Finding gifts autistic kids and adults appreciate isn't that hard -- if you actually find out what individual people like, and you remember that everyone has their own interests and preferences (and that they're sometimes the exact opposite of other autistic people's interests and preferences).
We asked TPGA's community of autistic people, parents, and professionals about The Very Best Gifts, and compiled what they said below. Keep in mind that while disability representation among toy companies is improving, it still tends to be underwhelming. And not all gifts will be realistic for every person's or family's budget. But hopefully this list will be useful for thoughtful gift-givers.
Books
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| Books Rule [image: white child lying on an orange beanbag in a library, reading a book titled The Fossil Factory] |
- Picture books for pre-readers to page through
- Graphic novels
- Anything from the "ology" book series
- Learning activity books
“My adult daughter who is on the spectrum, really liked the American Doll self care and friendship books growing up. There is one titled All about You. It helped to bring up new situations in an easy way.”
Characters & Themes
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| Thomas the Tank Engine 4Ever [image: Wooden Thomas the Tank Engine toy train and train tracks, arranged atop a map of the U.S.A.] |
- Stuffed animals
- Figurines
- Posters
- T-shirts (tagless if possible)
- Toys
- Bedding
“My brother likes posters/artwork of his favourite Disney films to look at. Last year we got him the movie posters, but this year I got him a canvas from this artist who paints the unusual characters from Disney films, which I think he's going to love!”
“Godzilla figures from the original Japanese movies. Thank God for Ebay, Amazon and Japan.”
Clothes
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| Tie Dye for the People [image: young white child wearing a tie dye t-shirt] |
- Tie dye shirts
- Clothing soft without tags or high collars
- Comfy clothes and sneakers
- Soft cotton pajamas
Creativity and Construction
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| Free-form Lego and sculpting clay fun [image: jumble of Lego and clay creations on a brown circular ottoman, seen from overhead] |
Art:
- Arts and craft supplies
- Drawing supplies
- Pens
- Perler (iron-fusion) beads
- Scotch tape and printer ink and paper to make "shiny logos"
- Laser pegs
- Lego (15 testimonials)
- Lego Mindstorms (2 votes)
- Magna-Tiles
- Magnetic building blocks
- Megablocks
- Snap circuits (2 votes)
- Wooden blocks of all shapes and colors
- Kinetic sand
- Play-doh (5 votes)
“I could never have enough Lego or books”
“Legos, Legos, and more Legos”
Devices
Our community members love their devices. While parents do need to be aware of how their kids use devices, we caution against "screen time" alarmism, given that autistic people of all ages often rely heavily on their devices for play, learning, socializing, and relaxation. Devices people cherish include:
- Computer
- iPad (3 votes)
- iPod
- iPod (for listening to music)
- Kindle
- My laptop
- Siri (iDevice personal assistant)
“If only Siri was its own thing”
Gaming
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| Everybody Loves Minecraft [image: child wearing a pink princess dress and a cardboard Minecraft character head] |
- Board game apps
- Mine Craft (five votes)
- Nintendo DS with games based on dress up, mathematics, and music
- The Sims (2)
- Roller Coaster Tycoon
- Video games in general (3 votes)
- Mario Bros
- Sonic
- Wii
- Xbox (3 votes)
- Zelda games
“All he wants are Steam gift cards.”
Pets
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| Puppy! [image: A King Charles cavalier puppy} |
- A pet no matter how small
- Dog (Great Dane)
- My dog
- Puppy
Play
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| Beautifully lined up toy cars. Photo © Bryce Womeldurf [image: several lines of Matchbox toy cars.] |
- Anything with wheels (for crashing the toys)
- Cardboard boxes
- Kikkerland wind-up toys
- Lovies (plush animals)
- Marble maze
- Remote control cars
- Slinkys (don’t last too long though)
“Matchbox cars are life for him. Nothing better to line up by colour and type.”
Puzzles
Yep, lots of autistic people like puzzles. Almost as much as many autistic people (and those who care about them) loathe autistic people being characterized as puzzles:- Every kind of puzzles
- Jigsaw Puzzles
- Puzzle balls
- Tangrams by Melissa and Doug
Retreat Spaces
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| A space of one's own [image: child crashing on a padded bed/wicker pod in the middle of San Diego's UTC mall] |
- Hugglepod
- Mini tent
- Snugglebedz
- Stretchy swings from InYard
- Privacy Pop bed tents
- Big-enough cardboard boxes
Sensory
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| For some folks, there's nothing better than being squished [image: happy white teen boy lying under a big beanbag, while another person lies on top of the beanbag] |
Compression/pressure:
- Beanbags (3 votes), Yogibo beanbags specifically (2 votes)
- Big heavy blanket
- Bodysock -- homemade (from spandex)
- Resistance bands (exercise or workout bands) (2 votes)
- Weighted blanket (3 votes)
- Weighted vest (hunting vest filled with beanbags)
Noise filtering:
- Ear protectors
- Head phones
- Sennheiser headphones
- Chewies (we like Stimtastic.co for all-ages options)
- Accordion toilet plunger
- Ball: fitness, kidney shape
- Ball: exercise, large (3 votes)
- Hammock
- Hammock swing
- Hexagon Bungee Chair
- Roller skates
- Scooters
- Indoor doorframe swing
- Teeter Popper
- Trampoline (5 votes)
- Trampoline: indoor mini, with handle (3 votes)
- Beads
- Fleece anything
- Fleece blankets/sheets (3)
- Jellycats
- Kinetic sand
- Koosh balls
- Plushies
- Soft fabrics
- Speakers (for feeling vibration of the beat when he touches the speakers)
- Theraputty (2 votes)
- Water beads
- Anything with flashing lights or novelty lights of all kinds
- Any toy that lights up, flashes, or spins
- Colored flashlight
- Fiber optic lamp
- Lava lamp (3 votes)
- Marble run
- Plasma ball lamp
- Spinnyos Giant Yo-ller Coaster
“Sound filters/attenuated ear plugs/similar stuff are great for situations where noise cancelling headphones would isolate one from participation but sound is an issue.”
“The ceiling-mounted indoor platform swing was also the best $150 that I ever spent. Every kid that comes to my house loves that.”
“Anything that spins or can be chewed. Preferably either purple or with turtles.”
Stimming
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| Beads made by students at AACT in Ghana [image: a handful of colorful stringed beads] |
- Fidget Cube
- Fidget toys (4)
- Glittery stim toys
- Lollipopter
- Mardi Gras beads
- Satin ribbon streamers
“Fidget toys! [Forever Fidgets] are awesome for older kids and adults, super strong, discreet and cheap!”
“Perfume. I love olfactory stimming.”
“Shiny jewelry with bits that move or spin round and are designed to be fiddled with.”
“New hand mirror to carry around at all times to watch himself talk.”
A final consideration: If you shop at Amazon.com, remember that you can also benefit autism non-profits through your purchases, via Smile.Amazon.com. Both the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and Autism Women's Network are Smile shopping options. Happy gifting!