Keeping toys on the shelf helps make interaction easier...
-We no longer have to compete with objects for attention.
-Your child isn't distracted by all the toys on the ground.
-It creates an opportunity to motivate your child to speak.
-It helps us be user-friendly by showing our kids how responsive and helpful we are when they speak to us, thus inspiring them to WANT to speak more.

Notice there are doubles of most toys on the shelf...
-We have an opportunity to explore the same objects our kids explore when they disconnect from us. 
-This helps us understand their world at a deeper level. 
-It also helps us model an activity without having to take toys away from them to do so.

-This pillow activates by pressing on the pillow.  Children wake up their sensory system by using this pillow.

-Grounds our kids by showing them where their body is in space.  This often has a calming effect.

-Helps stimulate oral motor skills by giving our kids something safe to chew on.

-Kids on the autism spectrum often respond to rhythm. 

-Using a repetitive rhythm helps us create a more predictable experience for our child.

-When we are more predictable, they are more connected.

-Giving them an opportunity to explore rhythm and music is fun!

Links:
Bells, Jingle Stick, Drums,  Recorders, Triangles, Tambourines, Maracas, Cymbals

-Bowling is a great activity to model and to invite your child to participate with you!

-Megablocks!  Great for increasing motor skills and physical participation.

-You don't need a large amount of blocks in the playroom.  In fact, 20 pieces is a good amount...not too many where it takes forever to clean up and just enough to be able to make something extra fun!

-Try building a room for the fireman to do his fire drills in or the dog to get dressed in.  Reference the imagination games and add some building blocks as a way to expand those interactions!

-Crawling helps the brain to sort sensory impressions and develop motor skills.

-The see through mesh material helps keep this activity interactive.

Social interaction is the biggest challenge for people with autism.  They are extremely intelligent people who can't always express all that is in their heads.  Our main focus is social interaction, but some kids are motivated by letters, numbers, and learning facts!  We use these academic tools (motivation) to help them socialize!
We also help parents find ways to make learning fun for those kids who are in school and need help learning.

-Laying the lower case letters around the room and taping the upper case letters up high on the walls, creates opportunities for kids to look for the letter they want, point to it, use social referencing, or language to communicate their wants. 

-Spark your child's imagination and create a powerful way for them to participate within the interaction. 

-Perhaps the invisible car that you are giving your child a piggy back ride in breaks down.  Ask your child to tap the hammer on the car to get it working again.

-There are many ways to help your child grow their imagination!

Links:
Plush Tool Box Set, Plastic Toolbox Set, Organically Green Tool Box Set

-Open the door to imagination play by spreading the farm animals around the room.

-Ask your child to help you rescue all the farm animals by giving them rides around the room to pick up each one to bring it back home to the farm. 

-Your child gets to have a fun ride while you are encouraging them to participate in imaginative play!

Links:
Plush Farm, Vinyl Farm

-Incorporate these characters into typical games you play.

-If your child likes to watch you blow bubbles, bring the fireman into the game by acting out a scene where he comes to the rescue to put out a fire.  Tell the fireman he can use your bubbles to get the fire out.  Ask your child to hold the fireman up to the bubble wand so that you can help him blow bubbles on the fire.

-Look for multiple ways your child can participate in the interaction.  This is a great way to teach our children how to play.

-Go on a picnic!
If your child likes to draw, perhaps you ask them to help you draw the menu items for your upcoming *pretend* picnic.  Make drawing the pictures extra exciting for your child to watch you do by expressing your excitement about picnics.  Each time you draw a food, put it in your basket.  Then draw your blanket before you lay it out on the ground.  Draw each step to incorporate your child's interests with yous!

-Food gives you energy!  Ask your child to help feed you the pretend meals as a way to give you energy to keep giving them what they want.  Make it fun and playful.  Fall over if you run out of fuel and show them that when you eat, you are able to jump up and keep their favorite game going!

-Props add ways for your child to participate in an interaction.

-If your child likes to do puzzles, you could add a dog in the interaction by modeling the dog's excitement for doing puzzles.

-Have the dog jump up and down while finding the next puzzle piece.  The dog has trouble finding the right piece. 

-Make the dog explain that he needs to wear his special puzzle-finding outfit that will help him be successful.  Put the first piece of clothing on to show how well it works to find the next puzzle piece quickly. 

-Next ask your child to hand you the next piece of clothing for the dog.  When you put it on, the dog is super successful again.  He's so excited his clothes fall off and your child gets to help put the clothes back on to keep doing the puzzle in the fastest way possible.

-Your dog works up so much energy he needs to be fed in order to keep doing the puzzles so quickly.  He moves very slow when he doesn't eat enough. 

All of these objects are simply that: objects. 

It's up to us to make these activities exciting. 

These toys are simply props to help our kids connect with US!!!