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Now Reading: 10 Greatest Autism Inventions Of The Past 100 Years (at least in my household)

10 Greatest Autism Inventions Of The Past 100 Years (at least in my household)

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(originally written & published on March 3, 2012)

Everybody’s always RAVING about the Ipad and how it’s the greatest invention for asd kids and it is GREAT.  My 8 year old son with severe / classic / non-verbal autism has an Ipad and I wrote a post singing its praises (you can read that HERE), but lately every day it’s the little things in life that I’ve been noticing. 

So I decided to salute the inventors of the little things that have improved my asd kid’s life and in some cases saved his life and in some cases save his life on a daily basis!
I’m sure a few of these are unique to my household and my autism lifestyle, but I’m sure there will be a few on my list that many other autism parents can relate to.
So here’s 10 inventions that when they were invented had no idea they would have such a huge impact on my and my asd son’s life… 

1) CHEERIOS

What would my son’s life be like without cheerios?  How would he get ANY vitamins in his system?  Through all the different food phases he went through, except for the year plus when he was on the GFCF diet, cheerios has been his one constant.  
So who invented this miracle food? 
According to the website whoinventedit.net
Who invented Cheerios? General Mills employee Lester Borchadt has the credit for the creation of the breakfast cereal. The product was created in 1941 and it was introduced to the public as Cheeri Oats. General Mills received complaints from another firm that used the same brand name. To resolve the issue, the company decided to change the name of the merchandise to Cheerios in 1945.
At the time that the merchandise was offered to the public, many consumers became interested with the product because it is the original ready-to-eat oat breakfast. Cheerios was first offered to the consumers at Golden Valley in Minnesota. To improve the sales from the product, the firm introduced a mascot of a cartoon character named Cheeri O’Leary.
Thank you Lester!  This autism daddy salutes you!

2) TIVO / DVR

This is one of the greatest inventions for both kids with autism and their parents.  Having the ability to not fumble around with dvd’s and having Kyle’s favorite shows stored in the dvr and ready to go at a seconds notice (unless Kyle has hid or broken the remote) is a godsend.  But maybe more importantly having mommy & daddy’s favorite shows stored for when the kid finally falls is asleep is even more of a miracle!
I’m finding it hard to figure out who invented the dvr, but I did find this interesting tidbit on ehow.com 
The first device to record a video signal to a spinning disk (i.e., a hard drive) in real-time actually dates back to 1965 and an experiment done by CBS. This primitive predecessor to the DVR was released commercially by Ampex in 1967 and was called the HS-100. The Ampex device was large and held only 30 seconds of video, making it seem practically useless in comparison to the DVR units of today.
There is heated debate as to whether the Ampex HS-100 can truly be called the first DVR. Although the signal was recorded to a fixed, spinning disk in real-time, the signal being recorded was analog–like the signal recorded with a VCR. The idea of a digital video signal did not exist in the 60s.
The first Digital Video Recorder unit was we know it was made by TiVo in 1999. It had only a 14GB hard drive and could record about 14 hours of digital video. Although it was groundbreaking at the time, this first TiVo unit held barely one-tenth of what even the most modest DVR units would hold 10 years later.

I salute you little Tivo man!

3) MELATONIN

What more can I say about melatonin?  I’ve written about it and sung its praises many times before (like HERE).
But again melatonin has vastly improved Kyle’s sleep schedule and routine and therefore his quality of life and therefore mom & dad’s quality of life.
It doesn’t always work. And when it does work it sometimes helps him fall asleep but doesn’t always keep him asleep. I’m always tweaking & adjusting the dosage. But all in all it’s been a godsend and Kyle’s been using it for almost 3 years now with no side effects that we know of….unless you consider drowsiness and 8+ hours of blissful sleep most nights a side effect.   🙂
But who discovered melatonin?  I found this on the NY Times website

In 1958, Dr. Aaron Lerner, an expert on skin pigmentation disorders who trained in both chemistry and medicine, led a Yale team that isolated a hormone from the pineal gland within the brain. In laboratory experiments on frogs, the researchers found that the compound could lighten skin color and theorized that it might have applications in treating human skin disorders. Dr. Lerner named the hormone melatonin, and the team’s findings were announced in The Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Subsequent investigations revealed that melatonin did not hold the key to treating disruptions in skin pigmentation like vitiligo. Research by others has since uncovered the hormone’s importance in maintaining the circadian rhythm of rest and wakefulness, and it is now used to treat sleeplessness and jet lag.
Thank you Dr. Lerner!  You are like Columbus!  You didn’t find what you were looking for, but you found something even better!  We asd parents salute you!  I want to kiss you on the mouth!  🙂

