And Next Comes L - Hyperlexia Resources: Gift List

Looking for some stocking stuffers or putting together a Christmas calm down kit? Try these Christmas fidgets for kids!

Christmas time is stressful for many. Anxiety is usually at an all time high because of changes in routines and schedules. Sensory overload is also more common due to all the lights and decorations and blaring Christmas tunes. Without some kind of coping mechanisms or calm down tools in place, many kids (adults too!) can struggle to get through this season.

One thing you can do is create a Christmas themed calm down kit with Christmas social stories, visual aids, Christmas sensory bottles, and some of these awesome Christmas fidgets below.

Or you can just use these fidget toys for Christmas stocking stuffers too.

Either way, these fidgets can be a lifesaver for many during the busyness and anxiety that this season brings.

Christmas Pop It Fidgets

Perhaps the most popular type of fidget at the moment are pop its or dimple fidgets. They're similar to popping bubble wrap, which is super satisfying. They also make a small popping sound as you press the dimples.

Pop it fidgets also happen to come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. You can get bracelet style ones, keychain ones, or really huge ones. So there is bound to be design that appeals to your child (or yourself).

Here are some Christmas themed pop it fidgets to check out:

3 pack sensory fidgets: tree, stocking, and Santa hat

Large gingerbread house pop fidget

Jumbo reindeer pop it fidget (pictured above)

4 pack of mini Christmas pop it toys

2 pack Christmas tree and Santa Claus sensory pop fidget (pictured below)

6 pack of pop its: 2 trees, Santa, stocking, mitten, and Santa hat

5 pack Christmas tree pop fidgets with 3D Christmas tree

Christmas Fidget Spinners

Fidget spinners were huge years ago, similar to how pop it fidgets are now. So it's not surprising that most fidget spinners these days also include the pop bubbles in them as well. It's like the best of both worlds, I guess.

So if you enjoy spinning objects and popping bubble wrap, then you might like a Christmas fidget spinner. You can grab a 3 pack of Christmas fidget spinners here (pictured below).

Reversible Sequins Fidgets for Christmas

Reversible sequins fabric is great for stimming with. Not only is it great for tactile sensory seekers, but it's also great for visual input too. You can swipe the fabric one way and the design and colors change. Swipe it the other way and it returns to the original design and color.

Now while these fidgets are generally larger in size, they do make a great addition to a calm down area or corner. Here are a couple of Christmas items that use reversible sequins and would be great for fidgeting with:

16" holiday tree shaped reversible sequin pillow

Set of 2 Christmas sequins pillow cases (pictured above) - You could use on a pillow if you wanted or just use it as is for a lap fidget.

Christmas Fidget Putty

If sensory doughs or slimes are more of your thing to fidget with, then some kind of silly putty or theraputty will be right up your alley. Here are a couple of Christmas themed fidget putties that you can try:

Reindeer Snot Fidget Putty

Crazy Aaron's Putty Mini Tins Holiday Trio (pictured above)

Infinity Cube Fidgets for Christmas

Another great fidget toy is an infinity cube. These fidgets have cubes that can be folded in on themselves forever and ever and ever. They kind of look like Rubik's cubes at first glance. But since it's Christmastime, try this 4 pack of Christmas themed infinity cubes that are pictured below.

Christmas Popper Toys

I've seen lots of speech therapists incorporate these popper toys into their sessions and I've seen occupational therapists use them to build hand strength. But they're also just a great fidget in general. The satisfying squeeze. The sound of the ball popping out. What's not to love?

So if you'd like to try a popper toy as a Christmas fidget, try one of these:

Santa Claus popper squeezable shooter toy

Reindeer popper toy (pictured above)

Sensory Chewable Necklaces for Christmas

My son chews on everything, especially when he's anxious. And Christmas time is definitely a time of heightened anxiety. So I couldn't write about Christmas fidgets without mentioning at least one chewy. Besides you can even find cute Christmas themed ones like this Christmas tree chewable necklace (pictured below).

