Featured in DFW Child magazine

PRE BOX had the privilege of being featured in DFW Child magazine. Katelin Walling’s article titled “5 Sensory Subscription Boxes for Children with Autism” focused on subscription boxes that offered a variety of sensory input options for children on the spectrum. The article in part reads:

Subscription boxes for the whole family seem to be everywhere we look on social media these days, from crafts, fitness and self-care to clothing, books and snacks. And with good reason too: They’re curated experiences sent to your door—and who doesn’t love getting mail that isn’t just bills and junk? Here we’ve compiled a few of the best sensory toy subscription boxes for children with autism spectrum disorder.

While sensory toy play is beneficial for all children, it’s particularly beneficial for those who are neurodivergent. These benefits can be twofold: regulation and reinforcement, says Dr. Sara Feldman, a Mom-Approved ABA therapy provider and CEO and owner of The Helm ABA, which has locations in Dallas, Allen, Lewisville, Irving and Denton.

“Within therapy settings, sometimes kiddos will want to have access to [sensory toys] as an opportunity to help regulate themselves and prepare themselves to learn and then other times kids will want to work for something,” Feldman says. “So one is ‘I’m using it to regulate, so I’m able to learn’ and the other would be, ‘That’s my preferred way to engage in fun and recreation.’”

When choosing a sensory box for your child, Feldman recommends keeping a few things in mind:

• Durability: If you have a child who enjoys chewies, or an oral-motor input, you’ll want to make sure those items are very sturdy and safe.
• Affordability: Is the box cost-effective and does it fit within your budget?
• Variety: If you’re not sure what kind of input your child prefers, look for a box that includes multiple types of sensory inputs to explore. That way, you’ll be able to narrow down what specifically your child is drawn to.

Keep in mind that while there are age ranges listed for each sensory subscription box, these are general guidelines. You know your child’s independence, learning and developmental levels and needs, so you’ll know which box is most suitable for your child.

PRE BOX
Ages: 3 and older

This sensory subscription box was created by a Dallas-based pediatric speech-language pathologist, utilizing the Emotional Regulation Approach to prepare children for new experiences, like going to the dentist or getting a haircut, and increase emotional regulation. Each PRE (Proactive Regulatory Experience) BOX includes a PRE Story about the situation, visual cues for children to understand what will happen, tips for parents on how to talk to and prepare their kids and ideas to play with what’s included in the box.

Other items in the box include toys that look like real things your child would encounter. The doctor sensory box, for example, comes with toy versions of doctors’ tools (stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, bandages, etc.) and Play-Doh.

“This box is really cool. And I haven’t seen anything like that out there,” Feldman says. “It gives you all the different things that you could think about if you needed to talk about [an experience] like, ‘We’re going on an airplane, what would that be like?’ So it’s almost like a sensory desensitization opportunity as well.”