Sensory Lamp Ring Stack for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities often love lights. They are attracted to them, especially in a darkened room. The woman in this video has Down syndrome, is nonverbal and legally blind. She seeks sensory stimulation by rocking in her seat and shaking objects. Adapting the beautiful aquarium lamp to be used as a ring stack motivates her to use her hands in a more functional way…..to stack rings. She loves it!

The other client shown in the video is on the autism spectrum. He has a very short attention span and avoids touching objects. He typically only looks briefly at objects in his hands- often dropping them before using them. The lamp light helped him to visually attend long enough to grasp rings and then stack.

You may make similar ring stack activities using an electric or battery- operated lamp. Be sure that the lamp is the type that will not get to hot. I have used the light up children’s toothbrushes and toys to make light up rings stacks by attaching them to the top of a dowel. Use shower rings or cut plastic to whatever size you need to make rings. The large rings shown in the video were cut from blue and red plastic coffee containers. Adapting a lamp into a successful ring stack activity is just one of the many adaptations you will learn about in my books and blog.

Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog:
http://www.RecyclingOT.com
http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com
http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com