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4) MICROWAVE POPCORN

How many bags of microwave popcorn has my son eaten in his life?!  No way to keep track of that.  He is ADDICTED to the stuff and when he’s in a phase where he’s not eating enough and his appetite is decreased and he’s in danger of losing weight (which has happened before), microwave popcorn is used to pack on some extra calories.  Thankfully Kyle likes the cheap & simple stuff.  Store brand “natural” kind…  When there’s a 10 boxes for $10 sale we stock up!
But who invented microwave popcorn?
From “Yahoo Answers”

In 1946 Dr. Percy Spencer of the Raytheon Corporation was experimenting with a magnetron (a new type of vacuum tube) when he noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. He was curious, so he placed some popcorn kernels next to the magnetron and turned it on – the popcorn popped. After experimenting with various other food items, he and Raytheon realized they were on to something and continued on to develop the first microwave oven.
Dr. Spencer holds that patent on microwave popcorn, while the patent on the microwave popping bag is held by Lawrence C. Brandberg and David W. Andreas, who filed for the patent in 1973 while working at Pillsbury.
Conagra Foods ACT I was an early microwave popcorn that had to be stored in the refrigerator. In 1984 ACT II, a shelf-stable microwave popcorn, hit the stage. It was the first mass-marketed microwave popcorn.

All Hail Dr. Spencer!!

5) SENOKOT.

Kyle’s gone thru phases where he’s had major stomach issues, where he’s had major stomach pain and/or been constipated.
Now i know some of you are gonna say that’s from too much popcorn or Cheerios.  🙂   Or too much sugar, too much/not enough fiber,  he should be GFCF, he has yeast issues, etc, etc, etc.   It doesn’t matter. We’ve tried the diets and the yeast and other gut things and he went thru stomach pain/ constipation phases thru them all.
So now we just give him a senokot every night or every other night and it helps keep him regular and happy.
Who invented it?  Don’t know, but it’s over 45 years old and I found this info on the senokot website.
What is senokot?
1. What Is The Natural Vegetable Laxative Ingredient in Senokot® Products?
Senna has been grown for use as a laxative since ancient Egyptian times. After being ground to a fine powder, the senna undergoes a scientific “standardization process” to ensure consistent potency with every recommended dose.
2. How does Senokot work?
Senna contains sennosides (also known as “anthraquinone glycosides”), active ingredients also found in foods such as rhubarb, which in themselves have no activity in the upper gut. In the bowel, however, they are activated by bacteria present, and are able to gently stimulate the nerves which regulate bowel movement. This in turn leads to peristalsis (rhythmical muscular contractions) and the passage of stools.

I guess we have the Egyptians and the Senna plant to thank… So thank you!

6) SCUNCI HAIR TIES

You know those little black bands that you women leave all over every door knob in the house?  Well we use them as security locks on cabinets all over our house. 

For a kid that’s been known to eat dish soap or any bottle under the sink that looks pretty they are a life saver.  They are better and cheaper than the “child proof cabinet locks” that you can get at Target or Bed Bath because they require no installation, and if you really wrap that sucker on there it’s like the fortress of solitude, nobody’s getting in there!  Why not just use a rubber band you ask?  We’ve tried that, but rubber bands are breakable, these are unbreakable and seem to be indestructible.
Who knows how many calls to poison control have been averted due to the magic of this 99 cent store staple?  So all hail the Scunci Hair Tie!
Who invented it?  My Internet is not telling me, but this Autism Daddy wants to kiss that inventor, male or female, alive or dead, ON THE MOUTH!!

