The Definite Guide to A Busy Board
A busy board for autistic children is a very important key learning tool.
Time and again, research points to how effective sensory play can be in a child's development. That arena includes developing motor skills, cognitive growth, social interaction, and problem-solving skills.
In other words, a sensory busy board helps explore touch, sound, and taste, which are vital for overall growth in a child.
Babies and children, in general explore their environment through their senses as well as though social interaction. However, children with autism have difficulty participating in imaginative play.
So, what exactly is a busy board ?
What benefits does it offer while integrating it into learning for children with autism?
In this article, we will explore that a bit further and more in depth too.
What is a busy board?
A busy board is an interactive board that allows your child to touch, play, and manipulate different objects. Other names of a busy board are activity board and interactive board.
While this board may be referred to different names, it’s really just a matter of semantics but it all points to the same thing and objective with respect to the children that benefit from using it.
Although they have the same function, busy boards come with different features according to age groups. Kids busy boards are available in two to three levels of difficulty for 1 year old children and younger and the other for those who are 3 to 5 years.
A busy board for a 1 year-old typically does not have a lot of fancy upscale features. It’s safe to say that the board in this group sticks to the basics.
This is because babies at this age need refining / refinement of their motor skills.
In addition, they do not have the skills to manipulate objects without assistance. Therefore, the best busy board for toddlers comes with toys and parts for grabbing and playing.
This can include plugs, switches, zippers, locks, laces, and many others. Switches and plugs of course are imitations.
What are the different types of the baby busy board?
Busy boards come in many different shapes, which include:
- Boards – Boards are by far the most common type of busy board for autistic children. It can be a busy board for 1 year old and older children with different levels of difficulty.
- House – A busy board house is another type that is also quite popular. An advantage of this type of board is that your kids can also use it for storing their toys as well.
- Cube – Busy boards also come in the shape of cubes.
- Creative, busy boards – Busy boards can also come in the shape of cars, animals and flowers. In addition to their various shapes, these busy boards for autistic children can also be folded easily for transportation.. a nice added bonus.
Regardless of the shape, busy boards are either made of wood or lightweight plastic.
A wooden busy board has the advantage of lasting long. However, they are not very portable-friendly.
On the other hand, plastic busy boards are lightweight and portable, but they are not very durable.
Benefits of using a busy board for autistic children.
Here are the top ways in which busy boards can be beneficial for children under the autistic spectrum.
It helps them relax and be calm.
Every child is different, whether or not they are autistic. However, noisy surroundings and particular environmental stressors can trigger autism symptoms and increase anxiety.
Since children with autism respond differently to stimuli, it may require more effort to get them to calm down. A busy board has been known as one of the best ways to calm a child with autism. The board activates sensory sensations and allows them to relax and feel less agitated.
It facilitates the development of social skills.
Sensory play involving busy boards also helps children to develop social skills. The sensory exploration initiates the growth of nerve connections in children. In turn, their speech and communication skills also improve.
Autistic children who play with busy boards also process information better than those who do not engage in sensory play. This ability to process information about their surroundings makes them more comfortable and confident.
It helps improve motor skills.
Busy boards have features that allow children to engage and use their senses to explore the items on the board. In the process, it improves and hones their fine motor as well as gross motor skills.
A lot of children with autism also have joint hyper-mobility, toe-walking, and apraxia. So developing and strengthening their motor skills can help with these symptoms.
It improves cognitive skills.
Most children with autism spectrum disorders are not able to emphasize their feelings and rationality. It is important to understand that ASD is a cognitive disability associated with the under-development of the frontal lobes in the brain.
Sensory play with a toddler busy board can help autistic children to develop cognitive pathways and skills. This, in turn can improve the children's overall mental well-being, whether autistic or not.
Tips for making the best of busy boards for autistic children
Every child with ASD is different. Therefore, using a generic busy board or one that is not age-appropriate may not be very beneficial for the children.
With that in mind, here are some pro tips for using busy boards more beneficially.
- Activity boards with bright colors and contrasting backgrounds are great for autistic children with visual impairments. In addition, keeping the visual clutter minimal also works great.
- Busy boards where the child can fidget with different things can help an ASD child with sensory limitations.
- Autistic children with hearing impairments benefit a lot from busy boards with elements that make music or sounds.
- Persistence play and consistent engagement with busy boards is one of the key elements of learning. Research shows that one-hour sessions of interacting with a busy board at least three times a week produce optimum results in children with autism.
With that said, a busy board for autistic children is a proven and practical way to help in all areas of development.
Aside from being an effective learning tool busy boards are also very affordable. If you choose to buy one, you can search busy board Amazon or make one DIY using your own creative ideas as well.