Autism and Anxiety - What Do You Pack for Your Kid

[KristyBox]

I'm thinking about bringing stuff other than electronics to bring for the lines (even though they might only be 20 minutes so given the DAS, that is still a challenge) for my ckid. He's 8 and has anxiety and autism, but is an honor student. lWe'll likely no stroller (so we have to carry whatever we bring), and too much electronics tires him out (because he'll obsess over them) and he gets seizures. So toys are better.

We'll be there a lot of days and he does best if we vary what we give him. He also picks on his scabs and gets infections (which trigger seizures), so his hands need to be busy in anxiety situations.

(Sometimes, it feels like our whole life revolves around avoiding seizures. )

So far, I've come up with a notebook and crayons in a plastic baggie (cheap, throwaway if it does get wet), a Rubik's cube, his fidget cube, and his chew terry cloth around his neck.

But what else non-electronic do you bring into the park for your kids? It must be easy-to-carry and inexpensive in case he loses it (because he will).

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

A slinky, stress balls. I would check out the dollar store for little things.

 

[Aladora]

What about pocket puzzle books like sudoku or word search?

 

[Cloudy]

I wish I was at home and could take a picture of my son's manipulative box. I have stretchy rubber tubes, a small vibrating nubby ball with a pull string (dollar store), smooth worry rocks (or rock painted with multiple layers of nail polish), small sand filled fabric animals that are heavy for their size ( a hacky sack might work), stretchable toys (I have a really cute Squirt I found at CVS), foam stress balls (or other shapes), small squeezable animals that blow air, Silly Putty. I will try and add a picture later.

 

[gap2368]

finger spinners, something soft, and what the PP listed are things I have with me

 

[rosysubmarine]

I love the Tangle Jr.!

You just hold it and twist it in all kinds of ways. It's hard plastic and fantastic for situations like these! (I might or might not have one at my work desk...)

 

[DrunkJam]

The tangle is good, the rubiks snake (or similar), thinking putty, jumping beans, fidget spinner, wall / window walkers, ear defenders, book of maps, glitter calmer (you can make these easily), one of those liquid filled flexi tubes, sun glasses.

Also, good toyshop should be able to point you in the direction of small, fidgeting toys (we have had some great recommendations over the years.

 

[gohomekate]

There are tons of free printables (if you are bringing a journal and crayons anyway!) at https://family.disney.com/coloring-pages/
I make up packets of these to hand out to kids in the parks

 

[DisneyOma]

I'm thinking about bringing stuff other than electronics to bring for the lines (even though they might only be 20 minutes so given the DAS, that is still a challenge) for my ckid. He's 8 and has anxiety and autism, but is an honor student. lWe'll likely no stroller (so we have to carry whatever we bring), and too much electronics tires him out (because he'll obsess over them) and he gets seizures. So toys are better.

We'll be there a lot of days and he does best if we vary what we give him. He also picks on his scabs and gets infections (which trigger seizures), so his hands need to be busy in anxiety situations.

(Sometimes, it feels like our whole life revolves around avoiding seizures. )

So far, I've come up with a notebook and crayons in a plastic baggie (cheap, throwaway if it does get wet), a Rubik's cube, his fidget cube, and his chew terry cloth around his neck.

But what else non-electronic do you bring into the park for your kids? It must be easy-to-carry and inexpensive in case he loses it (because he will).

I wouldn't bring crayons - they could melt. Colored pencils perhaps?

A hidden Mickey list - either the book or create your own, where he has to take pictures of the hidden mickeys.

Pipe cleaners

 

[rosysubmarine]

I wouldn't bring crayons - they could melt. Colored pencils perhaps?

A hidden Mickey list - either the book or create your own, where he has to take pictures of the hidden mickeys.

Pipe cleaners

Hidden Mickeys actually sound like it could work really well! It would give him something to focus on instead of taking in all the crowds and loud noises.

