What’s in my therapy bag? A conversation between a Learning & Behaviour Consultant and a Speech & Language Therapist

What’s in My Therapy Bag? – A conversation between a Learning & Behaviour Consultant and a Speech & Language Therapist

If you peeked inside a therapist’s bag, you might expect something magical. And in a way, it is, but not because it’s overflowing with toys. In fact, one of the biggest lessons we learn over time is this: less really is more.

When you’re working with young Autistic children with limited verbal communication, your therapy bag needs to work for you, not against you. Over-packing can quickly lead to chaos, digging through resources while a child waits (or disengages), or creating a visually overwhelming environment that tips a child into dysregulation before you’ve even begun.

So, what could be in a therapy bag?

First things first: plan before you pack

One of our top tips is to gather as much information as possible before you meet a child. What are their sensory preferences? Do they love certain characters, animals, or themes? Are they sensory-seeking or sensory-avoidant?

Knowing this helps you choose just a few well-matched resources, perhaps a favourite character book, a vehicle-based activity, or something tactile (rather than bringing “everything just in case”)

Organisation matters (for you and the child)

We keep resources separated into small drawstring bags – some transparent, some not. This keeps us organised, but it also serves another important purpose: reducing visual overload. Not everything needs to be visible at once.

Having resources tucked away also allows you to introduce them gradually, adding an element of novelty and surprise. For many Autistic children, seeing too much at once can feel overwhelming and lead to dysregulation before interaction even begins.

Our go-to learning and play resources

We love simple, open-ended toys that can be used flexibly and across developmental stages.

Educational favourites include peg puzzles (great for turn-taking and problem solving), stacking cups, ring stackers, shape sorters, threading cards, beads, and wooden blocks. These support fine motor skills, colour matching, shape identification, and shared attention all while giving plenty of opportunities to model language.

For cause-and-effect learning, pop-up toys or switch-activated toys (like a bunny on a switch) are brilliant. They help children learn that their actions matter, and helps us to work out where they are with understanding cause and effect.

Imaginative play resources such as small world figures, tea sets, or pretend food allow us to observe play skills, model early language, and create natural opportunities for listening and interaction, without pressure to speak.

Books we love

Board books are a staple. Classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar are fantastic for repetition and predictability. Flap books often get damaged in our experience, but they’re brilliant for turn-taking and anticipation! Sensory books (like That’s Not My…) support exploration and shared enjoyment, while counting books and “First 100 Words” books work well for older children developing vocabulary and comprehension.

Supporting sensory regulation

Sensory regulation tools are just as important as toys. Theraputty and therabands can be calming or alerting depending on how you present them…stretching competitions or resistance work (can you hold a stretch for 5 seconds?) or making deep imprints can be highly regulating. Can the child match your energy? You can then make this calming (let’s take a breath while we stretch) or alerting (let’s stand up together and stretch the band between our feet and our hands!). 

Spinners offer visual input, while breathing cards or finger-tracing cards support calming and co-regulation.

Don’t forget creativity (and bubbles!)

Paper, chunky crayons, egg crayons, and safety scissors support fine motor skills, mark-making, and sensory exploration. Arts and crafts also open up rich language opportunities around textures, actions, and choices.

We also keep resources linked to common interests. Animals (especially matching pairs), dinosaurs, vehicles, bears and yes, bubbles always earn their place. They’re brilliant for anticipation, joint attention, and early communication.

In the end, a good therapy bag isn’t about how much you carry, it’s about choosing resources thoughtfully, staying organised, and creating calm, meaningful opportunities for connection.