7 Activities to Do with Children with Asperger's

Children with Asperger's have difficulties when it comes to communication and social interaction. Here are some activities to help.
7 Activities to Do with Children with Asperger's

Last update: 25 April, 2021

It’s very important to stimulate the social and psychological development of children with Asperger’s. By doing so, you’ll be able to enhance their abilities and help them overcome some of their limitations. This is especially true when it comes to socialization and communication, which is where they tend to have the most problems. Let’s take a look at some activities to do with children with Asperger’s.

These children may have a lot of difficulty when it comes to communicating and social interaction, but their level of development is normal. That means, children with this syndrome don’t have intellectual problems; their language develops the same as any other child. However, raising children with this condition can be complicated if you don’t know how to stimulate them correctly.

Children with Asperger’s: What to know

When doing these activities, it’s important to understand the symptoms and characteristics of Asperger’s in children, and how the condition presents itself.

High interest in certain topics

Children with Asperger’s will show great interest in subjects like computers, animals, music, painting, cars, dinosaurs, etc. So, you can use some of the topics that interest them to create a greater bond with them. Also, you can take advantage of that interest in order to work with them.

7 Activities to Do with Children with Asperger's

They tend to be very objective, analytical, and literal

Children with this condition often prefer activities that use logic. They feel safer with things that have a routine and that are repetitive. That’s because they don’t deal with change very well.

They look at language literally

These kids don’t grasp irony and, as a result, they take everything you say literally. However, you can also work with them in this area so they better understand that way of speaking, but it will be difficult for them.

Activities to do with children with Asperger’s

Next, we’re going to look at a series of activities that will help stimulate children with this syndrome. Most of these activities will work on communication and socialization, in addition to other skills.

Pass the ball

This game is very easy. Whether you’re playing at home or at school, all you have to do is pass the ball to each other. Then, whenever you catch the ball, you have to say one of its characteristics. This game will help your child work on socialization and interaction with other kids. 

Mimicry: what emotion do I feel?

Children with Asperger’s have a hard time identifying emotions in others by looking at their facial expressions. In addition, they have a hard time observing and expressing their own. 

That’s why this activity is great. You can do it one-on-one with your child or with a group of children. First, the adult will choose an emotion and act it out. Then, they’ll explain a situation that might make them feel that way. The goal is for the child to be able to guess what the emotion is and then to try displaying it themselves.

Crafting and building inspired games

Like we said before, children with Asperger’s are very fond of activities that involve logic. For that reason, you can use LEGO-type construction games, puzzles, crafts, clay or have them make plastic figurines, etc.

In addition to developing their cognitive skills, creativity and fine motor skills, these activities may also be useful when your child is feeling anxious. They could help them relax.

Games and sports

Physical activity is important for good psychomotor development in children. As long as you gradually introduce your child to the sport, and you don’t throw them into a large group of children, they’ll be able to participate.

Also, activities where you have to wait your turn, like hide-and-seek, are great for children with Asperger’s.

Mirror

The mirror game is another imitation activity where your child will need to pay attention to other people’s behaviors and learn different skills. This activity can be done in a group or between two people. 

First, one person or child stands in front of everyone else. If there’s only two people playing, they’ll just face one another. Then, that person will start by carrying out some simple actions and then, as the child starts to master the skill, they’ll increase the difficulty of the actions. This encourages communication and interaction between children. 

Share what they know with others

As we mentioned earlier, children with Asperger’s tend to become experts in the topics that they’re extremely interested in. You can take advantage of their expertise and have them teach others about the topic, which will help them with interaction, autonomy, and leadership.

7 Activities to Do with Children with Asperger's

Pictionary

Children with this syndrome sometimes have a hard time making interpretations. With Pictionary, which is a game you’ve probably heard of or played, you can have them practice interpreting what they see.

This game consists of pairing players up and having one member of the team draw something. Then, the other partner has to try to guess what it is, without any other hints. This game helps to stimulate language and interaction. 

Conclusion

As you can see, these activities for children with Asperger’s aren’t complicated at all and can help you stimulate your child. These exercises and games can help with the areas that your child has the greatest difficulties in: communication and social interaction.

In addition, you can put them into practice as a family at home, or even at school. Any time is a good time to have fun while also stimulating other skills that will continue to help them in the future. 

 


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Cererols, R. (2011). Descubrir el asperger. Ramon Cererols.
  • Rosa Piquero, Y. D. L. (2019). Microprograma de intervención psicopedagógica para el tratamiento de niños con Asperger a través del Arteterapia.
  • Flamarique-Lizarbe, L. (2013). Propuesta de actividades para la mejora de habilidades sociales en alumnos de 3º de Educación Primaria con Síndrome de Asperger (Bachelor’s thesis).

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.