Big blocks among children on the autism spectrum

Aleksandra Pacholik, a psychologist and therapist, writes: “Playing with Mammutico is extremely valuable for children with emotional difficulties. For withdrawn and shy people, big blocks allow them to feel more confident by increasing their sense of competence. On the other hand, children with oppositional behavior can safely discharge their energy with foam pieces that are soft and quiet.”

Emotional difficulties or oppositional behavior are some of the characteristics of children on the autism spectrum. In order to check in practice how our blocks would work in such a group, we asked for help from teachers and psychologists from the Private Primary School in Pruszkow for children with autism spectrum disorders "Przylądek". For several weeks, students from this facility could use our largest set of SIMPLE bricks. We got a lot of very positive feedback. Each child used the blocks according to their individual needs. Some children needed to discharge their energy, others to focus on the implementation of the plan, and others were practicing cooperation.

Below is the opinion of one of the teachers of the Przylądek school, who was able to work with the group during classes with Mammutico blocks on a daily basis.

Mammutico blocks are a perfect tool for working with children with autism spectrum disorders.

Justyna Pawłowska - Psychologist/special educator. For 10 years, she has been working as a teacher at Przylądek

"Mammutico blocks are a perfect tool for working with children with autism spectrum disorders. They work well on many levels of tasks, which makes them a universal aid for both fun and learning.

At the beginning, it is worth emphasizing that the Mammutico blocks are simply very attractive for all children, not just those with autism. Large, unusual elements evoke positive emotions, and this gives a good start to any activities for which they are used.

When working with an autistic child, we rely on specifics so that he or she can manipulate objects. Mammutico blocks, thanks to their size allow for building huge constructions. The large size of the elements makes it very easy to create a building, so even those children who have problems with motor coordination can easily erect the simplest tower. The fact that the created structure can be larger than its creator is an additional advantage that encourages action and gives great satisfaction at the same time.

Large bricks, windows and pillars allow for perfect obstacle courses adapted to children's abilities. Children take part in creating obstacles and then overcome them. Thanks to this, they practice physical fitness, ambidextrousness, as well as orientation and spatial planning. Plus blocks normalize muscle tension, and moving several elements also affects deep feeling.

Children on the autism spectrum often have a disorder called tactile hypersensitivity, which means that even the most delicate touch stimuli cause excessive emotional reactions or distraction. The material used to make the blocks is very pleasant to the touch. This makes tactile defensive children able and even willing to play with them. It is worth mentioning here that all elements are also very safe, they do not have sharp edges or cracks that can cut the skin. This is an extremely important aspect when working with children with various difficulties, both physical and emotional.

Autism spectrum disorders are often perceived through the prism of a complete lack of interest in other people, withdrawal from social relationships. Nevertheless, thanks to repeated simple social behaviors, models can be presented to the child, safe strategies of appropriate behavior, which will be an example to follow, and then the basis for modification and use in various situations. Therefore, it is worth for the child to assimilate as many elements of appropriate behavior as possible and "train" them in various social and social situations.Playing with large blocks is a great tool for this type of work. It allows you to build relationships in a group, strengthens its integration and shapes the ability to play together. Depending on the scenario set by the teacher, classes with large blocks can be a daily social skills training.

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