Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Playing with Toys

Many children with autism play differently with toys than neurotypical children. In this video I show how they might play with 3 very different toys.
I am Dr Beth Colby, a psychiatrist in London. Other videos on my Talk Mental Health channel include:
Common Mental Health Conditions:
10 Symptoms of Depression
10 Tips for Self Help for Depression (in 2 parts)
Treatments for Depression/What will Happen if I tell my Doctor I am Depressed?
What is Anxiety?
What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?
Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Paranoia: Paranoid Schizophrenia, Persistent Delusional Disorder and Paranoid Personality Disorder
Bipolar Affective Disorder Explained
What is Autism?
Autistic Spectrum Disorder ICD-11 v ICD-10 v DSM-5
What is Panic Disorder?
What are Panic Attacks?
What is Mania?
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Anxious Avoidant Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder
Anankastic Personality Disorder
Psychiatric Terminology
Psychotic Disorders, Affective Disorders and Neurotic Disorders
What Happens When Somebody is Sectioned?
Sections 2 and 3 of the Mental Health Act
Who is My Nearest Relative?
Current Mental Health Issues and News
Suicides in Afghan Veterans
Coronavirus Panic
Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety
Coronavirus will Harm People's Mental Health
Loneliness
PTSD in COVID-19 NHS Staff
Eco-Anxiety
'Mini Versions', under 2 minutes long, of my videos include:
10 Symptoms of Depression
10 Tips for Self Help for Depression
Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Anxiety
Mania
Anxious Avoidant Personality Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality DIsorder
Translated videos include:
Into Kurdish:
What is Anxiety?
10 Symptoms of Depression

Into Farsi:
What is Anxiety?
10 Symptoms of Depression

If you would like me to do videos on any other topics, or have any questions, please write a message in the comments section.

[CaptLuser]

speaking as an autistic adult, these tendencies don’t really go away, they just take a more practical form. i’m very organized and animals like how i pet them; i consider these traits to be strengths.

[enfieldjohn]

When I was a little boy, I chewed absentmindedly on my toys until I was about three or four. My mom even bought me dog toys because I was biting bits off the toys meant for teething children. She had to remove any squeakers in them though because the squeaks would freak me out.

When I was four-almost five, I finally stopped chewing on toys, but still chewed on my shirt collar tips (it was the 70s in a rural ranching community so we wore a lot of collared shirts with big collars), especially if I was stressed - which was often.

When Fisher Price came out with the Adventure People, my family got me several of the vehicles and figures, especially the boats because I was afraid of water and hated baths and swimming. They hoped that tub toys would help and they did a little. I never got over my fear of having my face in the water though. Not even with a snorkel and mask on. I liked the mask and snorkel, but only for pretending to be an alien or something, not for swimming.

When Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, etc. toys came out, I was older so I didnt chew on them, but I still played with them differently from my peers.

Rather than pretend that the figures were living characters in their story worlds, I would pretend that I was making my own movies with them and that they were my special effects models. I even learned how to operate my moms camcorder so I could actually film them when she got the camera for her birthday one year. Made stop motion animations with it too.

When not playing with something, I would put it away without being asked. I kept my room almost spotless and everything organized on shelves and in boxes. Id line things up by size, color, alphabetically, numerically, etc. I still tend to do that. Im married now and Im the neat and tidy one who keeps the house organized.

[Elvee]

My nephew is obsessed with fruits. Real and toys. He always lines them up and gets upset if one us moves it. We have autism running in the family and I’m just trying to see early signs in him so we can intervene

[ArtsyMegz_On_Etsy]

What if I used to manipulate objects and observe all of its parts, feel it, taste it, and then eventually used it for its purpose? And what if I formed a strong attachment to a stuffed animal, as sort of an imaginary friend, didn't make them talk, but just felt the limbs, ears, eyes, and the tag on a bear, but still put it in a sitting position? I show a lot of signs of autism as an adult, but gaslight myself and feel guilty for not staying in touch with people, or being late for a birthday party because I am bad with directions. Does this indicate signs of autism?

[Jasonsadventures]

I've noticed my son with most autism doesn't look at toys while he's playing with them. He looks at where the toy is going. Ahead of the toy. Very interesting. He's starting playing with cars and figures in typical ways rather than just spinning wheels 10 hours a day but yeah he doesn't look at them.

[rosamcdonald]

Thank you for this video. My son is being referred to the paediatrician. I’m googling my life away at the minute.
He would throw the ball but throws everything. Bubbles he tips the mixture out usually if I can not stop him quick enough but it’s a good one for him to repeat “more please”. The cuddly toy he just throws them around.

[MumLife]

Thank you so much for this my son does all these, eye opening 💙

[Think_positive]

At what age babies do this kind of play

[dunianininora]

What should i give birthday gift to my 4 y.o autism nephew?

[neetisaxena]

My baby doesn't touch this ball he get scares don't know why..he pop out bubbles and he plays with soft toy he doesn't line up toys but he obsessed with vehicles every vehicles

[amaltom]

Thank you Dr Colby for providing such an informative video about Autism. I would like to get in contact with you to know more about the disorder. Awaiting your replay.

[boligard]

My son (2 will be 3 October 30th) loves to steal the water bottles out of the package and line them up on the dresser and count them he's a goofball I love him

[voxpopuli]

She didn’t show anything. Where is footage of children playing?

[subhankardawn]

Hi this is helpful also want you as my son is doing the same how to rectify this behaviour

[rainbowkitten]

I am 22 and I still haven't grown out of repeative play. I have this tower and I can let the balls roll down for half an hour and not get bored! It is so soothing for me

[gaetannest-coeur]

What i notice with mine is he want to do everything on his own, climb all the time to get what he wants, he knows how to point but he doesn’t like to do that while showing what he needs, he always goes to get what he wants 😅

[davidhollow]

My son lines his toys but doesn’t do any of the tendencies of Austism, he only lines toys up not sure what to do

[CharizardtrainerCharizardtrain]

Hi, my 3 year kid well played but he doesn't want to play with other new kids, and don't say hi bye with other new eladers when they wish,

[robertsaladino]

Kids without Austism do all these things