Autism is a neural development genetic disorder characterized by impaired verbal and non-verbal social abilities as well as repetitive behaviors.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 out of every 1000 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism as of 2012, with the worldwide rates closer to 1 or 2 per 1000 children born.  There is no known cure for autism, although with structured teaching combined with aggressive behavioral and psychosocial therapy, it can be managed and in rare cases full recovery has been achieved.

Clear symptoms of autism usually emerge within the first three years of life, as children with autism begin to develop differently and at times slower than most.  Social and communicative troubles that are visible in autistic toddlers, for example, are that they show less attention to social norms, such as demonstrating an aversion to eye contact, taking turns, simple body movements such as pointing.  Additionally, they may have trouble responding to and imitating certain emotional responses, as well as exhibiting diminished social understanding.  Repetitive behaviors may include compulsive behavior (such as stacking things in lines), ritualistic behavior (unvarying daily patterns), restricted behavior (preoccupation with singular activities, toys, games, etc.), or even self-injury.  While these symptoms alone do not necessarily point to autism, a combination of any of these symptoms could be indicative of an autistic child.   

With the increase in diagnoses and accompanying research into autism, there are now a plethora of autism products available that can help parents and teachers manage their children and students’ autism.  There is a wide variety of autism products available for purchase online at the click of a mouse.  The products include initial assessment kits, books designed to help parents, friends and teachers understand the child’s autism, special furniture and games designed to stimulate and protect autistic children, classrooms aids, learning tools, therapy accessories, autism awareness products and many more.  Most of the prices are fair-valued, cheaper than the listed prices, and are accompanied by pictures and descriptions of the products to make the process of choosing what your child needs simple and easy.

Many autism products are designed to help with certain deficiencies associated with the disorder.  For example, a common problem that autistic children face is dealing with sensory integration.  Sensory integration is the neurological process of organizing various stimuli from the environment, such as visual, auditory, tactile, smell, taste, and balance.  Most people do not have problems with these processes; they are often automatic, unconscious processes happening on a constant basis as we interact with the world around us.  Autistic children, however, can struggle making sense of all the stimulation, which at times can be severely overwhelming and disorientating.  A common response to the over-stimulation can be the development of repetitive behaviors (a common symptom of autism) than can help soothe the overstimulated mind until it can begin to make sense of the stimuli or the environment.

Many autism products are specifically designed to act as occupational therapy for autism by focusing on sensory integration.  One of the most popular sensory integration therapy products includes therapy swings.  The swings can serve as a tool to help autistic children relax and unwind, as the smooth, repetitive, swaying motion can be very calming.  Additionally, swings can provide a sense of equilibrium to the vestibular system as well as providing deep pressure input, which generally makes autistic children feel more in balance with the world around them.  There is a wide-variety of swing options, from hammock-style swings to ones that can even hang in the classroom, thereby providing a medium for unwinding in the occasionally overwhelming classroom environment.

Autism can at times be difficult to deal with; from both the perspective of the child, parent, teacher, and friend.  Autism products can help make life easier for all of those involved, through the purchase of the various products available for purchase online.  While there may be no known cure, these products can help make a tough situation a lot more manageable.