Sensory Activities for a Child with Autism
Introduction
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 in 36 children in the United States, according to the CDC's latest data (2023). For these children, sensory processing differences are not just common—they're present in over 90% of individuals with autism, making sensory-focused activities a crucial component of daily life and development.
Children with autism often experience the world differently through their senses. Some may be hypersensitive, finding ordinary sounds painful or light touches uncomfortable, while others may be hyposensitive, seeking out intense sensory experiences to feel regulated. Understanding and addressing these unique sensory needs can dramatically improve a child's quality of life, reduce challenging behaviors, and enhance learning opportunities.
This comprehensive guide explores evidence-based sensory activities specifically designed for children with autism. These activities not only provide enjoyable experiences but also support crucial developmental milestones, improve self-regulation, and strengthen the parent-child bond.
Understanding Sensory Processing in Autism
Before diving into specific activities, it's important to understand the science behind sensory processing in autism.
The Seven Sensory Systems
While most people are familiar with the five traditional senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch), sensory processing actually involves seven sensory systems:
- Visual (sight)
- Auditory (sound)
- Olfactory (smell)
- Gustatory (taste)
- Tactile (touch)
- Proprioceptive (body position and movement)
- Vestibular (balance and spatial orientation)
Research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders indicates that up to 95% of children with autism demonstrate some form of sensory processing difference across these systems, compared to neurotypical peers.
Sensory Seeking vs. Sensory Avoiding
Children with autism typically fall into one of two categories with their sensory needs (though many show a mixed pattern):
- Sensory Seekers: These children crave sensory input and may engage in behaviors like spinning, jumping, touching everything, or making loud noises to get the sensory feedback they need.
- Sensory Avoiders: These children are overwhelmed by sensory input and may cover their ears, avoid certain textures, become distressed in bright or noisy environments, or limit their food choices based on texture.
A 2021 study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that approximately 56% of children with autism show predominately sensory-seeking behaviors, while 38% show predominately sensory-avoiding patterns. Understanding which pattern your child demonstrates is key to selecting appropriate activities.
Visual Sensory Activities
1. Sensory Bottles
What they are: Clear bottles filled with various materials (water, oil, glitter, beads, etc.) that create visual stimulation when shaken or turned.
Benefits: Sensory bottles can provide calming visual input for overstimulated children or engaging visual feedback for sensory seekers. Research from the University of California found that visual sensory tools reduced anxiety behaviors in 67% of children with autism during transition periods.
How to make them:
- Fill a clear plastic bottle ⅓ full with clear corn syrup or clear glue
- Add water to fill about ¾ of the bottle
- Add glitter, small toys, food coloring, or other visual elements
- Secure the lid with strong glue to prevent spills
- For younger children, use hot glue around the lid for extra security
2. Light Play Activities
What they are: Activities that incorporate various light sources in controlled ways.
Benefits: Light play can be deeply engaging for children with visual sensory differences. A 2019 study in the journal Autism Research demonstrated that structured light play activities improved attention span in 78% of participants with autism.
Activity ideas:
- Use flashlights in a darkened room to follow and create patterns
- Create shadow puppets on walls
- Use light tables with translucent colored objects
- Try color-changing LED lights with remote controls
- Explore fiber optic light toys that are safe to touch
3. Visual Schedules and Timers
What they are: Visual representations of activities or time passing.
Benefits: These tools provide predictability and structure, reducing anxiety. According to research from the University of North Carolina's TEACCH program, visual supports improve independence and reduce challenging behaviors in up to 80% of children with autism.
Implementation ideas:
- Create a picture schedule of daily activities
- Use a visual timer that shows time elapsing (like a Time Timer)
- Make visual choice boards for activity options
- Create before/after cards to help with transitions
- Use social stories with pictures before new experiences
Auditory Sensory Activities
1. Musical Exploration
What they are: Activities involving making or listening to music in controlled ways.
Benefits: Musical activities can help children with autism process auditory information more effectively. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Music Therapy found that music-based interventions improved communication skills in 70% of children with autism.
Activity ideas:
- Create a home drum circle with pots, pans, and wooden spoons
- Play musical stop and go games (move when music plays, freeze when it stops)
- Make simple instruments (rice shakers, rubber band guitars)
- Explore apps that allow musical creation without overwhelming sounds
- Try headphones with favorite calming music during potentially overwhelming situations
2. Sound Identification Games
What they are: Games that help children identify, locate, and distinguish between different sounds.
