Alena+Ruoff+Fidgets

Fidgets 1) Desription of Strategy a) A fidget toy is also knows as a stress toy. It is something that helps students with autism deal with a sensory need to increase their focus or attention (it provides a movement opportunity for students.)

Examples: []

b) This method is used for young children with sensory processing disorder, adhd, and an autism diagnosis that display a tacticle sensory processing need. c) There are no qualifications needed. d) The cost ranges from $1 to $1,000 for various fidgets. No time or training is involved. e) A potential risk would be fading the amount of fidget time needed in order for the student to focuss. Another potential risk would be if the fidget worked in reverse by having the student focuss soley on the fidget and not the task that the teacher assigned. f) The benifit is to allow the student to focus their attention on the task at hand while keeping their body in motion. It gives them sensory relief while staying on task. g) All settings are appropriate (school, home, and community environments) h) fidgets are widely accepted in the special education environment, but some professionals still disaprove in the general education setting. Some general education teachers see fidgets as toys that are not appropriate in the classroom.

2. APA Reference

DiCarlo, C., Schepis, M., & Flynn, L. (2009). Embedding Sensory Preference Into Toys to Enhance Toy Play in Toddlers With Disabilities. //Infants & Young Children.// 22(3), 188-200.

a) The participants were three young males between 24 and 36 months of age, who recieved services under IDEA, and who exhibited low levels of toy play as reported by parents and observed by researchers. b) This study was a multiple-base design across participants. c) Dependent Variable: Sensory preference to toys once sought as unpreferred d) Independent Variable: The use of fidgets to adapt unpreferred toys to make them more apealing to students. e) The results were: "When choices of toys were offered, children did not seem to have clear preferences among toys. When sensory attributes were added, on the basis of results of the sensory preference assessment to the target toy, 2 of the 3 children chose the toys associated with their preference more frequently." When adding a sensory preference of a child to a toy it resulted in a consistantly higher rate of selection of that toy.