You may have heard about sensory boards or busy boards for autistic children in therapy centers. Such tools bring out your child’s inner explorer to discover their sensory perceptions. Sensory boards are far from normal boards and they contain objects like lights, hinges, zippers, Velcro, different shapes, and locks. Sensory boards are widely used to allow the stimulation of senses amongst children with autism at their own pace.
In this article, we are going to review 6 best sensory boards for autism, but before that, let’s take a look at how sensory boards can help your little one fight autism:
How Sensory Boards Help Autism?
There isn’t a single curative therapy that works for all autistic kids. But for the majority of children, the autism sensory board has proven to be highly effective. Inspiring advantages of sensory boards include:
- The sensory board helps relax your child – You may give your kid a portable sensory panel in the form of a cube to relax them. These toys are portable and convenient for traveling. The child needs to focus solely on one object while ignoring everything else. In contrast to other methods, a sensory game usually helps people relax considerably more quickly.
- It nurtures your child’s social skills – This kind of activity significantly enhances communication and language abilities. Kids are more inclined to engage in social interactions as a result of the correlation between verbal and physical sensory games.
- Your child will learn to deal with everyday tasks – One of the most obvious advantages of sensory play is using a sensory board. It could be challenging to educate the child how to open their clothes without visual examples. When your little ones master it on a crowded panel, they will be able to replicate it using actual everyday things.
- It helps build vocabulary – Your youngster will learn new vocabulary and can categorize and identify items with the use of sensory boards. You could, for instance, point at a butterfly and say “butterfly” out loud. The youngster should use their finger to sketch the outline of the insect’s wings. The distinctions between sizes and hues will stick in their minds.
- A sensory board is the best way to stimulate sensory perceptions – Visual stimuli may help your kids learn more effectively. They will appreciate busy boards since they have a variety of bright components. A few of these components are dynamic, allowing your children to adjust a clock’s hands or improve their perception of auditory data. The children benefit the most from this educational toy because of the integrated influence.
- The sensory board helps foster gross motor skills – Children with autism sometimes struggle to coordinate their actions. If your young ones don’t get through this impediment while they are young, it can be hard to overcome later on. The most enjoyable approach to developing gross motor skills abilities is through sensory play.
Best Sensory Boards for Autism:
Sensory play can allow your child to grow in a well-structured environment where they can foster their motor skills and coordination with cognitive capabilities. Now once we know all the benefits of sensory boards for autism, let’s get into the best sensory boards:
1. TenFans Busy Board
The Montessori toy for toddlers has safe pieces. In the Montessori board, they are carefully chosen and securely fastened. The busy board is non-abrasive to the skin since it is made entirely of soft felted wool and has no sharp folds. It is small in size, which makes it easy to carry with you on long travel routes. The travel bag is handy when you travel on a vehicle and on flight trips.
The Montessori educational approach works through self-directed activity, experiential learning, and group play. With the help of this toddler toy, young children can teach themselves how to dress, spell, and count while having fun and building their self-esteem. Your children will remain engaged with this activity board’s many puzzles. The perfect teaching tool for speech therapy and autism; a must-have if you’re seeking homeschooling materials and autism learning resources.
Age appropriate: It is an excellent sensory play for children in the age range three years and up.
Pros
- Easy to carry
- Safe to use
- Light in weight
- Portable
- Cost-effective
- Durable
Cons
- Velcro adhesive does not work
- Poor quality
2. Melissa & Doug Latches Wooden Activity Board
The playing board is safe to use given the manufacturer’s age-appropriate limitation and safety latches on the sensory kit. Preschoolers who play with Melissa & Doug’s interactive toys will learn about brilliant colors, numerals, wildlife, and much more while developing their gross and fine motor capabilities. This sensory board is made of solid wood with a smooth-sanded activity surface for toddlers with surprises hidden behind the windows and doors.
Identifying animals hidden behind the closed windows and doors, finding specific patterns, and distinguishing the kinds of animals on show are just a few of the activities that you or your elder children may play with your young ones to interest them.