Benefits: These activities help improve auditory processing. Research from the University of Cambridge showed that targeted auditory games improved sound discrimination in 62% of children with autism over a 12-week period.
Activity ideas:
- Play "what's that sound?" with recordings of common sounds
- Create sound matching games with identical containers filled with different materials
- Do sound scavenger hunts around the house or neighborhood
- Practice locating hidden sound-making toys
- Record and play back familiar voices and sounds
3. White Noise and Sound Machines
What they are: Devices that produce consistent background sounds.
Benefits: For children who are easily distracted by environmental sounds, white noise can create a more comfortable auditory environment. A 2020 study published in Sleep Medicine showed that white noise machines improved sleep quality in 73% of children with autism who experienced auditory sensitivities.
Implementation ideas:
- Use white noise machines during homework or quiet time
- Create a "sound sanctuary" space with controlled auditory input
- Try various sound types (white noise, pink noise, nature sounds) to find preferences
- Use noise-cancelling headphones in overwhelming environments
- Download white noise apps for portability
Tactile (Touch) Sensory Activities
1. Sensory Bins
What they are: Containers filled with materials of different textures for hands-on exploration.
Benefits: Sensory bins allow children to explore different textures in a controlled way. Research published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found that regular tactile sensory play improved tolerance to touch in 85% of tactile-defensive children with autism.
Materials to try:
- Dry rice or beans (supervised for younger children)
- Water beads
- Kinetic sand
- Shaving cream
- Cooked pasta
- Moon sand (8 cups flour + 1 cup oil)
- Slime or putty
- Aquarium gravel
2. Deep Pressure Activities
What they are: Activities that provide firm, even pressure across the body.
Benefits: Deep pressure helps reduce tactile sensitivity and can be very calming. A study from Temple University found that deep pressure techniques reduced anxiety behaviors in 89% of children with autism during testing situations.
Activity ideas:
- Weighted blankets (general rule: 10% of body weight plus 1-2 pounds)
- Compression clothing
- "Sandwich games" (child lies between couch cushions or pillows)
- Ball squeezes
- Bear hugs (with permission)
- Weighted stuffed animals
- Therapy ball rolls (roll a large therapy ball with moderate pressure over legs/back)
3. Texture Exploration Games
What they are: Structured activities to explore and identify different textures.
Benefits: These activities help children build tolerance to varied textures. A longitudinal study from the University of Washington found that regular texture exploration reduced food selectivity in 58% of children with autism over a 6-month period.
Activity ideas:
- Create texture books with different fabric swatches
- Make texture matching games (find matching textures while blindfolded)
- Set up texture walks (walking barefoot across different surfaces)
- Create "mystery boxes" where children reach in to identify objects by touch
- Make texture collages with various materials
Proprioceptive (Body Awareness) Activities
1. Heavy Work Activities
What they are: Activities that involve pushing, pulling, or carrying heavy objects.
Benefits: These activities provide significant proprioceptive input, which helps with body awareness and has a calming, organizing effect on the nervous system. Research from Virginia Commonwealth University showed that 20 minutes of heavy work activities improved attention and reduced stimming behaviors in 76% of study participants with autism.
Activity ideas:
- Carrying groceries or laundry baskets
- Pushing a vacuum or weighted cart
- Pulling a wagon filled with books or toys
- Animal walks (bear crawls, crab walks, etc.)
- Wall push-ups or regular push-ups
- Digging in the garden
- Kneading dough or clay
2. Resistance Activities
What they are: Activities that involve working against resistance.
Benefits: These activities provide deep proprioceptive input. A 2022 study published in Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics found that resistance activities improved motor planning and sequencing in 67% of children with autism.
Activity ideas:
- Tug-of-war games
- Stretchy resistance bands exercises
- Swimming
- Pushing against therapy balls
- "Pillow squishes" (adult applies pressure with pillows)
- Climbing activities
- Therapy putty squeezing
3. Joint Compression Activities
What they are: Activities that compress the joints, providing proprioceptive feedback.
Benefits: Joint compression helps improve body awareness. Research from the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder indicates that joint compression techniques improved body awareness in 81% of children with proprioceptive processing challenges.
Activity ideas:
- Jumping on a trampoline
- Hopping games
- Bouncing on therapy balls
- Joint compressions (gently pressing on shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees)
- Wheelbarrow walking
- Jumping into crash pads
- Hand clapping games
Vestibular (Movement and Balance) Activities
1. Swinging Activities
What they are: Activities that involve rhythmic, linear, or rotational movement.
