My son has therapy three times a week, so I had to come up with a system that could travel well and work for home storage. I wanted something that was big enough to hold everything, sturdy enough to take to appointments, and not too large. Take a peek what's in our therapy bag right now and a few things that are on rotation that we sometimes bring with us. I'm planning on posting more about the printables that his therapists and I have made, so keep watching for those posts.
What's in my Autism Therapy Bag?
The Bag
I was really picky about the bag I wanted. I had to have something with a metal frame. My bag isn't always full, and I can't stand it when they fall over. I was using a 31 bag, but it wasn't big enough. I ended up buying this bag by N. Gil on Amazon, and I get so many compliments on it. I've been using it almost daily for almost a year, and it's holding up great. Since it has a metal bag, it doesn't slouch.
Fidget Toys
My son needs a fidget toy to help him focus. He has several of them but he really likes the ones that twist and move. I picked up this snake at a local toy store, but it's also available on Amazon.
Surgical Brush
My son's OT recommended brushing, and it's helped him a lot. If you're new to brushing, be sure to talk to your OT because you have to be trained on how to do it. We have these stashed all over the house, in the car, and in my bag.
Chewy Tube
My son is a chewer. He will chew on bottle caps, toys, and anything else he can get his hands on. Except cloth. Most of the DIY chewelry necklaces are cloth, but I don't want to start a bad habit of chewing on clothes. I buy wine tubing because it's sturdy and food safe. As a bonus, I can throw it in the dishwasher to clean it. I just buy a section and cut it in to 8" sections so we have them at home and in the therapy bag. I needed something to hold it in so it wouldn't get dirty, so I reused a container from Chick Fil A's tortilla soup. Since I'm on the CFA Mom Panel, I was sent a coupon for a free soup. When I was done, I saved the container to keep his tubes in, and it works perfectly.
Proprioceptive Input Items
I keep stretchy bands in the bag for some good proprioceptive input on the go. Sometimes I also have a 5 pound medicine ball with us too. Both are really good for heavy work and help him focus.
Dry Erase Board
I really love this dry erase board because it has a graph paper on one side and a blank dry erase on the other side. Since he needs some extra visual aids, he uses the graph side for most of his math to stay neat. Using a dry erase board also lets me elevate the board to give him more input.
Time Timer
I can not tell you how much I love this timer! The Time Timer is a visual timer that lets kids see exactly how much time is left. This one is 8 inches tall, so it can go on the wall or on a desk. It also has a tone when the time is up. You can set it up to an hour to count down. I should have take a picture of it set, but it has the time left blocked in red. I set this next to the TV to show exactly how much screen time he has left. We also use it for the breaks that he earns and to do tasks that he doesn't want to do.
Token Economy
My son's ABA therapist made him this token economy. He has a choice board, and he can choose what he works for. Then he earns tokens. When he gets 7 tokens, he earns 7 minutes for his reward.
These are the things that are almost always in my bag. I have a lot more printables that I've made, and I'll do a post on those soon. I hope this helps some of you who are new to the journey decide what is necessary and what isn't.
