Recommendations for nearly 5 year old DD with ASD

[Guibhyl]

Finding it a really hard age to buy for. I want to encourage independent play but there’s a few issues. Firstly because she is autistic she struggles to do role play with characters. She does a bit of it eg with playmobil people but it’s very limited, lasts less than 5 mins and she doesn’t really seem to enjoy it. However her little sister who is not autistic loves this sort of play so she’ll sometimes go along with it.

She has a yoto player but is sporadic with use. She doesn’t really listen to stories only songs. I will get a couple of song cards for her stocking.

she enjoys craft bits but struggles a lot with the fine motor skills required for many things and gets frustrated so it doesn’t buy me any time to get anything done as I always need to help her.

Any other ideas?! At the moment most of her toys are very “preschool” but I’m not sure what to get. Thanks

Train track. Toy cars?

My autistic 4yo seems to be the opposite to your daughter but on her Santa list she has:

Squashmallow dog
Make up dolls head
Make up
Rubiks cube
Slinky
Remote control lizard
LOL doll surprise ball
Animal stationary

Kinetic sand
LCD writing tablet
Coding Critters
Little Live Pets Guinea pig
Play foam
Marble run
Giant floor puzzle

There’s a climbing arch in Aldi this week. You can see how it’s used as a rocker in the leaflet. I’ve no idea if it would be big enough for a 4 year old but mine found rocking and swinging deeply regulating and calming.

Magnetic stuff is popular here. Magnets lend themselves quite well to explorative but repetitive play

Sensory toys, they have a small range at Smyths that my autistic DC loves. Also they have a sensory advent calendar which we got for DC because they won’t eat chocolate ones.

@OhWifey magnets are a brilliant idea, I think DD would love them, but do you have any ideas of non-choking hazard magnet toys please? My 2 year old is still not reliable with not putting things in her mouth, I’m due another baby soon and my eldest isn’t disciplined enough to keep her toys separately. It really does limit what she can play with independently as anything that’s not suitable for under 3s needs to be played with under supervision..

Lego?

Magnatiles are probably safe enough.

What about some random craft supplies?

I second Magnatiles or Magformers. Ours are still played with at age 6. Worth looking around for discounts e.g. on their website.

My autistic 5 year old has access to a lot of the above toys from her big sister but hasn't a huge amount of interest in construction toys and legs. She is very movement orientated.
She's getting
A balance board as she loves rocking .
A beanbag : this is very expensive (200 euro) But its amazing for autistic children as its like a big squishmallow, her ot has one and she gets amazing sensory feedback from it.
I spoke to her teacher about the fine motor activities she really likes so she is getting links , a peg board and this kids drilling activity.
She loves bluey so we are going to get a couple of sets from aldi this week. She really enjoys playing with charachters but again we have a lot from her older sister.

We recently got a galaxy projecter for my son on amazon. 11 with ASD. He absolutely loves it. Fidgets, magnets and squishmallows also fav here

Weighted blanket, trampette, indoor swing, stretchy body sock, fidget toys, lacing sets, latch board or doorbell house from Melissa and doug

amzn.eu/d/c9AWNmv
amzn.eu/d/hgLKNvm

Anything sensory my kids loved!

My dd is a bit older but she loves squishmallows, her weighted blanket, fidgets. Art wise, paint sticks are good because they don’t need any set up or fine motor skills to use. Play doh also good for sensory play.

Lego. Seems to be a massive hit with the couple of autistic kids I know.

Sensory stuff has always gone down well with my DS. We have a peanut therapy ball which he loves, also tactile stepping stones and kinetic sand.

We have 4 all on the spectrum. Their interest very but over the years these have been a great hit:

Connetix (especially the ball run)
Pickler triangle
Stepping stones
Balance board
Weighted blankets or pillows
One of those 6pc indoors gym door frame kits
Legos
Foam soap
Anything sand based

Magnatiles or Playmags (essentially the same thing) are big enough that they're no way a choking hazard.

Duplo is great and suitable for all age groups. It also allows for all different types of play so probably something they could both play with.

I just had a thought OP for role play maybe animals rather than humans so something like a toy farm or zoo or vet toy.
Some nice and inexpensive ones here.

https://www.farmtoysonline.co.uk/collections/horses-stables?page=2

Yes yes yes to magnatiles and playmags for that age.

My ASD daughter loved them from about 4 and a 2yo is capable of enjoying them too. For years this was the toy we brought on holiday etc.

And you can make houses etc with them so 2yo can use them like that too.

My daughter likes sensory stuff like play DOH and kinetic sand, you can get some really cool sets. We got her a marble run one year which was a big hit.

Thanks some brilliant ideas here. Will definitely be getting Magnatiles. 2yo plays with them at childminders so think they’d be a good joint gift. Also will be getting them each a playdoh set.

DD has low muscle tone and hypermobility so unfortunately a lot of the more physical ideas won’t really work as she is quite behind in gross motor skills and finds it upsetting so doesn’t like things like climbing as she finds it very hard. However her fine motor is improving and her own control has got so much better since starting school so I may get her some funky pens and paper. Any other ideas for fine motor activities would be great.

not sure about lego. She finds visual planning and construction generally quite hard and it frustrates her. Duplo has never been very successful and she never knows what to build as the open ended nature of it is too overwhelming for her so she just builds a straight tower over and over. However she may be able to manage a small lego kit as she could follow the instructions. Maybe if I got her one with characters she likes eg Frozen?

Mine desperately wants:

John Adam's lollipop making kit
Rainbow High dolls (not for role play as such, mainly for dressing them up in different clothes)
A bike
Edible Science kit

*that should say pen control and not own control!