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7) CHILD PROOF PILL BOTTLE

How would we live or survive without the child proof pill bottle?  Elderly people are always bitching & complaining about how hard it is to open these suckers, but it’s like that for a reason!  So little kids and MY 8 year old son with autism can’t open them.  Who knows how many trips to the ER have been avoided because of this invention.  There’s a few fine motor skills that I NEVER plan on even attempting to teach my asd son.  One is opening pill bottles, the other is unlocking my basement door, and a third is unraveling a Scunci Hair Tie that’s wrapped around a cabinet door. 
So who invented the first child proof bottle?  It’s not clear, but here’s a wee bit of history…
In 1970, the US Congress passed the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA)  requiring that drugs and some household chemicals like furniture polish be sold in child-resistant packages.The legislation can be found on this link http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/pppa.pdf
The FDA assumed responsibility until 1973 when the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was established. They are now responsible for administering the regulations. They are guided by the FDA as to whether a medicine or drug falls under the act. http://www.cpsc.gov/
The first drug to come under the legislation was asprin.
“The Unites States Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) of 1970 was enacted to prevent young children from accidentally ingesting hazardous substances ordinarily stored about the house. The law requires toxic, corrosive, or irritative substances to be packaged in such a way that it will be difficult for children less than 5 years to open them, yet not difficult for adults to open. The first product to fall under this law was aspirin, on August 8, 1972, with the law gradually encompassing more and more hazardous substances, including some prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.”
I was born in 1970.  So I guess prior to 1970 kids were dropping like flies.  See the good ol’ days weren’t always good.  Sometimes government regulation is important & saves lives!
8) TRAMPOLINE

Who knew that something invented back in 1935 would have such a huge impact in my ASD son’s life. We have an indoor trampoline and a backyard trampoline and when the king is having a stimmy day there’s no better way to expend that energy than jumping it out on the trampoline for a few minutes.
So who do we have to thank for inventing the trampoline?
The manufactured trampoline, as we know it today, was created by two men, George Nissen and Larry Griswold, allegedly in George’s garage. One day in 1935, with the help of the wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, Nissen and Griswold bolted together an iron frame. A piece of canvas, in which they had inserted grommets along each side, was then attached to the frame by using springs. This was the first trampoline. Nissen called it a Trampoline after hearing “El trampolin” (Spanish for diving board), on a performance tour in Mexico around this time, and registered the term as a trademark. In 1942, Griswold and Nissen decided to formalise their small operation of making trampolines. They created the Griswold-Nissen Trampoline & Tumbling Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and history was made….
George & Larry, from all the autism parents out there, we salute you!

9) SWING SET
This is another way for my asd son to work out his energy and/ or get over a meltdown quicker.  Go swinging!  We have an indoor door frame swing

and we have a swing set in the backyard.  When in doubt, put him on the swing?  So who invented this amazing concept?
It’s actually a fascinating story that you can read at http://www.outdoorfunstore.com/Playground-History_c_1953.html but the abridged version is…

In 1912, the University of Virginia Summer School for teachers began educating “county school teachers in equipping their own yards with playground apparatus.” The University designed and constructed a “fine playground” to illustrate and supplement the classroom instruction in playground methods. The equipment was used constantly during the six weeks of summer school session, and then was dismantled and stored away to be used again at subsequent sessions. The apparatus included: a sandbox or sand pile, a balancing tree, jump standards, a see-saw, a slide, a swing frame with sliding poles and ladder, a flying dutchman, and a giant stride. All of the equipment was home-made and inexpensive. According to state government records the boys and girls of Charlottesville, Virginia duplicated some of this apparatus at their own homes and in vacant lots around town.

So thank yo University Of Virgina!  We autism parents salute you!
10) CHILD SAFETY LOCKS (to lock the back seat doors of cars)

This one saves my son’s life ON A DAILY BASIS!  This is that little latch on your car door that makes it impossible for someone to open the door from the inside.  When I’m driving my son to school in my Toyota Camry he’s CONSTANTLY fiddling with the handle, trying to open the door.  Not because he wants out, but just because he can.  Because he can reach it.  And he’s getting taller and bigger, but it’s very satisfying knowing that he can’t get out. 
If this invention didn’t exist my kid would’ve been dead a hundred times over…or we’d need to keep him handcuffed or in a straight jacket while driving in the car.   🙂
I can’t find any info about who invented this or the history of it.  All I can find is that it started becoming standard on cars in the 1980s.  What did asd parents do before that??  And who invented this?  I need to know who to salute!  This is probably the greatest of them all!
That’s it!  Those are my 10.  Whataya think?  Do you have any other inventions that you would add to your list?
THE END!

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Written by

Frank Campagna

I’m a 48 year old neurotypical dad with a 14 year old son with severe, non-verbal autism & epilepsy. I created this blog to rant about autism & epilepsy while celebrating my son who I affectionately call “the king” :-).


