Top 5 Gifts For Under The Tree

Recordable Photo Albums

(Talking photo albums)
$67 and up**

Check reviews – some note the microphone is too quiet. Make sure the album is re-recordable.

Available in various places, including Walmart, photoshops, Amazon, and
Find them via Attainment Company,
via Say it with Symbols or,via Maxiaides.

•Your non-verbal child can interact with friends or adults at school sharing the photos from home.

•Make gifts for grandparents with the album making sure your child vocalizes as well as having messages in the album. Children are excited to have their own voice in the album.

•A child with selective mutism might be able to talk about the photos. Use it for projects or stories that are shared with the class.

Instant Camera

$49 – $187
Check the value out on different cameras: Cost of film, quality and size of photo, ease of use, can photos be printed from your phone through the camera?

Film: $20 and up for 60 images or more.

OR

Mini Printer

$22 – $139**

Check the value out on different mini printers: What devices connect with the printer (i-phone etc.), cost of film, quality and size of photo, availability of cartridges or ink for refills.

My tips for communication support:

•Great for encouraging communication from school to home. Some children need the visual cue to answer, “What did you do at ____ today?” or similar questions. Your child can interact with friends or adults at school with photos from home.

•Field trips – Instant photos to add to your child’s journal or worksheet. Words or picture symbols can be used under the image for some children. Others can write their own words.

•Projects or science experiments – students can use the images to help them remember the steps to an experiment or the parts of a project.

BOOKS

Blue Bottle Mystery An Asperger Adventure HC $23, PB $20, ebook $19

Books make affordable under-the-tree gifts.
In my venture to find the top five gifts for under the tree, I came upon a series of books by Kathy Hoopmann. The main characters have ASD or Asperger’s. Find out more about the books on her site Kathy Hoopman.com

•Blue Bottle Mystery – The Graphic Novel: An Asperger Adventure
Hardcover $23; Paperback $20; e-book $19
Although written for 8- to 12-year-olds, teens with diverse reading skills will enjoy it too.

•Haze (for teens) paperback $22

Switch Activated Spinner

$130 – $145**

Uses 2 C cell batteries (not included). Easy button to press. (A switch for children/teens who need physical support can be attached.) Available on various sites including enablingdevices.com

•Useful for matching, rolling dice or making random selections, the spinner also teaches turn-taking and visual tracking. Benefits of increased participation and interaction include:

•Students with positive social interactions have better mental and emotional well-being and higher self-esteem.

•Increased social skills: Learning valuable social skills, like turn-taking, improves the ability to make and sustain meaningful relationships.

•Higher achievement desire: Those with disabilities who feel accepted and included are motivated to achieve more.

My tip: Add questions or examples of social skills or situations. When the arrow lands on a topic, the person can answer or the whole group can have a discussion. The children/teen who uses a switch to interact, can also have their prepared answers in their communication system.

Games

These are the two games I liked best out of all the ones I reviewed.

•SOCIAL SKILLS BINGO

The Social Skills Bingo Game for Teens features conversational prompts that will get your teens talking and learning about social attitudes and behaviors. As they play this game, teens will learn to identify: positive qualities, problem characteristics, nonverbal/verbal techniques, getting along better, and skills to help them positively interact with others.

•CHAT CHAINS

Teaches emotional awareness, improve social skills, make better conversation – Chat Chains teaches players to ask questions about each other to help make friends.

You May Also like These Gift Ideas

• 100 + “Mom Approved” Gifts for Kids with Special Needs
• 18 “Mom Approved” Gifts for Kids/Teens with Special Needs
• Holiday Gift Guide: Give Gifts That Fuel Creativity, Create Music and Challenge Your Child to Learn
• Special Resources: This Season Give the Gift of Knowledge
• Gift Guide from the Fitness Guy
• Gift Ideas for Those on Special Diets

This post originally appeared on our November/December 2022 Magazine