toys for 5-6 yr old autistic boy?

[penstamon]

Any recommendations for a present for my cousin's child who will be turning six soon? I live far away so I can not glean anything from interacting with him. They are sort of reclusive and have severed most family ties but I would really like to find an appropriate gift for him (not clothes).

Any help would be greatly appreciated! TIA

[Kristine233]

Depends on the child, but legos and other building toys have always been a hit for my son and other kids on the spectrum I've worked with.

[leilamom]

My step-son LOVES his Imaginext electronic dragons (you can get them at Target). He also has an electronic dinosaur that roars and moves. Not sure how much you want to spend, but he also has a vSmile game that he reallly really likes too.

He also really likes water play...stuff that he could play with in the water or do outside with the water might be good. He also likes to play with bubbles.

[LynnS6]

Do you know if he still mouths things? If he's got a lot of sensory issues, he might still be at 6.

If he doesn't marble runs are often a hit with that age. I don't know what your budget is, but you can get some relatively cheap:

Example 1.
Example 2
Wood Example 3 (kind of pricey)
Super Duper Quadrilla one (expensive)

Does he have any special interests? If he does, something related to that would be good. If not, I'd go for a marble run, legos, or my all time stand by: Stomp Rockets.

[Fay]

Oh, the Quadrilla is super fun -- we play with it at the local toystore. And we're asking Grandma for a stomp rocket this Christmas. Legos are also good -- the big basic set or one of the very small kits. I'm going to buy a magnetic building set (Magna Tiles) with pieces that are non-choking hazards for the holidays, my kids are crazy about magnets. My kids are highly sensitive to electronic sounds, so we return any toys that require batteries...something to consider when shopping for an autistic kiddo.

[mrsfru]

The Stomp Rocket has been a huge hit at our house, too!

[nayma]

totally agree with the magna tiles suggestion. my dd (asd) loves them! she also loves magformers. both are expensive for large sets, but super fun, and absolutely indestructible. also, though it may seem impersonal, a gift certificate is a great gift, imo. it gives the kid and parents a chance to really pick out something they like.