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If you are a parent, friend, or relative of an autistic child you might wonder what are the best places to find good toys for that child. Do you have to go to a specialty shop that caters to autistic kids, and how much would such toys cost? Well, the good news is that you can find autism-appropriate toys at almost all popular stores that sell toys. The bad news is that you will probably have to do research and some thinking before you buy something since none of these stores are likely to cater to people looking for autism toys. For anyone with an internet connection, the easiest way to see what’s out there and might be a good fit for the autistic child in your life is to go to Amazon.com. In terms of selection, it’s unlikely that any local toy store or chain toy store will have a greater selection than Amazon. Additionally, Amazon is a great place to read reviews about various toys for people who have bought them, as well as to browse through user generated lists of “best products” through their Listmania feature. Look for lists dealing with autism toys and you should find a few. Some caveats to keep in mind when shopping for toys on Amazon are price and doing your research. A lot of toys sold on Amazon are through third-party vendors. These vendors may have higher prices for toys than you would find at a local Wal-Mart or Toys R Us, especially if you add in shipping costs. Additionally, as with all things on the internet, don’t think the “best of” lists and customer reviews at face value. Use your judgment and do your research before deciding that a toy is right for your autistic child. This may involve reading reviews on other sites or professional reviews if they exist. Large chains such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us also sell toys that may be appropriate for your child, but you will have to do your own research beforehand because these stores cater to a general toy audience. What’s good for a non-autistic child (dodgeballs, for example) may not be a good toy for an autistic child who has trouble understanding certain things or communicating verbally. Also, salespeople at such large stores are unlikely to have much time to help you find things or be very knowledgeable. Surprisingly, Toys R Us ran a fund-raising program in collaboration with the nonprofit group Autism Speaks several years ago and also profiles a list of top 10 autism toys on its website, but I wasn’t able to get the link to this list to work so it may be outdated at this point. There are also a variety of specialty online niche shops catering to children with autism and other disabilities. Autism Speaks lists a couple of these companies. While such companies may be reputable and have great products, I would be more cautious purchasing products from such companies especially since it is hard to find reviews and testimonials about their products. Also, if a company’s website looks unprofessional this might be a red flag in terms of service and how secure they are in processing your payment. I hope this article helps you. If you’d like to learn more about how to pick the best toys for autistic children, please check out the blog www.gamesandtoysforautisticchildren.com.
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