Either you are well aware of the term “fidgets” or it is a new concept for you; however, the power of the fidget can be quite useful for many. Fidgets are small hand-held objects that typically have parts that move. Many people think these are either distractions and/or fake ways for students to blame their exceptionalities to be able to access a toy. Or others view them as tools only used successfully for people on the autism spectrum. However; neither of these things lend themselves true. 

While finding myself deep in concentration planning for my next social skills session, I found myself needing to do something with my hands. I reached into my box of tools, and grabbed a spinner. It seemed as long as the spinner was spinning- so were my thoughts. I was then able to put the tool aside to write out my thoughts as I went. As easy as this concept sounds, it was something that I, myself, have never used before. I have also caught my husband with a few as he works on a task that might not come as easily to him. 

While some tools are useful for stimming purposes, they can also be beneficial to keep kids safe in many environments. We see many kids need to use their hands to concentrate, but at times it can be done in harmful ways. As a former teacher of many students with many different needs, I have seen kids rock tables, tap pencils loudly that distract others, and even go as far as hitting others when overstimulated. While I am not saying that a simple fidget toy can stop all the problems in the classroom, I sure have seen it help in many different circumstances.

Some other things that I have seen that are not as small but still could be in the category of “stimming objects” are things like a rubber band that can attach to the bottom of a chair for the purpose of bouncing your feet, a bouncy chair for the same purpose, or chair cushions that have texture and movement to them. These are all ways to move bigger parts of your body than something that goes in your hand.

Fidgets can also be used to promote productivity, calm anxiety, help with boredom, and cause increased focus on a task at hand. What a wonderful thing if used appropriately. At the recent event I attended, I handed these out along with sensory stickers. The sensory stickers were somewhat new to me, but I found them to be exceptional. These stickers can be stuck on anything that goes everywhere with you. I have seen them used on laptops, water bottles, and phones. Not only do they offer stimulation for touch(they have a little texture to them), but they have words to guide people in how to breathe or find their safe space(within themselves).