 

[jblairosu]

Lots of good ideas already mentioned. Another thing my kids like are little construction trucks from the dollar store to drive around in the dirt, sidewalks, etc. I've also brought a little retractable measuring tape from the dollar store and they've had fun measuring things (I sometimes give them two things to add the lengths together, estimate, etc.). We play eye spy a lot too.

 

[cobright]

Prefacing this by saying that my kiddo in question is not autistic and has only very mild social anxiety, but she has a wicked bad case of attention disorder; so ... to whatever extent this might help I offer a solution I came upon when she was 8. She has an Rx to manage her ADD but the calculus of when to use it and how much to use changes when you are on vacation. The meds have side effects that she tolerates well but we still use a lot less of the stuff during the summer.

Early on in this trip, her level of focus and frustration were getting to the point where they were making her miserable. First day, I got on Amazon and ordered her a good camera. I think it was a used Lumix DMC-ZS4 or 5 ... maybe a ZS3... whatever it was a couple years old and cost me about $100 and it took very good pictures. It was delivered to our resort 2 days later.

Point is, with a camera, now she's an active participant in the world around her again. Taking pictures let her "say" things without being distracted or distracting. It let her interact with characters but still have an excuse to not get too close.

In your case, it would be an interesting experiment at least. I would just suggest not buying a toy camera or a crappy camera, they are more frustrating than anything. But a good used camera on Amazon or from B&H can be had in the $100 range. An older high end model beats whatever you can get for that price new (imo).

Hope you find something that works for your kiddo, good luck.

ETA: Yes, technically a digital camera is an electronic device. I got the impression she was most opposed to passive (distraction) entertainment devices. Yes, losing a 100 dollar camera is a real concern, but if the kiddo takes to it you might be surprised at how well he keeps track of it. But also ... camera strap ... it's stuck to him like a necklace. So... not exactly the answer that was asked for but it might still be a good option. Or maybe not ... I don't know.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Your kiddo sounds a lot like mine. My oldest has anxiety and ASD, among other issues (he faints a lot) which make standing in crowded lines difficult. Of course, there's no avoiding crowds and lines at Disney so it's best to be prepared. I know you want to get away from electronics, but in my opinion they are the easiest, most compact options for spontaneous entertainment and aren't so bad if you use them unconventionally. You can download apps for games like head's up, charades, I spy, hangman, 20 questions, etc. and make standing in line like a fun family game night. You could also download a book about whatever his current obsession is, one that he hasn't read yet. I like someone else's suggestion of putting the kid in charge of picture taking, you can go one step further by searching Pinterest for some Disney photo scavenger hunts to challenge him. There are hunts for hidden Mickeys on certain rides, or challenges to take pictures of certain characters or movie themes. Another option would be to bring some office supplies in a small box, things you can find at the dollar store like colored paper clips, rubber bands, those pinchy clips (whatever they are called), for him to fidget and build with.

 

[Nevada Jen]

I third the camera. THat has made a huge difference for us in the past. Attached to a neck strap if he will tolerate it. Pipe cleaners are another easy to carry, no bother to lose thing. Also, for us, sunglasses and the green goofy hat with the ears you see everywhere in the parks helped a lot. My son pulls the hat down a bit too far and messes with the ears and wraps them around his face. And a hoodie. Not ideal in the summer but my kid wil wear his in anything under 110 degrees!

 

[cobright]

And a hoodie. Not ideal in the summer but my kid wil wear his in anything under 110 degrees!

Columbia and Patagonia (the brand, not the S. American region) make a hot weather hoodie that's worth looking into. I have two, cut sleeves off one. They are designed to protect from sun, be fast drying, and cool. If the OP's kiddo has a tendency to worry away at his skin, this can provide something of a barrier.

 

[Smittolis]

have you tried a lightly weighted vest? This can work wonders for helping anxiety and ASD characteristics. Not always practical given the heat and length of time you are out, but being able to slip it on at high trigger times would be a good idea. We use the hidden mickey book too, you wouldn't believe how engrossed and focussed those books make you. IF you have an old iPod touch or iPhone you can download an app that shows locations and would allow your son to take pictures and check it off the list. The app is a little old and not 100% updated but it still serves a purpose.