The other day, I come into contact with a nun at one of our special needs centers walking two kids who had backpacks on their backs. She is holding their hands tightly and she will not let them go. So though we are friends, she does not shake my hands other than saying a morning.
I go ahead and ask why she is not letting go the restless kids whom it seems want to be let go so that they can go running into the playground.
“They are uncontrollable”, she says.
“In their backpacks are heavy stones that I would not be able to carry. But the stones help them stay focused and contained. They have autism,” she continues
And it is then that it dawns on me why the two kids will not help fidget and not look straight into my eye. They are also nonverbal other than these grunts that they are making.
I go on to explain to the nun that what she is doing is okay but not very effective. Rather than try to contain the kids with a backpack filled with stones, I would rather have their parents get them some weighted jackets and when they arrive at the special needs center, their energies should be explored with a good trampoline.
Benefits of trampoline to autistic kids
We have already explored the benefits of the trampoline to autistic kids. Here they are:
- Improve motor skills
- Way to direct excess and bottled up energy in a kid
- It is fun for the kids as they jump and bounce up and down
- Way to create social interaction and engagement with others.
Since she was already sold about getting the kids some trampoline, I went on to research on the best trampoline for autistic child and here is what I found out.
What to look out for when getting a trampoline for your autistic child
- Safety bars—you want your kid to bounce and jump on the trampoline while ensuring that they are still safe. For younger kids, you might need some safety bars which they hold onto while bouncing up and down. The trampoline should also have a safety net enclosure so that kids do not fall off to the ground that has been found to be the main cause of trampoline-related injuries.
- Can be used both indoors and outdoors—A good trampoline needs to be used both indoors and outdoors as well.
- Offer maximum enjoyment to the kids while allowing them to expend all their bottled-up energies—the trampoline needs to be in good shape and strong enough so that the kids can enjoy it for a long time and will only move off it when they have expended maximum energy on it.
Skybound Mini Indoor Trampoline
When you have a kid with sensory needs, then the best mini indoor trampoline to get them is the Skybound mini trampoline. But why? Because it is made of sturdy dual welded material with removable sturdy handlebars that the kid holds onto as they jump up and down without your having to worry that they might fall off badly.
Related: Tricks for kids to try out on a trampoline
The only notable negative thing we found about this trampoline is that it can only fit one kid. Though it has a weight limit of upto 175lbs, the size of 53×35 inches would not be ideal for more than one kid.
What we loved about the Skybound Mini trampoline
- Very sturdy and strong for your kid to use without yo fearing that it might actually crumble under their weight.
- Has safety handlebars that could be removed. However when removing them, make sure that there are no hard obstacles where the kid might fall off.
- Can be used both indoors and also outdoors.
What we did not like about it
- It is very tiny and would not be used by more than one kid