Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects a person’s ability to communicate and comes with different needs. It affects 1 in 88 children, primarily boys. People with ASD can be anywhere from high functioning to dealing with significant disabilities that do not allow them to live independently.
Early diagnosis is key to helping autistic children make sense of their environment and treating symptoms associated with autism. However, because symptoms vary from individual to individual, a treatment plan is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Discover The Different Types of Therapies for Children with Autism.
Depending on your autistic child’s unique needs, a trampoline can be included in the child’s therapy plan.
What Is Trampoline Therapy?
A child with autism spectrum disorder can struggle with proprioceptive input. This means that they have difficulty interpreting sensations from joints, ligaments, muscles, or tendons. Autistic children can also be hypersensitive to touch, and they might constantly touch themselves or apply too much pressure when writing or coloring.
They might also struggle with vestibular input, which makes them sensitive to balance and movement sensations. They might be thrill seekers or have trouble staying seated, so a trampoline is a way to give them the perfect activity to work on their sensory development.
In short, trampoline therapy, or rebound therapy, refers to using trampolines to improve an autistic child’s mental and physical health. Rebound therapy has many benefits, from fostering calm, aiding in sensory imbalances, increasing body awareness, or releasing dopamine—because jumping on a trampoline is fun!
The reason why trampolines work is because of the rhythmic movement of the trampoline, which satisfies sensory needs.
The Benefits of Trampoline for Kids
Autistic children can enhance their motor skills and benefit from movement. In addition, exercise is a great way to get the blood flowing through your body. Any growing child needs exercise to be healthy—and it instills healthy life habits early on.
Any child likes to jump, run, or climb, so jumping on a trampoline can be an exhilarating and joyful experience. The constant repetition of movement creates a calming effect that can significantly benefit kids who struggle to focus.
The best part is that you can use the trampoline as often or as little throughout the day. But let’s take a look at the benefits of trampolines for autism:
Improve Sensory Skills
Children with ASD are stressed and uncomfortable when sensory input becomes overwhelming. They can be easily triggered by loud noises, bright lights, or textures. The physical motion of up and down of the trampoline helps children interpret the sensory signals better than other types of comforting back and forth rocking. Furthermore, it helps children develop better balance skills.
Stress-Reliever
Exercise usually helps you deal with stress. A fun bounce on a trampoline can help alleviate stress and anxiety that often trouble children with autism. The exercise also develops important muscles, as well as confidence. As a result, children reduce the stress they feel when exposed to stimuli from the outside world.
Helps Kids Relate to Others
Many children with autism have difficulty relating to peers or making friends. Children can engage with others in a stress-free way.
Helps Calm Down
The bouncing channels the nervous energy away from the child’s body and relaxes the mind. Even if it seems counterintuitive, your child will feel less anxious and calmer.
It’s Great Exercise
Bouncing is a simple yet effective workout for your whole body. It helps with muscle strength, ligaments, and tendons and teaches children how to interact with the physical world around them.
For autistic children, trampolines provide a safe and comfortable outlet for excess energy. It’s a safe (keeps safe from bumps and bruises than other activities) and more productive way for children with autism to engage in repetitive behavior by jumping on the trampoline.
Develops Motor Skills
Bouncing on the trampoline helps develop better coordination and balance that improves with frequent play sessions.
The Best Trampoline for Children with Autism
When choosing a trampoline, it’s best to determine whether your autistic child will enjoy bouncing on the trampoline or not. You can take your kid to a local trampoline center to see how they react. It’s important to remember that some children find the high level of activity there to be stressful, so choose a time when it’s quiet and least busy. Plan your visit accordingly.
A parent knows his child best, so if your little one tends to engage in self–stimulatory behavior such as jumping up and down, they will probably like going on the trampoline.
There are also different types of trampolines you can choose from, including small indoor models with handrails or more lightweight trampolines with safety features for toddlers. Large outdoor trampolines can let your children enjoy freedom—and the safety net prevents painful accidents.
Trampolines come in different shapes, sizes, features, and price ranges—this means that there are lots of options available. It would help if you looked for trampolines based on size, age, and other characteristics.
We’ve included a list of the best trampolines to accommodate every child’s unique needs.
Wamkos Mini Trampoline
This trampoline has a dinosaur and woodland camo design that is great for children who are dinosaurs fans. It’s great for after-school fun and perfect for exercise—it helps develop strength, balance, stamina, and coordination. It has a foldable design, so you can quickly assemble or disassemble it. The trampoline meets US safety standards.
The mini trampoline is sturdy and has a great bounce. The jumping mat is ultra-quiet and has forgiving shock absorption. The rubber-tipped legs prevent scuffing.
Skywalker Trampolines
This brand’s products are tested for safety and durability, so you know your children can play safely on the trampoline. This mini trampoline features 25 bungees instead of steel springs for added protection. It also has a 360-degree padded handlebar that offers stability. The enclosure net is sewn directly to the jumping mat to eliminate gaps.
The trampoline has a fun lily-pad theme that encourages learning while playing. It also introduces children to an active lifestyle—the children will burn energy while also improving coordination and developing gross motor skills.
Langxun Trampoline
Langxun offers reliable and high-quality products. The trampoline has a seamless design between the enclosure and the mat so the children won’t get stuck in the gap. The design of the trampoline ensures more space for the child to jump—and it’s durable and comfortable. The trampoline also has an adjustable basketball hoop and a children’s dartboard for extra fun!
Bluerise Trampoline
This outdoor trampoline has thickened iron tubes to ensure the safety of children in all aspects. In addition, it has enhanced spring properties, one-third stronger than ordinary trampolines. The Bluerise trampoline has the TUV professional quality inspection certificate so that the children can enjoy the trampoline experience safely.
Little Tikes Trampoline
This trampoline is perfect for toddlers to burn energy, but it’s designed for indoors only. It’s a small trampoline, so only one kid can use it at a time. Made with a plastic and metal combination, the trampoline features a large jumping surface and a handlebar for stability.
You can also look for an alternative: a bouncing castle. Little Tikes offers an excellent bouncy castle loved by many satisfied parents. The castle has three mesh slides that protect the children—and let parents watch the fun. The stakes anchor places the bouncer firmly in place and has a heavy-duty blower that provides continuous airflow. The little ones can jump, slide, and bounce around—it inflates in minutes and is compact enough for safe storage.
Asee’m Trampoline
This trampoline is quiet and stable due to the two large suction cups designed under each U-shaped leg. It has a humanized design, so you don’t have to worry about the trampoline shaking or overturning when jumping on fiercely. The suction cups also don’t damage the floor or make any noise.
The trampoline is designed with safety in mind, even if it can hold 220lb. It has a high-density elastic enclosure net which is comfortable and durable—keeping kids away from danger. You can also move the trampoline in and out as you please.
Jump Power Trampoline
The Jump Power brand is dedicated to trampolines' highest specification and quality. They offer safe trampolines without compromising quality and safety. They utilize the latest technology for a fun, safe, and long-lasting toy.
The trampoline features an enter and exit safety net enclosure with a full-length zipper. All the poles are padded for extra safety. In addition, it has a swing that can be removed and used.