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80 People Replies to “10 Greatest Autism Inventions Of The Past 100 Years (at least in my household)”

  1. Anonymous

    Government regulation equals left wing liberal! Autism daddy is a left wing liberal!

  2. Anonymous

    Great ideas! For omega 3, I give my son DHA Junior by Nordic Naturals from the health food store. It's for kids 3+ and comes in different flavors. I give it to him after supper on a full stomach and a piece of chocolate just in case of after taste. My son also loves making fruit smoothies and making snow angels (even if it's on the Walmart floor in front of the tv camera LOL). Graham crackers also come in animal shapes now. Other great foods are alphaghetti and alphabet soup. He loves the magnetic numbers and letters on my fridge too! Winners also has natural lollipops. He also loves the kinder surprise advent calendar, my calculator, blowing bubbles, and swimming. I give him marshmallows or chocolate chips for rewards. Also one piece snowsuits at H&M and bogs boots are great for dressing and undressing. There are also edible chew strings, etc. available. This is a great way to keep up to date on new things to try for your kids! Hope these help you too.

  3. We use the melatonin, and it works most nights. She also has to have a fan on to sleep, no matter what time of year. Her xbox360, her dog, Pepperoni, hot dogs, and cinnamon toast crunch (which we put in a bowl and she eats with her tongue) and lots and lots of soft fuzzy robes, because she refuses to wear clothes most days.

  4. Our 6 year old daughter with classic autism loves her Cheerios too! She prefers the chocolate kind. Her favorite thing is YouTube and apps on our IPhone. She also loves for us to draw scenarios for her. Anything that draws her attention at school, she wants us to draw a picture of when she comes home. A trampoline will be coming for Christmas, along with Tivo and a swing set. She will love them all. Thanks for the list. It really helped me to relate to others with autism and to know we are not in this alone.

  5. So true about hair ties! They work great for extending the use of pre-pregnancy jeans during pregnancy as well. And just used the hair tie childproofing trick on a recent vacation to childproof our rental condo – it's a great on-the-go childproofing trick too. More on that, and a link to your helpful post, here: http://hintmama.com/2014/08/05/todays-hint-how-hair-ties-can-help-you-childproof-on-the-go/

  6. Anonymous

    wow,,, i was lookin to build swing myself and google got me to this page!! Guess what,, i am Mr yet another Autism Daddy!

  7. e4

    Great list, and very similar to ours. For popcorn, we use the NordicWare microwave popcorn (we buy popcorn kernels the way we buy rice — 50 lbs at a time), we use probiotics in place of Senekot, and Netflix in place of Tivo (though we have that too). But otherwise we're right there with you…

  8. The Ipad. It keeps DS entertained and occupied especially while traveling in the car.

    1. Anonymous

      yes Ipad..is the best one 🙂 and earphone too because it's quite tiring to keep remind him not too loud.

  9. Let me start by saying wow! I agree with everything on your list! I was sent from someone on Facebook. I wanted to check this all out. In my opinion, anyone raising an autistic child is a hero. Im raising 3 beautiful daughters that are all severe autistic. Non verbal. My oldest is 8 and the twins are 5. The twins suffer with Pica and one of the twins have a cyst on her brain. We have our good days and our bad days. Autism Therapy Dogs was brought to my attention. I checked it out and wow Im amazed what they can do. I wish I could give that to my daughters to make their lives safer.

  10. Very cool. It is very inspiring that we find the same things help our children

  11. Anonymous

    Yay for cheerios! Invented right up the road from my work.

  12. Vionisia

    Netflix for my son's fav cartoon & movies on our PS3 and our tablets, Popsicles, all cookies & graham crackers, baby blankets, bathtubs, his lullaby star projector for sleeping, all toy cars, & hersheys chocolate 🙂

  13. Anonymous

    Roku media streaming system has been a life-saver for movies. Tons of money no longer wasted on DVDs that were scratched the first week. And Starfall (learning website), it's the bomb and I swear he is learning more on it than at his school!

  14. All of these! #11 IPad (or any portable tablet with wifi) for streaming netflix, amazon prime, games, etc to keep the kidlet busy in Dr offices, restaurants, the car…

  15. We don't have the space for a trampoline or a swing set unfortunately, and we haven't had to use anything like Senekot…but I agree with you on EVERYTHING! Both my boys love trampolines and bounces houses and Toby, the little one, is obsessed with the swing set at their social group that they go to. We have thought about one of those indoor swings…

  16. Anonymous

    The exercise ball – best thing ever!

