Speech and language difficulties are often much more complex than simply struggling with the physical act of speaking. A child’s communication can be impacted by a number of factors which affect their ability to understand and express themselves appropriately.
Issues with concentration and anxiety can make it hard for a child to focus long enough to take in information, particularly in a classroom environment which might be new to a child if they’ve just started school, and can be noisy with lots of things to look at. This can all make learning, and engaging in conversation a challenge. This can be especially true of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), neurodiversity, or anxiety disorders.
This is why we love fidget toys! Far more than just a fad that goes in and out of fashion, they can be a wonderful aid for children. Here’s why we like them:
Some children find it enormously difficult to sit still; a fidget toy is a safe way for a child to fiddle without perhaps steering into ‘naughty’ behaviour, such as pulling at the hair of the child sitting in front of them on the carpet! Often the behaviour is not ‘naughty’ at all; it’s just the child expressing they are over stimulated, or bored. Whereas neurotypical children can often find movement or ‘fiddling’ distracting, in neurodiverse children it can actually increase the ‘alertness’ of the brain, helping them to focus. So keeping their hands busy can allow them a few extra moments of concentration, helping them absorb what’s going on around them.
A child who feels overstimulated, stressed or anxious might express their discomfort through small movements which can be distracting for them, and other children. A fidget toy is a great outlet for channelling this nervous energy. The rhythmic, repetitive movements can be soothing, helping them to feel calmer.
Children with conditions such as autism thrive on sensory feedback; the feel and sound of a ‘click’, or the motion of spinning on their fingers can be immensely satisfying. It can also help them to filter out other distractions in their environment, meaning they can pay more attention to a teacher giving a lesson, or a story being read to them, for example.
Talking to, and engaging with a child is the most important way to help develop their listening, understanding and speech. Chatting about something that interests them – such as a toy – is a great way to catch their attention and focus on different sounds, senses and vocabulary: ‘I love the bright buttons’, ‘Can you hear that ‘click’?’, ‘The spinning ball feels very smooth’.
Some neurodiverse children experience fine motor skills delays, which can cause difficulties with everyday tasks such as writing and getting dressed. Fiddling with a fidget toy can be an enjoyable way to help exercise the muscles necessary for these small, intricate movements.
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