APRIL IS NATIONAL AUTISM
AWARENESS MONTH.
CBC SAYS ONE IN EVERY 68
CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES
HAVE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
THAT FIGURE HAS STAYED THE SAME
SINCE THE LAST REPORT TWO YEARS
AGO BUT THE CDC SAYS IT IS TOO
SOON TO SAY IF THE PREVALENCE
OF AUTISM IS LEVELING OFF OR
NOT.
THIS MONTH PROVIDES THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT
AUTISM AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE.
WE HAVE SEEN SO MUCH MOVEMENT
IN THAT DIRECTION IN THE LAST
FIVE YEARS FOR SURE.
CREATIVE KIDS STUFFED TOY
STORES TEAMED UP WITH SAINT
DAVID'S CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
AND HAVE COME UP WITH A LIST OF
TOP TOYS FOR CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.
JOINING US NOW IS HAPPY OLSON
FROM KIDS STUFF CREATIVE CENTER
AND SARAH FROM SAINT DAVID'S.
TELL US WHY KIDS WITH AUTISM
MAY NEED WITH IT ARE DIFFERENT
FROM THE USUAL TOYS THAT YOU
SEE?
A LOT OF TOYS THAT YOU WILL
SEE OUR MAINSTREAM TOYS THAT
HAVE AN EXTRA BENEFIT FOR KIDS WORKING ON CERTAIN SKILLS OR
DEVELOPMENT AREAS WITH AUTISM.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF
THESE TOYS THAT ARE GOOD FOR
ANY CHILD BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE
ON THE SPECTRUM THAT CAN WORK
ON EMOTIONAL IDENTIFICATION OR
THEIR SENSORY NEEDS OR MOTOR
NEEDS, COMMUNICATION.
A LOT OF THESE ARE GREAT FOR
SOCIAL INTERACTION AND
ENGAGEMENT.
I KNOW WE WILL TALK ABOUT
SPECIFICS IN A MOMENT.
BUT I WANT TO ASK, ARE THERE
CERTAIN TYPES OF TOYS THAT
WOULD BE CONSIDERED BETTER IN A
GENERAL SENSE?
WE LEAVE THAT UP TO SAINT
DAVID'S, BUT THE MAIN THING
THAT KIDS STUFF DOES IS WE
LISTEN TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR STAFF.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING
INTO SHOPS THAT WERE SHOPPING
FOR TOYS FOR KIDS ON THE
SPECTRUM.
YOU HEAR THAT QUESTION AND
YOU SAID, WE NEED TO RESPOND.
WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WITH INTEGRITY AND THE EXPERTS
ON WHATEVER WE TELL PEOPLE.
OUR STAFF DID NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE.
AND IT'S GOT TO BE FUN, TOO.
LET'S GET OVER HERE.
WHAT ARE THESE?
THESE ARE GREAT IF YOU WANT
TO PICK THEM UP AND FEEL THEM.
THEY ARE EMOTION STONES.
THEY HAVE A NICE TEXTURE, THEY
ARE VERY COOL AND CALMING.
ALSO, I HAVE DIFFERENT EMOTIONS
ON THEM.
AS KIDS ARE LEARNING WHAT DIFFERENT EMOTIONS ARE, IT
MAKES IT A BIT OF A FUN WAY TO
PLAY AND LEARN EMOTIONS.
THESE ARE CALLED SQUIGS?
I USE THESE AT MY CENTER AS WELL.
SUCTION CUPS.
THEY ARE GREAT, YOU CAN STICK THEM TOGETHER.
THEY ARE VERY SATISFYING, FOR
ME AT LEAST, A SATISFYING POP
WHEN YOU PULL THEM OUT.
THEY CAN BE USED AS A FIDGET
FOR REGULATION BUT BUILDING AND
DIFFERENT CREATIVE THINGS.
TELL US ABOUT THESE PEOPLE
BLOCKS.
THESE ARE AMAZING.
THEY ARE FROM A COMPANY CALLED
MAGNATILES.
THESE ARE BRAND-NEW AND SAINT
DAVID'S CENTER TOOK A LOOK AT THEM AND WERE VERY HAPPY
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A COOPERATIVE
ELEMENT TO THEM, ALSO AN
EMOTIONAL ELEMENT TO THEM, BUT
THERE IS ALSO THAT
CONSTRUCTION.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS SAID, IT
IS PLENTIFUL.
WHEN YOU HAVE SIBLINGS THAT ARE
WORKING ON TANDEM PLAY, IT
WORKS FOR THAT.
BUT IT'S ALSO FOR AGES ONE
PLUS.
WHEN I SAY ONE PLUS, I HAVE A
10-YEAR-OLD THAT STILL PLAYS
WITH HIS MAGNETILES.
IT IS GREAT BECAUSE IT 1-YEAR-
OLD CAN WORK ON PUTTING THEM
TOGETHER, STACKING THEM WERE
AS YOU GO FORWARD IN A JEWELER
WORKING ON DIFFERENT THINGS,
COLOR IDENTIFICATION ALL THE
WAY UP TO IMAGINATIVE PLAY.
I LOVE HOW THEY HAVE
DIFFERENT SHAPES THAT FIT TOGETHER.
THE NEXT ONE DOWN, WHAT IS
THAT?
THIS IS ANOTHER MAGNETIC
BUILDING SYSTEM.
WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT THIS IS IT
IS A LITTLE BIT MORE
SOPHISTICATED THAN THIS.
SO, WE'VE GOT KIDS WHO ARE ON
THE SPECTRUM BUT AREN'T TO
THREE YEARS OLD.
THEY ARE OLDER.
SO THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT
SOMETHING THAT LOOKS A LITTLE
BIT OLDER.
THAT IS IMPORTANT TO REALLY
THINK ABOUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
KIDS ON THE SPECTRUM.
THAT'S JUST ONE ELEMENT OF THE
PERSON, RIGHT, SARAH?
THEY WILL STILL WANT THINGS
THAT ARE SOPHISTICATED OR FIT
WITH THEIR INTERESTS.
ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT AS FAR AS A TREND AND
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN PRODUCT
IS THAT I'M WEARING SOMETHING
RIGHT NOW THAT LOOKS LIKE A
NECK WAS.
A LOT OF CHILDREN ON THE
SPECTRUM MIGHT HAVE AN ORAL
FIXATION, NOT ORAL FIXATION BUT
SENSORY NEEDS.
AND SO, THIS LOOKS LIKE JUST
ANY OLD NECKLACE THAT YOU CAN
WEAR, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS VERY
SAFE, KIND OF CHEWABLE SILICON
OBJECT.