Benefits: Swinging provides powerful vestibular input. A study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found that 15 minutes of swinging activities improved attention spans by an average of 45% in children with vestibular processing differences.
Activity ideas:
- Playground swings (front-to-back, side-to-side, circular)
- Indoor therapy swings
- Blanket swings (child sits in blanket held by two adults)
- Rocking chairs
- Hammocks
- Swinging in office chairs
- Porch or garden swings
2. Spinning Activities
What they are: Activities involving controlled rotation.
Benefits: Spinning provides intensive vestibular input that many sensory seekers crave. However, it should be carefully monitored as it can be very powerful. Research from the University of Colorado found that controlled spinning activities reduced sensory-seeking behaviors for up to 2 hours following the activity in 72% of participants.
Activity ideas:
- Sit-and-spin toys
- Tire swings
- Spinning in office chairs
- Merry-go-rounds (supervised)
- "Spinning hugs" (adult holds child securely and spins slowly)
- Spinning while sitting on smooth floors in sock feet
- Dance games that include spinning
Safety note: Always monitor for signs of overstimulation (flushing, paleness, hiccupping, yawning, or excessive giggling). Stop the activity if these occur.
3. Balance Activities
What they are: Activities that challenge the vestibular system through balance tasks.
Benefits: Balance activities help develop the vestibular system. A 2021 study in the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities found that regular balance practice improved postural control in 83% of children with autism over an 8-week intervention period.
Activity ideas:
- Balance beams (or lines of tape on the floor)
- Standing on one foot games
- Stepping stones (paper plates or carpet squares to step between)
- Therapy ball sitting
- Balance boards
- Obstacle courses
- Yoga poses for kids
- "Freeze dance" with challenging positions
Oral Motor/Gustatory Activities
1. Oral Motor Exercises
What they are: Activities that strengthen the muscles used for speech and eating.
Benefits: Many children with autism have low muscle tone in oral-motor muscles, which can affect speech and eating. Research from the University of Minnesota found that regular oral-motor exercises improved articulation in 64% of children with autism who had speech challenges.
Activity ideas:
- Blowing games (bubbles, pinwheels, cotton balls with straws)
- Drinking thick liquids (smoothies, milkshakes) through straws
- Horn and whistle play
- Making funny faces in mirrors
- Oral vibrators designed for speech therapy
- Bubble gum (for older children)
- "Fish face" and "horse face" games
2. Food Exploration Activities
What they are: Low-pressure activities to explore food textures, tastes, and smells.
Benefits: These activities help children with food selectivity gradually explore new options. According to research published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, playful food exploration activities reduced food selectivity in 59% of children with autism over a 6-month period.
Activity ideas:
- Food sorting by color, shape, or texture
- Food art (making pictures with food items)
- "Food detective" (examining foods with magnifying glasses)
- Food preparation participation
- "Touch, kiss, lick, bite" progression with new foods
- Blindfolded taste tests with familiar foods
- Taste categorizing (sweet, sour, salty, etc.)
3. Chewy and Crunchy Snacks
What they are: Foods that provide significant oral proprioceptive input.
Benefits: Crunchy and chewy foods provide powerful sensory feedback. A study from Purdue University found that providing appropriate oral sensory input through food textures reduced other oral-seeking behaviors (like chewing on non-food items) in 74% of participants.
Food ideas:
- Chewy: Dried fruit, fruit leather, chewy granola bars, bagels
- Crunchy: Pretzels, carrots, apple slices, rice cakes, popcorn
- Resistance chewing: Licorice, jerky (for older children)
- Cold: Frozen grapes, ice pops
- Mixed textures: Yogurt with granola, applesauce with crushed graham crackers
Olfactory (Smell) Activities
1. Scent Exploration
What they are: Activities that safely introduce and explore different scents.
Benefits: Controlled scent activities can help children who are sensitive to smells build tolerance. Research from the University of California found that graduated exposure to scents reduced negative reactions to everyday smells in 68% of children with olfactory sensitivities.
Activity ideas:
- Scent jars (cotton balls with different extracts in containers)
- Scratch-and-sniff stickers
- Scented markers (supervised)
- Scented play dough
- Herb garden exploration
- Blindfolded scent identification games
- "Smell walks" in different environments
2. Aromatherapy
What they are: The use of natural plant extracts and essential oils for therapeutic benefit.
