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Games to Play With Autistic Children

Not only can autistic children learn social and developmental skills while playing games, but they can have fun, too. To increase the possibility of autistic children enjoying games, you must consider their individual abilities, needs and sensitivities when choosing games to play with them. Even though autistic children have autism in common, their response to playing Simon Says, Follow the Leader and Red Light, Green Light may differ drastically.

  1. Simon Says

    • To play Simon Says, choose one child to be the leader, or "Simon." The other children or player must follow Simon's instructions. The players must watch Simon and listen to Simon carefully. Simon may say, "Touch your nose," while Simon's touching an elbow. Whoever touches their elbow instead of their nose is out of the game. The last child still in the game gets to become the new leader. According to the authors of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Simon Says is a good game to try with an autistic child because it mixes "fun, gross motor body movements that supply constant sensory information to the child's brain."

    Follow the Leader

    • Follow the Leader provides similar benefits as Simon Says to autistic children. To play Follow the Leader, one child or adult is the leader. The other players are the followers and must try to duplicate the actions of the leader. Trickery usually isn't involved in this game, but the intensity of the game may change. At one moment the leader may be walking, and then may decide to run around trees. The followers must keep up with the leader. Follow the Leader can be played while standing still, also.

    Red Light, Green Light

    • One player pretends to be a traffic light in Red Light, Green Light. The "traffic light" stands at one end of a room or field, while the other children line up shoulder-to-shoulder on the opposite end. While facing the other children, the person being the traffic light says, "red light." All the players remain still. Then the player turns around and says, "green light," and the other players run toward the leader to be the first to touch him. Before they can tag the person, he spins back around to face them and says, "red light." The game ends when someone touches the leader.

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