactile desensitization).

For some children, acclimation to gooey substances is no problem. In fact, they might prefer messy things. Along with standard activities like finger painting, working with clay, playing with slime toys and playing in mud, here are additional ideas for the older child who seeks gooey sensation.

• Baking cookies

• Kneading bread or pizza dough

• Gardening

• Papier mache

• Paper making