April is National Autism Awareness Month

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.