People on the autism spectrum can struggle with many aspects of everyday life, though everyone's situation differs. Perhaps finding communication and interaction difficult, or becoming anxious in situations that are unfamiliar.
Though whatever the symptoms experienced, medical understanding of the condition is gradually improving treatment options. One surprising, and growing therapy for autism, is the use of brick building sets.
We take a look at the beneficial effects of building block sets for people on the spectrum, and the best autism toys for adults.
Why Building Sets Help People with Autism
The popularity of building products among people that have autism is well known. While not everyone on the spectrum enjoys constructing creations using plastic blocks, this popularity has led to it being recognized as a therapy for autism.
Autistic people are known for having a strongly focused interest in certain subjects and activities, as well as having an eye for detail and patterns. These might be some of the reasons why brick construction sets are popular with people on the spectrum.
People with autism often tend to want to deep dive into subjects, more so than the average mind. It is like they are purposely trying to create connections in regions of the brain that are not frequently used. This is why people with autism can get caught up in certain subjects, finding out everything there is to know on the topic. While brick toys seem on the surface to be simple, there are hidden depths with the combinations of things you can construct with just the basic bricks.
One of the symptoms of autism is the difficulty to deal with change and unpredictable situations. Brick construction sets are a controllable and unchanging toy that follows specific rules that do not alter. This can offer a sense of order that can be comforting even when the rest of the world and their lives might be unpredictable.
Some people with autism can be overwhelmed by bright colors. The fact that building bricks are brightly colored can actually help people deal with this symptom, allowing these bright colors to be controlled in rows. This offers a way to overcome a difficult symptom, giving the person away to succeed over the things that may be holding them back or causing them anxiety.
Building Blocks as a Therapy for Autism
Brick sets can also be used as an educational tool to help people with autism develop their social skills. Social skills including sharing, problem-solving, and learning to take turns, can benefit from building toys for adults.
These types of therapies are simple but effective with techniques that are surprisingly fun. One type of building blocks therapy that promotes cooperation and group interaction works like this:
- The engineer or manager role; this participant directs what needs to be done but doesn't actually help with the build directly
- The supplier; this person sorts through the bricks selecting the right pieces to meet the requests of the engineer
- The builder; is the person that actually completes the construction with help from the supplier and follows the directions of the engineer
This is designed to improve interactions and socialization while creating interesting models. Participants in the therapy develop their social skills in order to achieve better creations.
Since the therapy sessions take place in a natural setting and do not feel like traditional therapies, they tend to work better. The skills learned in the therapy sessions like these, translate into improvement in the everyday lives of participants.
These therapy sessions can work for children and adults alike and are just one of the ways building sets have been shown to improve the lives of people with autism. It also doesn't hurt that building sets are fun for children and adults.
Choosing the Best Building Sets for Autism
If you are looking for a gift for adults with autism, building sets have a lot to offer. But some building sets provide more entertainment than others.
Funwhole offers a more dynamic experience compared to other building sets. Funwhole's new and exclusive models incorporate lighting to bring the models to life when the night-time arrives. The included light kits are designed specifically for each model, with appropriate light sources to create a finished product anyone will be proud of.
The Funwhole range of products offers an extra depth of construction possibilities that could suit people with autism. These types of kits are perfect for someone who likes to plan, and the small details incorporated in the models will be not only intriguing but also hold people's interest. They also offer some different, unusual, and innovative brick types within each kit, offering new ways to create the model.
They also make for almost perfect autism toys for adults, with a clearly understood set of basic rules in the way the bricks fit together. This helps to bring order to an often unpredictable life and can calm people down.
These models can also be used as part of therapy for autism, with one person reading the instructions to complete the creation. Another person will sort for the right pieces, and the builder fits everything together.
When the model has been completed, it can be displayed the whole time. In the daytime, the model can be displayed and played with without revealing its hidden secret. But when the evening comes, the lights can be turned on. This offers a new dimension to these brick constructions, displaying the model in new and exciting ways.
Conclusion
Brick construction sets are normally just considered toys, but to some people, they offer a lot more than that. Though people with autism have often been attracted to using building sets for entertainment, it's now realized that they can be used for a lot more.
Using brick construction sets to help people on the spectrum improve their social skills, is a great way to use a fun product to make a therapeutic difference. And if you are planning on buying a brick construction set, the Funwhole collection of products offers more than most. With a lighting kit that provides a new and exciting way of displaying the finished model that everyone will enjoy.
