Dining Cup Holder



An individual I work with drops her drink bottle on the table and floor. I want her to learn to place it on the platform.

The platform helps her to sit more upright while eating. 

I cut into the white Thicket container ( I have several of these ) so that it can slide onto the edge of the platform. It was at first bit too tall for the cup and she couldn't get it out, so I cut around the top of the container to remove some of the plastic and then wedged the pieces together and taped  in place. Notice how it got shorter.....

  I think that she will learn how to place the cup in the holder if we guide her hand, praise when she succeeds and give her more food after she puts her cup in place.
 I have been playing around with figuring out which corner of the platform to position this to. It stays in place pretty well. So far the lower right corner is working best.

Fine-Motor Visual Stimulation Activity

This is a fun Visual activity that also develops eye-hand coordination. The rings are positioned at the top of a spiral shape and then rapidly spiral downward.

These are easy to make but you have to buy the helicopter toys to get the plastic piece that the rings spiral down. Wedge the spiral piece inside the top of a bottle. You may need to cut a small hole inside the bottle cap and then wedge it inside and secure with tape.

Cut lots of pretty, colorful plastic shapes from containers or lids and then cut a small notch in the center.  I designed this so that the individuals need to stabilize the bottle with one hand. However, when I found that the client shown in the photo  needed to use both hands to position and release the shapes, I  decided to stabilize the bottle inside a coffee container.

Some individuals who seek visual stimulation really like this- it meets their sensory needs....

Source: Visual Stimulation Ring Stack for Individuals with Autism by RecyclingOT

Containers with Large Screw Covers

There are a lot of square shaped containers that hold Thick- it, a product frequently used  at work.

I cut off the tops to connect as shown in the photos. These make nice little containers to store small activity materials. The individuals can practice unscrewing the large covers on one or both sides and then are left with a ring shape that can be used on a ring stack.
They can sequence screwing one cover on, placing something inside and then screwing the other cover or just stack them inside a square shaped box. I'm sure I will come up with more uses alter on....

These are easy to make by cutting around the top of the containers and inserting one inside the other. Secure in place with some pretty duct tape.


The remaining 4 sided plastic pieces (after cutting away the tops) can be folded into 4ths and inserted into a large container slot. The large plastic pieces can be used for lots of  other creations.....



Here are my clients enjoying the screw lid containers....

Source: Stringing Washers: Great for Children with Sensory Processing Disorders by RecyclingOT

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Adapted Coat Hook

I cut the handle from a detergent bottle to make this adapted coat hook. I needed something a bit larger for my client to be able to attach the hood or sleeve onto it. I cut a couple of small holes in the plastic where I pushed the wall hooks through and then covered everything with decorative duct tape. I will try to take a video of her using it soon.

Sensory Squeeze Ball Stringing

In my book From Flapping to Function: A Parent's Guide to Autism and Hand Skills readers learn how to adapt activities to provide the types of sensory stimulation that meet the child's needs while at the same time motivating them to use their hands and develop fine-motor skills.  

One way to do this is by attaching a squeeze ball to the end of a stringing activity. I bought a squeeze ball at the dollar store while browsing. I didn't plan on buying one, but it felt so good inside my hand I wanted it for myself. As usual I figured if I enjoyed it so much, so would my clients.

 I made the activity shown in these photos by tying the ball tightly with string. The individual has to motor plan to push it through the rings. I am starting out with pretty large rings and will move to smaller ones later so that they have to squeeze even more in order to push and  pull the ball through them.  I love how they can stop stringing to enjoy squeezing the ball at any point.


I cut the rings shown here out of detergent bottles so you can make the rings and holes inside any size that you desire and they can then vary in bright, vibrant colors.

I have used different types of "string" including men's ties, long strips of soft, fleece cut from my old sweaters and broken coils from chargers. They really have to pull hard and motor plan to make smaller rings go down the coil.

Options for sensory objects to attach to the stringing end include an electric toothbrush, flashing light up toothbrush, or Koosh ball. Let share if you have found something special to attach to the end of your stringing activity.

This video includes demonstration using an electric toothbrush to make stringing vibration.


Source: How Vibration Helps Children with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders by RecyclingOT

A Few Sensory Activities

One of the things I love about my job is working with individuals with a wide range of abilities.   One young man enjoyed pressing on a water bag placed on top of a light box.

 I made this by filling a heavy duty zip loc baggie with some water, glitter, beads and hair gel. then I put this bag inside another one and covered all edges with duct tape.

I made a 2nd bag by filling it with a lot of hair gel and a eye ball that lights up when you smack it. This was a hit.

The 3rd baggy has glitter and water and a few beads inside. It was leaking  bit so I put the first 2 bags inside a 3rd bag and this seems to be holding up pretty well. One client has found this exciting and it helps him to wait for lunch to be set up and another client told me that it is relaxing.


The bottom left picture shows an individual who  need to work on using his hands together.  He is pressing the clothespins to remove pictures. I cut holes into the plastic frame and wedged the pins into them, duct taped in place on back of the board. I actually cut each picture in half so that he can put them back together later- working on matching skills.

I later cut the yellow plastic board to fit inside the book stand clip and bottom ledge so that it stays in place better. 

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Hanging Hangers Activity

I work with some wonderful staff and one in particular is a great carpenter/activity designer. He attached the suspended dowel from the ceiling so that the individuals (with developmental disabilities) can hang them up. The hangers are on the floor so this gentleman has to repeatedly move up and down to pick them up- receiving wonderful vestibular stimulation.  He enjoys sorting them by color- he chose to do that without being told and it appears to be quite relaxing for him.

The cord holding up the bar is attached to small carabineers and these are attached to small hooks attached to the ceiling. It is not designed to be pulled with force  or hold much weight but it seems to be working really well for this activity.