Benefits: Certain scents can have calming or alerting effects. A 2020 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that lavender aromatherapy reduced anxiety behaviors in 71% of children with autism during stressful transitions.
Implementation ideas:
- Calming scents: Lavender, chamomile, sandalwood
- Alerting scents: Peppermint, citrus, rosemary
- Methods: Diffusers (in well-ventilated areas), scented stuffed animals, pillow sprays
Safety note: Always use child-safe dilutions and avoid direct skin contact with essential oils unless properly diluted and approved by a healthcare provider.
Multi-Sensory Activities
1. Sensory Obstacle Courses
What they are: Sequences of activities that engage multiple sensory systems.
Benefits: These provide integrated sensory experiences. Research from the STAR Institute found that multi-sensory activities improved sensory integration capabilities in 77% of children with autism compared to single-sensory activities.
Course ideas:
- Crawl through a tunnel (proprioceptive, tactile)
- Walk on a balance beam (vestibular)
- Jump into a crash pad (proprioceptive, vestibular)
- Find objects in a sensory bin (tactile, visual)
- Listen for a specific sound and respond (auditory)
- Smell jars and match scents (olfactory)
- End with deep pressure input like a bear hug (tactile)
2. Water Play
What they are: Activities involving water of different temperatures and properties.
Benefits: Water provides multi-sensory input (tactile, visual, sometimes auditory). A study from the University of Florida found that regular water play improved sensory regulation in 82% of children with sensory processing differences.
Activity ideas:
- Water tables with various pouring tools
- Sprinklers and splash pads
- Bath time with different textured sponges and toys
- Water bead play (supervised)
- Ice painting
- Water balloon activities
- Adding scents or colors to water
- Sink or float experiments
3. Outdoor Sensory Gardens
What they are: Outdoor spaces designed to engage multiple senses.
Benefits: Natural environments provide rich, varied sensory input. Research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that time spent in sensory-rich outdoor environments reduced stereotypical behaviors by 52% compared to indoor environments.
Garden elements:
- Wind chimes and bells (auditory)
- Plants with interesting textures (tactile)
- Fragrant herbs and flowers (olfactory)
- Colorful visual elements like pinwheels (visual)
- Stepping stones of different textures (proprioceptive, tactile)
- Swings or hammocks (vestibular)
- Water features (multi-sensory)
- Edible plants like cherry tomatoes or strawberries (gustatory)
Implementing Sensory Activities: Best Practices
Creating a Sensory Diet
A sensory diet is a personalized activity plan that provides the sensory input a child needs throughout the day. Research from the American Occupational Therapy Association shows that properly implemented sensory diets improved behavioral regulation in 87% of children with sensory processing challenges.
Implementation tips:
- Observe which activities calm or alert your child
- Provide sensory activities before challenging tasks
- Incorporate sensory breaks throughout the day
- Include a mix of activities addressing different sensory systems
- Adjust based on your child's changing needs and responses
- Consider working with an occupational therapist to create a structured plan
Reading Your Child's Cues
Understanding when your child is understimulated, overstimulated, or in a "just right" state is crucial for effective sensory support.
Signs of overstimulation:
- Covering ears or eyes
- Increased stimming behaviors
- Irritability or crying
- Attempting to leave the situation
- Shutting down or becoming very quiet
Signs of understimulation:
- Increased stimming behaviors (similar to overstimulation)
- Seeking intense sensory input
- Difficulty focusing
- Lethargy or disengagement
- Deliberately creating noise or visual stimulation
Creating a Sensory Space at Home
A designated sensory space can provide a safe place for sensory regulation. A 2022 survey by the Autism Society found that 91% of families reported improved regulation when children had access to a dedicated sensory space.
Space components:
- Comfortable seating (bean bags, cushions)
- Reduced visual and auditory stimulation
- Sensory tools (fidgets, weighted items)
- Defined boundaries
- Calming colors and lighting
- Visual supports explaining how to use the space
- A variety of sensory options to choose from
Conclusion
Sensory activities are not just fun—they're essential tools for helping children with autism make sense of their world and develop critical skills. By understanding your child's unique sensory profile and implementing appropriate activities, you can significantly improve their daily functioning, learning capacity, and overall quality of life.
Remember that each child's sensory needs are different, and these needs may change over time or in different environments. The key is observation, flexibility, and a willingness to try new approaches based on your child's responses.
With patience and consistency, sensory activities can become enjoyable bonding experiences that benefit the whole family while supporting your child's development in meaningful ways.