Finding the right Christmas gifts for children with ASD can be tricky, but gifting your child with a game can be just as helpful as it is fun. ASD kids often have an easier time connecting with digital media, and giving a game opens opportunities for practicing critical thinking skills in and engaging and entertaining way. Considering gifting one of the games below to a child with Autism, and make sure to check out each game’s Playbook to get the most out your child’s game time over the holiday break!

5. UNO

UNO is available fora slew of platforms, including Xbox 360, iPad, and Wii, allowing parents to share the classic game with their kids in a new, interactive way. ASD kids often crave structure, but struggle with social interaction and flexible thinking. UNO is a game with simple rules that is fun to play, giving ASD children the structure they crave while encouraging social interactions. Try playing UNO with your friends and family at your next holiday gathering.

4. Groove Coaster

If your ASD child is a music lover, Groove Coaster offers a fun way to practice Self-Control, Flexibility and Focus — skills children with ASD often struggle with. Gameplay involves tapping out beats in time to music while stylized visuals fill the screen. The game’s pace is fast and hectic, requiring focused attention, precise timing and quick thinking in order to succeed.

3. Portal 2

Portal 2 is an innovative puzzle game great for kids with Autism, as it encourages cooperation, creativity and flexible problem-solving skills. Using a single tool — a portal gun that can create gateways between flat surfaces — players must solve puzzles and manipulate the environment to reach the exit of each room. Players are dropped into puzzles with little instruction — encouraging a creative and open-ended approach — and must bend the rules of physics in their favor to win. The witty dialogue and interesting plot will keep your child engaged in the main story, while the excellent multiplayer mode allows parents and children to work together and enjoy the game in a social atmosphere.

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2. Minecraft

Kids can explore and create their own virtual worlds in Minecraft, with few rules and restrictions to hold them back. This kind of open-ended gamepay can be good for kids with Autism, as they have little structure to rely on in the game. They’ll have to explore and expand their world, building whatever their imagination thinks up. The Xbox 360 version also feature a local multiplayer mode, allowing parents and children to build their world together. This serves as a great way to get kids with ASD who struggle communicating and working with others practicing cooperation and teamwork, making Minecraft a fun way to practice playing with others over the holiday season.

1. New Super Mario Bros. U

The first Mario game in HD, New Super Mario Bros. U allows up to 5 players to join in at once, allowing the whole family to partake in the fun. Sometimes kids with ASD have a hard time working with others, or partaking in spontaneous and shared enjoyment. New Super Mario Bros. U strongly encourages cooperative play, promoting a common interest in achieving a goal. This kind of play can help encourage positive shared emotions, helping ASD kids experience a team mentality in an engaging way.

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