  17. I have to add to this list the Cardinal Gates Door Guardian! It keeps my son in the house and gives us the security of any wandering!

  18. Anonymous

    Great list Most of the them in my house especially trampoline and of course the big bruise he has on his forehead today because of the trampoline

  19. Anonymous

    Looked for that big bouncing exercise ball for expending energy on your list too. Great list – and more great additions in the Comments.
    Jo

  20. I have to agree with all of those & add 1 from our house….yoga/exercise balls, she loves them as much as the trampoline =)

  21. Anonymous

    A wooden carrot that goes everywhere with him, don't know why but all hell breaks loose if it's missing. Kid safe YouTube with abc songs and Louie's world in every language but English!! Headphones for the iPad to provide respite for me listening to the same thing over and over and over………..

    1. Anonymous

      I understand completely. During my son's kindergarten year, he had to had to had to bring a copy of the periodic table of the elements and a plastic Wendy's fork *everywhere*. I've just learned to tune out the over and over and over and over again. 🙂

  22. Anonymous

    all ten plus SPROUT and NICKJR (used to be NOGGIN – without these two channels my son would still be non-verbal), lava-lamps, spinning light globes, snow globes and starwars movies LOL

  23. Serenity

    Ear plugs. I have sensory integration disorder and ear plugs are my life saver. Ear muffs, too. And tagless shirts and underoos and no seam socks and leggings (I turn them inside out and put them under thermal). Do you know they have cotton thermal now? Heaven!

  24. hershey caramel kisses make it hard to whine getting on the bus 😡

  25. I'm thankful for many of those wonderful things too. Popcorn, DVR, starcraft and Metamucil!!!!

  26. I agree with all for my autistic daughter. Pill bottles though are not safe for a non autistic 2 year old. I would remind you of the computer as a best invention with the internet. Where else can you vent and talk to tons of others in similar situations such as your own? In our home pets are also used a lot in therapies. Dogs, cats, horses, cows…… all are good for our girl! Always good to remember the good things!

  27. The printer/copy machine. We have labels and schedules posted everywhere. I make copies of lists for Scout leaders, teachers, aides, relatives, babysitters, etc. Love my copier!

  28. Anonymous

    Chewey tubes!!!!!!!!!! My son had a pacifier until he was six. When he didnt habe his binkey he would put anything in his mouth/lick anything. He goes crazy if he is having an off moment/meltdown and doesnt have something with just the right texture that is just the right size, etc to chew and suck on. The chewy tubes are such a blessing!

  29. michele

    I'll add the wiggles(when my son was younger) and scooby doo now, crayons, toy magazine, chicken nuggets and pizza.

  30. Anonymous

    I love it – for us 1) Ipods 2)laptop

  31. sara

    I will add one. As I sit here rocking my 9 yr old a rocking recliner is a must in this house. Oh and a VCR!!

  32. Anonymous

    velcro!!! for his picture schedules.

    duct tape – for covering holes in the walls. You can buy it the same color as the paint. Then when the "making holes" period passes and you have enough money, you can get the drywall guy to come and fix them all at once.

    spandex underware – those of you with teenage boys might understand this one. Really reduces the hands-in-pants syndrome. Those of you with younger boys… shudder now. It's coming.

    internet – for research for me. I wouldn't have found the time to search for treatment, funding, service providers, etc if not for this tool that you can use in the middle of the night.

  33. Anonymous

    Just so people know they now make melatonin in dissolving strips now. Our son has to have apple jacks, chocolate icecream, and John Deere tractors. That's just a few of the must haves.

  34. Anonymous

    Thanking for a friend who told me to provide swing, a habit every morning while drinking milk and like also pop corn, i know now it's a great help to him.
    encountered lose of him almost two hours because of our padlocks, now, have to double lock up/down…Angelzmom/kristian

  35. Anonymous

    Code locks on bedroom doors (not our autistic kid's door — no locks on there) and back to back code lock on the front door. Don't let the autistic kid see you put in the number, sometimes mine has to turn around before I open the door.
    It gives your home that chic "bank vault" vibe.
    A keyed deadbolt may be illegal, you can find a sympathetic locksmith or install it yourself. We used to have one and I figured our risk of fire, although real and scary, was less than the risk that our autistic kid would run away.
    We also have a padlock on the fridge — Meg

  36. Christine Fox

    Just 2 words… Games Console! 😉

  37. Anonymous

    One son couldn't live without the internet and the other you tube!

