7 Learning Tools for Kids With Autism (That Adults Can Benefit From Too!)

Did you know that April is Autism Acceptance Month? 

Autism Acceptance Month offers an opportunity to highlight autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the ways it impacts individuals with ASD, as well as their families and support systems. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the unique perspectives those with autism bring to the world. After all, some of the world’s greatest artists, thinkers, and inventors are on the autism spectrum! 

With the right resources and support, people with autism can thrive. 

Let’s take a closer look at what autism is, how it impacts learning, and how learning tools can help kids and adults alike strengthen skills and enhance their day-to-day lives.

What Is Autism, and How Does It Affect Learning?

The terms autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompass a range of conditions that are often characterized by restrictive or repetitive behaviors or interests, as well as struggles with social skills, communication, and interaction. Autism affects about 1 in 36 children in the United States.

There are many subtypes of autism, and it can look different from person to person. For example, one person with autism can be nonverbal, while another may have exceptional conversation skills. Some may need a lot of assistance with their day-to-day lives; others can work and live more independently.

People on the autism spectrum learn, absorb, and process information differently. And learning abilities and preferred styles (visual, auditory, tactile) differ among those on the spectrum as well, just as they do in neurotypical children.

However, while neurotypical children generally do well when exposed to multiple learning styles, the same environment can be a struggle for children with autism. Kids with autism tend to rely on one learning style and struggle to adapt quickly to others, so a learning environment that utilizes a different learning style may be difficult for them to adapt to. 

Benefits of Learning Tools for Kids and Adults With Autism

That’s one of the reasons learning tools are so helpful: they help accommodate single-style learning so kids with autism can progress in situations that would otherwise prove difficult or frustrating to them. Learning tools also help foster positive, encouraging learning environments both at school and at home.

Learning tools can help kids and adults with autism improve their communication skills, focus, and fine and gross motor skills. They can also help those on the spectrum increase self-regulation, enhance social and emotional skills, and ultimately become more independent.

7 Learning Tools for Kids With Autism (That Adults Can Benefit From Too!)

There are dozens of learning tools for kids with autism (and adults as well) that can help them learn more effectively and strengthen their academic, social/emotional, motor, and communication skills. Here are a few activities you can try with your child:

1. Emotional Learning Cards. People on the autism spectrum often struggle to recognize emotions. Emotion cards help them learn to identify what the different emotions look like, both in themselves and in others. Here’s how they work: Each card shows a person displaying a different emotion. The child looks at each card and tries to identify which emotion it’s showing. Over time, they are more able to recognize the emotions in themselves and those around them.

2. Puzzles and Sorting Activities. Puzzles and sorting games help kids on the spectrum improve their fine and gross motor skills. Sorting activities can also teach them to divide things into different categories, strengthen observational skills, and even learn basic math concepts.

3. Fidget Toys. People on the autism spectrum often have a lot of energy, so sitting still can be a struggle. Fidget toys are a sensory tool that can help children with autism stay calm and focus more intently on learning and study tasks.

4. Drawing, Painting, or Writing. Creative exercises like drawing, painting, coloring, or writing can help children with autism express feelings they might otherwise struggle to share, as well as cope with the more difficult parts of life. Drawing and coloring can also be excellent mindfulness activities, encouraging a calm focus on the present. 

5. Grounding Techniques help kids and adults with autism stay focused on the present in stressful situations. Grounding activities include:

• Slowly counting or reciting the alphabet
• Listening to calming music while trying to identify the different instruments
• Listing 3-5 things they can see around them
• Holding something tactile like a stuffed animal or stress ball
• Meditation exercises or yoga

6. Mindful Breathing Exercises are another way to help kids with autism stay focused on the present when they are dealing with difficult situations or emotions. Here is a mindful breathing exercise video to try.

7. Brain Training with LearningRx. Last, but definitely not least, cognitive skills training through LearningRx’s brain training programs can help kids, teens, and adults with autism as well. While brain training isn’t a treatment for autism, it helps strengthen the cognitive skills used to learn, read, write, socialize, focus, memorize, and more.

Kids and adults who work with LearningRx benefit from customized one-on-one training programs, where a dedicated brain trainer leads them through a series of cognitive games, drills, and exercises tailored to strengthen weak cognitive skills. 

And it works: Between the years of 2010-2021, kids and teens diagnosed with ASD improved learning and thinking skills by 3.2 years on average after brain training with LearningRx. Adult clients with autism also made similar across-the-board strides in cognitive skill during that time period. 

Want to find out if brain training could be the right fit for you or your child? Take our free brain quiz, then contact us to discuss your goals and get started on your own personalized brain training plan.