Sparklers and Glow Necklaces

Note: the featured image for this post was created…sparklers in the pool, and sparklers the size of your head are not recommended. Wink, wink.

We had friends in town and had a BBQ. All the kids were going to be playing together.  This group of kids was always great with Mikey. They were kind to him and would give him rides around the pool.

When we’d have a get-together like this, I would always try to think of things that Mikey would enjoy that would also appeal to the older kids.  This time, I thought of glow necklaces and our friends brought sparklers. Both ended up being a big hit!

Stimming

For some people with autism, self-stimulating behaviors (most of the autism community just calls it stimming) provide a soothing feeling. For Michael, moving his hands or objects in and out of his peripheral vision is very satisfying.  So, you can imagine that glow bracelets were a hit for him. He also loves anything sparkly and things that spin so sparklers were lots of fun as well.

We don’t prevent Michael from stimming. He really needs to do it.  The only exception is if we are in a situation where he needs to be attending to something else, like crossing the street, or if we are in a crowded place where his arms might hit someone walking by.  We understand that he needs to do it, but we do ask him to exert some control over when and where he does it…compromise for the good of all.

The thing about these particular ‘stimmy toys’ (this may be a phrase particular to our family…not sure) is that they are age appropriate for all of us and the kids had the best time playing with them. That meant that Michael could have his needs met AND be a part of the group. Cool!