  38. Anonymous

    The Internet! So I know I'm not alone.

  39. Anonymous

    Hi i'm doing a project on inventions and was thinking if there was any invention for autistic children which I can improve on. Do you have any problems with any inventions you are currently using for autistic children?

    1. Diapers that my children cannot remove would be great, lol.

  40. Anonymous

    I am not an ASD mom but I am a mother of 2. I have a friend who is an ASD mommy and it's through her FB posts that I came across this. All of these things were also staples in my home! I commend all of you for being just plain awesome! I get frusterated with my children in general and could not imagine what you all deal with on a daily basis!!! From one parent to another ASD or not KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!

  41. I love your list and I would have to say I've used every one with the exception of the hairties on the cabinet doors. My son figured out the safety latches on the neighbor's cabinets at 18 mos (and taught her son to open them as well!) I have just always kept dangerous things up high and only stored things like pots and pans and tupperware in the bottom cabinets.
    I would add fish oil to the list for me-my son gets melatonin and fish oil every school night and his teacher can definitely tell if I forget to give it to him! Fish oil helps him to focus on his classwork.

    1. Anonymous

      Mike,
      We get the Weber brand liquid Omega-3 stuff that is flavored like Lemon Meringue. Our son calls it "lemon treat" and even made up a little song about it. It does not smell or taste fishy. I hated the "fishy" smell on my son's breath with other kinds.

    2. Anonymous

      I have a 4 1/2 year old on the severe side of things. My wife used to take fish oil. They were huge liquicap type pills. There must be other type of delivery. How does your son take the fish oil? Any recommendations?

      – Mike

  42. Anonymous

    Great list for ASD kids! We would also like to add a hammock (so relaxing and has the swinging effect), a hot tub (the jets and heat are fantastic for our kids), a portable dvd player as well as an mp3 player and big oversized strong bags to transport 1/2 the house whenever we step out of the door.

    We love love love melatonin and the trampoline, as well as could not even live without the internet!

  43. This is also true for parents of children with severe sensory integration disfuction, like me… Every single one of these except Senacot rang true in my ears! Especially the child proof locks, melatonin, and scruncii ties, LOL!

  44. Anonymous

    Family memberships to places like the zoo, children's museums, etc. We can go for short periods of time until it's familiar, we can leave after 5 minutes if there is a meltdown, and once he's comfortable, it's fun.

    Also, Kix. Cheerios are the "wrong" kind of circles to eat.

  45. Anonymous

    From a parent new to the ASD world I can not thank you enough for your posts. After a day of bad appt's, judgements from family and friends and disgusted stares from strangers it is so so wonderful to log onto your blog and feel 'normal' again. I wish the people in our life were as positive and funny as you and your readers. Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, you have no idea how much you make me a better mum for my little man.

    1. Anonymous

      Awww how sweet is that..there are also many support groups on FB.

    2. Agreed! But for me & my daughter 🙂

  46. Michelle

    LOL at the hair ties – I recognise that security device!! Other great invention we have is a spa (or hot tub for northern hemisphere) – kind of expensive to run but great leisure/relaxation activity for J.

  47. I'd add Krispix, Fruit to Go bars, http://www.starfall.com, chewy tubes, Google images

    1. Chewy tubes!! YES!!! All hail the inventor of the chewy tube and straws..oh and bubbles…and lest I forget, Disney. I bow to Disney.

  48. M-A

    I'd like to add Post it notes! I kee them wiht me and when my kiddo needs to use a restroom while we are out, if the toilet is auto flush, the post it note goes over the sensor so the toilet wont flush on her and freak her out! I LOVE POST IT NOTES!
    Mary-Ann

    1. What a great idea !! I will never forget the first time my son used one of them, he leaned forward and it flushed and scared him. Him running out of the bathroom with his pants down screaming and me chasing ! lol

  49. Anonymous

    Your list was awesome! The only thing I would add to complete our list here at home…THE TIMER!!! God Bless you timer man/woman!

  50. Two words: YOUTUBE. It puts my alphabet-addicted 3 year old son in ABC-heaven. It's also been our #1 enforcer with ABA (with the iPad). Out of all of the apps I've downloaded, he loves YouTube the most.

