When not working at Co-op Financial Services as a project manager, Jessica Rieper spends her time blogging. Jessica Rieper writes on “Issac’s World” about autism and autism awareness.
Fidgets toys gained popularity over the past decade (particularly fidget spinners), but began as tools for children with conditions like autism and ADHD. Fidgets work by offering an additional form of stimulation. This stimulation is often tactile, but can also be auditory or visual, as different people operate best under different conditions. They have many benefits, including helping increase focus and assisting in teaching impulse control.
The classification of fidgets is also relatively new. People have been clicking pencils and keeping smooth stones in their pockets since long before the first dedicated fidget toys were made. While the fidget spinner is the most well-known of the toys, they can take many forms, including slime, putty, textured pencil grips, and stress balls.
The increased popularity of the toys helped destigmatize the use of fidgets, and growing demand improved the variety offered. However, fidgets aren’t technically toys. They are tools, backed by studies and reviews, and can provide benefits to specific populations. To have them classified as toys is worrying to parents and others who rely on them.
Jessica Rieper 