Each year Autism Live curates a list of top toys and gifts in a wide range of categories and developmental levels to help you find the perfect gift to delight the children, teens and adults in your life who are on the Autism Spectrum. This year we have chosen toys in various price ranges to help you make the perfect holiday selection. We hope there is something to delight everyone on your list!
Best Educational Toy Winner
Kanoodle® Genius
Educational Insights®
Description
Kanoodle® Genius is a puzzle game that sharpens spatial reasoning and critical thinking skills. Makes the perfect brain teaser for kids, great travel game.
Autism Live Says:
This is a great workout for the brain to work on flexibility and problem solving. We love the portability of this game and the way you can play different skill levels.
Best Sensory Toy Winner
Globby
Schylling
Description
Take your stress out on globby. Squeeze and pull globby and he returns to his original shape. Get a grip! Give him a squeeze or pull his arms and legs! Globby helps you relieve your stress. He is your personal grip trainer!
Autism Live Says:
Globby is a super-satisfying sensory toy. Pull him, squeeze him, he can take it all. He reminds us of the Stretch Armstrong toy from the past! We love the fine motor workout he provides while giving good sensory input.
Best Card/Board Game Winner
Articulate!
TOMY
Description
Family fun game play! Describe a word without actually saying the word! No rhyming words are allowed. Race against the 30 second timer to make it a true challenge.
Autism Live Says:
We love the way this game increases vocabulary and flexible thinking about language. It’s so hard to not blurt out the word! Playing this game helps with inhibition and perspective taking too!
Best Puzzle Winner
Harry Potter™ Hogwart’s™ Clocktower
Wrebbit 3D™
Description
A fun and accessible 3D puzzle for all Harry Potter fans. Easy to handle, thick, snug tight-fitting pieces require no glue. The finished Clocktower is 13 x 6.5 x 12 inches.
Autism Live Says:
We cannot get enough of these Wrebbit 3D™ puzzles! Especially the Harry Potter™ buildings. At first its like doing a regular 2D puzzle, but with beautiful high quality and realistic graphics of your favorite Harry Potter™ architecture. Then the real fun comes when you put the walls together to create a 3D replica of the building! Super fun for everyone!
Best Motor Play Award
Balance Ball Chair
Gaiam
Description
Created by leading health & fitness experts to improve overall well-being and provide an active outlet for having to sit for long periods of time; this chair can actually boost energy levels, increase focus and develop core strength.
Autism Live Says:
We love the stabilizing base of this chair paired with the benefits of the flexible balance ball. This allows the user to safely get the benefits of the sensory input from the ball!
Best Book Winner
We’re Not Broken
By Eric Garcia
Description
“This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language.” ~ Eric Garcia
Autism Live Says:
This is a great book to buy, read and then share with the adults on the spectrum you care about. A very important read.
Best Oldie but Goody Winner
Clue® Retro Edition 1986
Hasbro®
Description
The classic game of Clue® with vintage 1986 packaging. Was it Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory with the lead pipe? Or was it Miss Scarlett in the Kitchen with Rope? There are endless possibilities for sleuthing and deducting classic game play.
Autism Live Says:
We love this vintage version of Clue®, but we also love the skills the game play develops! Every game is filled with opportunities to work on problem solving, perspective taking, critical thinking and so much more, all while having fun!
Therapist Recommendation Winner
Noise Canceling Headphones
Cowin
Description
Professional active noise cancelling technology with proprietary 40mm large-aperture drivers. High-quality built-in microphone and NFC technology included. The professional protein earpad and 90° swiveling earcups feature a built-in 600mAh battery so you can enjoy your world without noise for 30 hours at a time.
Autism Live Says:
Noise cancelling headphones are a great tool to allow individuals an opportunity to control exposure to ambient noise. We love the battery length on these headphones.
Parent Recommendation Winner
Watchminder 3
Watchminder
Description
Watchminder 3 is a sports watch for all wrist sizes with a built in repeating countdown timer with personalized reminder messages! It comes with 65 pre-programmed messages to choose from with 30 daily recurring alarms which are easily programed on screen.