    1. Anonymous

      OMG YES! My son has seen EVERY YouTube review of EVERY product from toys to food that exists on YouTube LOL

    2. Anonymous

      YES. I have an ABC-addicted 4 y.o. and youtube is a gift from GOD, lol.

  51. Great list. I would add key only dead-bolt locks as well. No one is leaving our home, aka -The Compound, without a key. I sleep much better at night. Since keys are not that difficult a task for our little locksmith, we introduce added layers by a) hiding keys and b) having real key in with a bunch of decoy keys that look the same but don't work. Houdini could get out of our house, but we would slow him down a bit.

    1. Anonymous

      I totally thought I was the only one with the decoy key method lol we are locked up like fort Knox too . I have a huge key chain. It not only works as a decoy but as an alarm system as it jingles.

    2. Anonymous

      We have a tiny combo safe on our counter for keys. Jennifer

  52. Sue D.

    "Women's" magazines for the baby and wedding pictures (hours of pleasure cataloguing two of her main interests). And Nuttella (chocolate spread) to get the melatonon into her when she was little. It changed our lives! I want to kiss the melatonin inventor on the mouth, too!

  53. Anonymous

    This list is nearly dead on for us also, except I would have to add ceiling fans to our list 🙂

  54. Anonymous

    The tall 36 inch gates of metal by Summer has been a lifesaver. He is a food addict, he grazes a lot to quell his anxiety, and this keeps him out of the kitchen and the frig. When I'm cooking now I don't have to worry because he can't grab things off the grill on the stovetop. Also love the weighted blankets for anxious upset times. Another thing I bought is a kids Cd/ karaoke machine, of course we don't use the microphone.We can keep it on repeat, playing lullabies by The Beatles or Disney standards. It relaxes him and makes him happy. When he's energetic and upbeat we play Jason Aldean or drums of the World. Popsicles are our go to food he loves now but popcorn used to be. He loves the noise o a small fan

  55. Jennifer Hayes Brown...:)

    I love this…:) I have to say the $5.00 alarm things were a biggie for me when my daughter could reach the locks on the door…She was always trying to get out…and they let us and the entire neighborhood know she was on the move. We lived on Main st. 🙂

    1. Whst is the name? I need that!!!!

  56. Anonymous

    We need popcorn, tramp, internet, lego, mcdonalds chips and nuggets, choc icecream, tin baby apples, sizzler sausages.

  57. Anonymous

    Gosh many of those are a MUST in our home too. Especially the popcorn and trampoline. We also must have Gym ball for him to bounce on, clothes peg (specific type and colour!) for him to chew on, and special brand chocolate ice cream! and blanky to wrap him in tightly when he needs. We're planning to go overseas (our first ever trip) for a holiday…dreading the whole food issue???

  58. Jonathan S.

    Microwaveable popcorn is a miracle, it's true – but let's not ignore the wonder of microwaveable macaroni and cheese! (If it weren't for this and cheese pizza, I don't think I could get *any* dairy into my daughter…)

  59. Anonymous

    The child proof bottles aren't that child proof in my opinion. my 4 year old has been opening them for over a year now.

  60. Dumdum pops, the small kind you get from the bank, barber, etc. They also come in sugar free. A great reward/distraction.

  61. We have had to use the hair ties a few times for the same purpose. Don't think we could live without Sky+,Lego or the trampoline. Child lock are the best inventions – even our 20 month can open the car doors so they are a live saver literately . Game consoles have also averted more than a few meltdowns.

  62. Anonymous

    wow thats a pretty good list u got here, id like to add in there the PS3 and Internet, because without those things, my son would have no enjoyable daily fun, he loves his movies, and savin them on the ps3 hard drive is sooo much easier… hes not quite three and movies are his one passion….ok and pretzels, …..oh and rough play 😉 lol , thanks for another great psot 🙂

  63. Sandi

    6) SCUNCI HAIR TIES – Great idea!

  64. DOT

    You had me at Cheerios!!! Of course only the "regular" ones will do for R. =D

  65. One of the greatest inventions for my son is McDonalds because he LOVES chicken nuggets! Also the "Pat-a-Cake" nursery rhyme. For some reason, my son has NEVER forgotten how to do it! He's known the routine since he was about 9 months old and despite his several regressions, he has always remembered it. It's a great redirect for him 🙂 I love your posts 🙂