Christmas Squishies & Stress Ball Type Fidgets

Stress balls are always a classic fidget option. However, there are also these really cool squishy ones now that are tons of fun. Some even come scented, by the way. There are also stress balls that are filled with water beads, which provide another interesting texture to fidget with. So here are some Christmas fidgets you might want to check out:

Jumbo Christmas squishies pack (pictured below)

Christmas water beads squeeze balls

6 pack of Christmas themed squishy toys

Other Christmas Fidgets & Stim Toy Ideas

Of course there are lots of other ideas you could consider like red and green pop tubes, red and green glow sticks, a snow globe, etc. that would be perfect as a Christmas fidget or stim toy. If you're more of a visual shopper, you can find all of the ideas above on my Amazon shop page. See the full list of Christmas fidgets and stim toys here.

Other Christmas Coping Tools & Resources You'll Love

20+ Calming Christmas Sensory Bottles

Free Christmas Social Stories

This list of autism books is perfect for parents of autistic children to learn more about how their child sees the world around them.

Even before my son was diagnosed with autism, I did a lot of reading about the diagnosis, either in the form of research or personal blog posts. But I absolutely prefer reading a physical book about the topic. In fact, I usually have a stack of four or five books about autism on my nightstand, just waiting for me to read. However, I end up reading one and then adding at least two more to the pile. So I don't see my tower of autism books decreasing any time soon.

There's just always so much to read and learn about when it comes to autism.

Thankfully, I can help narrow down your reading list by providing you with the absolute best books about autism. These books are my favorites and I hope they will become some of your favorites too.

Some are short and insightful. Some are long and detailed. Some will give you practical solutions to help your autistic child grow and thrive.

But all of these autism books are worth reading.

Sometimes more than once.

These books are meant to inspire you, help you learn more about autism, give you insight into autism from an autistic person's perspective, and to help your children learn about their own autism.

Please note that this list will be edited and added to as I discover, read, and approve of new books about autism. I have only shared those that I have personally read and that I have found helpful, interesting, and informative. I have also decided to leave books about sensory issues off of this list. You can see the list of sensory processing books here. Otherwise, the list of books would get pretty lengthy!

Best Books About Autism: You're Going to Definitely Want to Read These!

1. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

By Naoki Higashida

This book is an absolute favorite of mine when it comes to understanding autism. The insight that this book provides is fabulous and it definitely changed how I view and understand autism. Highly recommend it! Plus, it's a quick read and you can definitely read it from front to back in just a couple of hours.

2. Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

By Barry M. Prizant

This book is just wonderful! It will definitely make you rethink how you see autism. A must read for everyone, whether or not you know or work with someone who has autism. If you only have time to read one book about autism, then make it this book.

3. NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

By Steve Silberman

I have never preordered a book until this book came along. I was so excited to read NeuroTribes not only from a neuropsychology perspective (I wanted to be a neuropsychologist pre-children), but from an autism parent's perspective. This book is massive and beefy, but it is worth reading every single page. The research and history is extremely interesting. It's a great introduction to neurodiversity.

4. Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking

By Autistic Self Advocacy Network

This book should be required reading for anyone interested in learning more about autism, whether they are a parent, a therapist, an educator, or autistic themselves. The book itself is a collection of essays written by various autistic adults. I highly recommend reading it, especially the essay, "Throw Away the Master's Tools" by Nick Walker.

5. Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words

Edited by Maxfield Sparrow

This anthology is excellent. Highly highly recommend. Not only did I learn a lot of new-to-me gender related vocabulary, but I found the essays incredibly powerful. There were a couple in this book that might be some of my absolute favorite autism essays out of all the autism anthologies that I've ever read.

I think this book is a important read not only for autistic trans people, but for any parent and professional, especially since autistic people are more likely than neurotypicals to be gender diverse.

All the Weight of Our Dreams autism anthology

6. All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism

Edited by Lydia X.Z. Brown, E. Ashkenazy, & Morénike Giwa Onaiwu

This anthology was absolutely incredible to read through and a must-read if you're interested in the intersectionality between autism and race. It was quite heavy emotionally to read through so don't expect to binge read this book. There are also a few essays that touch on hyperlexia (one of the editors is hyperlexic!).

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for the revised edition as this book was recently pulled from publication due to a couple of problematic essays.

7. Our Autistic Lives: Personal Accounts from Autistic Adults Around the World Aged 20 to 70+

Edited by Alex Ratcliffe

Curious about what it's like to grow up autistic? Well, this anthology literally takes you through the ages. There are lots of essays from late-diagnosed autistics and surprisingly a lot of essays about the hyperlexic experience too! I loved this anthology a lot. Highly recommend.

8. Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Children: For Parents of the Newly-Diagnosed

By Dr. Luke Beardon

When I first picked this book up off the new shelf at my local library, I was skeptical that it would be any good based on the pretty boring title. But within a few pages, I knew it was going to be good! It's a relatively short read (like 130 pages), but it is jam packed with goodness. I highly recommend this book if your child is freshly diagnosed. Seriously, I couldn't stop quoting passages for it on Instagram.

9. Speaking for Ourselves: Conversations on Life, Music, and Autism

By Michael B. Bakan, with contributions from actually autistic people

Music is a passion of mine, as is autism, so this book was the perfect intersection of my interests. This book features numerous interviews and conversations with actually autistic people about the impact music has on their life. It was a fascinating read, but the section about Autistic vs. autistic (yes, just a simple capitalization difference!) was incredibly eye opening for me. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in both music and autism.

10. Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna

By Edith Sheffer

This book is excellent and I do highly recommend reading it, but you have to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to read it. Given the topic, it's obviously intense and heavy. It will shock you, make you cry, and just break your heart. But I do feel like it's absolutely a must-read.

11. M is for Autism

By The Students of Limpsfield Grange School and Vicky Martin

A lovely read about an autistic teenage girl, this book is relatively short, but is SO good. Definitely a great read if you have an autistic girl!

12. The Obsessive Joy of Autism

By Julia Bascom

This book is more of an illustrated poem or picture book more than anything, but it's beautiful. It explores the beauty of autistic obsessions, which I found interesting and insightful. It takes only a few minutes to read, so it might be a book you pick up from the library instead of purchasing. Regardless, it is definitely worth the read.

13. Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism

By Naoki Higashida

A follow up to The Reason I Jump, this book takes you inside a nonverbal young man's world. Once again, his insight into autism is incredibly fascinating to read about. If you enjoyed the first book, then definitely check this one out too!

14. Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate

By Edlyn Pena

This anthology of essays is written by - yep, you guessed it - autistics who type, point, and spell to communicate. There are essays written by kids, teens, and adults of all ages. I actually found that my favorite essays were all ones written by kids and teens. This book is a good read if you are wanting to know more about the experience of non-speaking autistics.

15. Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women

By Sarah Bargiela

A graphic novel that focuses on how autism presents in women. It is a bit shorter than I had hoped, but it is an interesting read nonetheless. It could be nice book to share with an autistic teenage girl or a female who has been recently diagnosed as an adult.

16. Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant

By Daniel Tammet

Daniel is autistic, has synesthesia, and numbers are his jam. His memoir was extremely interesting to read about. He learns languages fluently, in as little time as a week. He even memorized more than 22,000 digits of pi.

17. Autism: How to Raise a Happy Autistic Child

By Jessie Hewitson

This book is more geared towards UK parents, but there is so much to like about this book. I think it's best just to use bullet points so here we go:

The author consulted with actually autistic adults during the writing of it

It covers topics like autism in girls, autism in ethnic minorities, and mental health, which are rarely explored in other autism books

Its use of identity first language throughout

It includes lots of practical strategies

Its overall positive view on autism

18. The Anti-Romantic Child: A Memoir of Unexpected Joy

By Priscilla Gilman

There aren't many books written about hyperlexia, unfortunately. I, however, found myself relating to this book so much as her son and mine have the same diagnoses. This book has some issues, but overall, I found it an interesting read.

Other Autism Books that are Highly Recommended

The books in this section have been highly recommended to me. However, I haven't personally read them yet. They are on my reading list though and I hope I get to read them soon.

1. Ido in Autismland: Climbing Out of Autism's Silent Prison

By Ido Kedar

2. The Edge of the Playground: Two Stories, One Journey: A Mother and Daughter's Memoir of Autism from Childhood to Adulthood

By Mary Lynn Ackerman Willis & Mikhaela Ackerman

3. Communication Alternatives in Autism: Perspectives on Typing and Spelling Approaches for the Nonspeaking

By Edlyn Vallejo Pena

Other Autism Book Lists You Might Enjoy

Looking for something geared towards younger children or teens? Or maybe you want to learn more about neurodiversity or which books to avoid...Then you'll definitely want to check out these autism book lists as well:

Your go-to resource for hyperlexia

Tuesday, November 30, 2021