Autism Live Says:
Sometimes a discrete reminder is all that is needed to stay on task and be successful. Parents love being able to program the watch with timely reminders so adults can enjoy the autonomy of taking care of tasks by themselves, without extra support. We love that you can customize the alarms to suit each individual’s needs.
Top Toy Winner
Echo Dot with Clock®
Amazon®
Description
Meet Echo Dot with clock, featuring smart speaker with Alexa. The sleek, compact design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound. Perfect for your nightstand! See the time, alarms, and timers on the LED display. Tap the top to snooze an alarm. Ask Alexa to tell a joke, play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, and more. Use your voice to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and lock doors with compatible devices. Call friends and family who have the Alexa app or an Echo device. Instantly drop in on other rooms or announce to the whole house that dinner’s ready.
Autism Live Says:
We love how much this technology can support adults on the spectrum. It can be an alarm clock, but it can also provide help and support in a time of need. Voice activated commands, either spoken or from an AAC device, create access to all kinds of immediate support.
Boredom Buster Award
12 Note Thumb Piano
Schoenhut®
Description
The Marimbas, also called the thumb piano, is a percussion instrument that is a great way to explore music creatively. The small instrument takes up little space but has plenty of sound as kids, and adults, can use their thumbs to strike the tines and to get just the right sound. A simple instrument to play, there are 12 notes that can be combined to make an enormous number of sounds and songs.
Autism Live Says:
We love Shoenhut® and their tradition of well-made musical instruments. This little thumb piano is a great tool for music lovers and will definitely remove all traces of boredom!
Best Art/Craft Winner
Craft Crush Paper Bowls Kit
Ann Williams
Description
Keep all your favorite things organized in these three, pretty bowls. They’re not only really easy and fun to make, they’re the perfect size for adding just the right pop of color to a desk, dresser, a small side table or a counter. Use the colorful paper provided in the kit, simply glue the patterned circles together using the included bowl molds, let them dry, and then set them out.
Autism Live Says:
This is a lovely craft kit that is fun to do and easy to complete. We love the function of the finished project! This is a great way to spend a stress reducing afternoon!
Best STEM Toy Winner
Architect’s Drawing Kit
Fat Brain Toys®
Description
Take the first step toward becoming a real-life architect! Throughout this inspiring sketch book you’ll find a variety of grid templates, each accompanied by translucent tracing paper, designed to help you easily draw both the interior and exterior of houses in realistic 3D.
Autism Live Says:
This is a great gift for anyone who likes to draw and is interested in architecture, interior design, or other technical drawing projects. We love the connection this kit fosters between the pencil and the brain!
Best Speech Builder Winner
Chronicles of the Mind
Griddly Games
Description
This handy deck is perfect for parties, road trips, school, camp, or just hanging out with your friends. With 4 different ways to play, break the ice and get talking with this outrageous collection of conversation starters. Find out how well you really know your family and friends.
Autism Live Says:
This game is a great way to spark conversation in a fun and inventive way. We love getting to know our loved ones better and the self-esteem building that comes from sharing thoughts and opinions in a safe environment.
Best Social Skills Builder Winner
Visa® Gift Card
Visa®
Description
Accepted in stores, restaurants and attractions around the world, a Visa® gift card is versatile gift for every person on your list.
Autism Live Says:
Give the gift of access to adults on the spectrum – access to restaurants, movie theaters and other places where friends can gather for social experiences. A Visa® gift card allows then to choose their own social experience.
Employment Empowerment Award
No WARies
S.T.O.R.M.
Description
This fast-paced game is based on the classic card game “War”, but with the added twist of dealing with and talking about emotions. This game is beneficial in helping you acquire and apply social emotional skills. More than learning new words, you also learn to understand a variety of emotions. The winning move is to use words of emotions in sentences after getting the card with the highest value.
Autism Live Says:
Learning about our emotions and other people’s emotions is an important part of being a successful employee. We love the fun way this game deals with talking about emotions.
We at AUTISM Live
wish you the
Happiest of Holidays!
After all of your shopping is done, if you find that you have more to give, please join us in making a donation of any size to Autism Care Today (ACT). This wonderful organization gives grants to families for things like iPads, insurance co-pays, sensory equipment, GPS devices and more. Your donation could make another family’s holiday wishes come true.