The Impact of Fidget Toys on Story Detail Acquisition and Visual Attention for Elementary Students With Autism

Fidget toys are recommended as “sensory” tools to improve the attention and performance of elementary students with autism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how fidget toys affected the visual attention and skill acquisition of elementary students with autism during storybook reading. Provision of fidget toys was compared with a no-fidget baseline using two separate, concurrent single-case research designs. The provision of fidget toys resulted in a decrease in visual attention for some, but not all, participants. Story detail acquisition was not differentiated between conditions for any participants. Results suggest that the provision of fidget toys may not negatively affect students’ acquisition of story details, despite potential decreases in students’ attention to storybook reading.