Age appropriate: It is an excellent sensory play for children with age thirty-six months to six years.
Pros
- Includes fun surprises
- Engage your children
- Wooden material used
- Durable
- Long-lasting
- Sturdy
Cons
- Costly
- Stiff locks
- Poor quality
3. Blevla Busy Board for Toddlers
Eco plywood is used in construction, making it dependable and secure for your young children. The sensory board is well polished and has smooth edges and corners to prevent your young one’s hands from receiving injury. The sensory board will entertain your children at home or while traveling with the sensory board for infants and toddlers, which has various light hues and sound effects. The LED light switch toy is a crucial component of this toddler activity board since it is so distinctive. These colorful lights and audio systems attract the attention of your young ones.
Age appropriate: It is an excellent sensory play for children in the age range three years and up.
Pros
- The material in the sensory board is eco-friendly
- It is non-toxic
- It is unpainted and durable
- Safe to use for children
- This polished sensory board has no rough edges
- Reliable for toddlers
- Sturdy product
Cons
- Technical defaults
- Costly
- Hard to clean
4. LEARNING ADVANTAGE Crocodile Activity Wall Panels
Eight distinct tasks are included in the Crocodile Activity Wall Panel to help kids improve their hand-eye coordination, emotive language, and gross motor capabilities. Manufacturers have evaluated the highest safety requirements for this toddler busy board. For simple installation, all five panels come with mounting holes and bolts. For your young ones, you can install it at the ideal height.
Decorate without filling up any wall space in bedrooms, schools, hallways, or playrooms. You can install this sensory play in a location where kids may gather and mingle to develop their motor and social skills.
Age appropriate: It is an excellent sensory play for children aged eighteen months to eight years.
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Durable
- Sensory play with different activity packages
- Good quality product
Cons
- It covers a wide area
- Costly
- Easy to break
5. deMoca Montessori Busy Board for Toddlers
It is a toddler sensory board toy with ten preschool exercises to assist youngsters in improving their fine motor abilities. With the help of this toy’s zipper clips and kid-friendly shoe-tying instruction package, your youngsters can knot and unzip on their own to develop unassisted dressing abilities.
It is one of the finest presents for your toddler since it offers a screen-free alternative concept. This sensory toy has varying levels of challenging activities for your young ones to help foster their motor coordination and control their emotional dilemmas.
Age appropriate: It is an excellent sensory play for children in the age range three years and up.
Pros
- High-quality product
- Easy to carry
- Giftable
- Easy to assemble
- Light in weight
Cons
- Small parts can lead to choking hazards
- Costly
6. DoodleJamz JellyBoard
JellyBoards are excellent for extended car rides or at-home playtime since they are simple to scribble on, erase, and replay. They are sufficiently portable thanks to their small design to accommodate any small bag or pocket. Because JellyBoards are vacuum-sealed, your designs will stay put. Each JellyBoard includes a two-sided backer card that can be switched out or combined with other backer cards to produce new color-blend combinations. You can change the backgrounds using different backing cards or print pictures at home to draw on.
Age appropriate: It is an excellent sensory play for children in the age range three years and up.
Pros
- Sturdy material
- Durable
- Easy to carry
- Creative product
- Sensory touch with the stylus
- Highly recommended and giftable
Cons
- The plastic coating is flimsy
- Costly
Conclusion
While caring for a kid with autism might be difficult, it is also incredibly gratifying. There are many approachable methods to help your kid manage their emotional dilemma. One of the best things you can use is sensory toys or a sensory board as it gives your child access to different activities. You may acquire a long-lasting open-ended play setting by placing the sensory board in the playroom.
While the sensory play is advantageous for all children, it has a specific significance for children with autism. Processing sensuous information might be challenging for many kids with autism. Your young ones need to study in a relaxed and comfortable setting, and you should consider which teaching methods are most effective for them.
In case you would like to know more about sensory boards and other toys, here are some great articles to check out: