Have you ever heard of Autism trampoline therapy? Until recently, I hadn’t either.
Funnily enough… I’ve been recommending trampolines for kids for years because children, particularly ADHD and Autistic kids, need physical movement. Jumping on a trampoline provides sensory input that improves learning, emotional regulation, and more. Today, let’s discuss the positive effects of using trampolines as an informal therapy tool children of all ages.
Does Your Child Need Autism Trampoline Therapy?
If your child is known for:
- Jumping on the furniture,
- Doing flips or cartwheels,
- Loving trampoline parks,
- Needs support academically, behaviorally, or emotionally.
Your child may benefit from trampoline therapy.
Benefits of Trampoline Therapy
Using a trampoline can provide multiple therapeutic benefits for an autistic child or anyone who needs to improve their emotional and physical health. The range of benefits of trampolines include:
- Increased sense of awareness of one’s body in space
- Release nervous energy
- Increased muscle strength particularly in the weak core area
- Improved processing of sensory information
- Elevated mood and decreased negative feelings
- Aerobic activity (any time the heart rate increases)
- Proprioceptive and vestibular input
- Emotional Regulation
Positive outcomes from using a trampoline in a safe environment are numerous.
Autism Trampoline Therapy: The Research
One 2015 report studied the impact of trampoline therapy on autistic children. The researchers noted positive outcomes related to:
- Motor proficiency
- Bilateral coordination
- Muscle development
Fortunately, a good PRIVATE occupational therapist will be part of your child’s team. As such, they’ll encourage you to incorporate specific physical activity at home. Often, these will include (trampoline) rebound therapy exercises using a safe trampoline at home.
Best Trampolines for Home Use
Fortunately, in recent years, more and more sensory toys and tools have been designed specifically for the home environment.
That includes trampolines. Some of my favorite trampolines throughout the years include the following. Please note that safety nets are non-negotiable to get the therapeutic benefits of jumping safely.
1. Clevr 7ft Trampoline with Safety Enclosure
This is the best trampoline we’ve ever owned and it’s an indoor trampoline. At one point, we had a large playroom that we turned into a sensory room.
We purchased this 7-foot indoor trampoline and my kids LOVED it. It includes safety features such as a full net enclosure with a zippered entry point.
My proprioceptive sensory seeker jumped on this trampoline with the full force of her entire body for years. If you have room for it and your child demonstrates a high level of activity, I can’t more highly recommend the Clevr 7ft Indoor Trampoline.
2. Exercise Trampoline for Adults (Older Kids & Teens)
While creating sensory rooms is becoming more common, you don’t need to dedicate a whole room. If you’re short on space or don’t want a massive 7-foot trampoline in your house, I get it.
Add this mini exercise trampoline to your child’s bedroom or your family room.
Even though this exercise trampoline is technically for adults, it’s an excellent option for older kids and teens. The high weight limit and level of sturdiness will go a long way to provide your child with the level of needed activity.
3. Foldable Mini Trampoline
Small trampolines can even be big enough for up to two children! This Foldable Mini Trampoline folds when not in use, has a small footprint, and fits up to two kids.
4. Outdoor ORCC 16 ft Trampoline with Safety Enclosure
The ORCC 16-foot trampoline is our current outdoor trampoline and we’re very happy with it.
We’ve had a trampoline in our backyard for almost fifteen years and consider it a mental and physical health necessity.
Additionally, we use our trampoline and swings to prime the brain for learning in our ADHD homeschool.
Benefits of Outdoor Autism Trampoline Therapy
Jumping on a trampoline outdoors has the benefits trampolines typically provide:
- Proprioceptive input
- Vestibular input
- Aerobic exercise
Additionally, jumping outdoors provides dopamine-enhancing Vitamin D to improve focus and other symptoms of ADHD.
Another benefit of trampolines and other pieces of outdoor play equipment is this. They’re great tools to encourage social interaction within the safety of your backyard.
Try inviting a kind-hearted neighborhood friend to jump side-by-side with your autistic child. For more ideas, check out these outdoor games for children or this fun backyard scavenger hunt.
What’s Autism?
Now that we’ve addressed the different benefits of and types of trampolines, it’s important to understand autism.
Autism is a brain difference that impacts the way autistic individuals receive and process information from the outside world. As such, autistic people are unique from non-autistic people in multiple ways.
- Sensory experiences
- Communication
- Social interactions
- Perception and interests
- Level of support needs
Autism, ADHD, and neurodiversity are highly heritable, so if you’ve got a family member with autism, likely, someone else in your family does as well.
Let’s dive into the unique sensory experiences of autistic children and adults. And, for a deep dive into a strengths-based lens on autism, learn from the real experts, autistic people themselves.
We All Have Sensory Issues
Every human being is born with eight sensory systems (that we know of). Those sensory systems include the ones we all learned about in school and a few more.
- sight
- smell
- taste
- touch (tactile)
- hearing (auditory)
- vestibular
- proprioceptive
- interception
The sensory systems are how the brain processes sensory input it receives from the outside world. For example, as you read this, you’re using your eyes and taking in the visual input of the text from your device.
At the same time, your tactile (touch) system is telling the brain that your chair or couch is hard or soft. You may be chewing a piece of gum and therefore, both your taste and olfactory systems are sending messages to your brain about its taste. But that’s not where it stops.
Vestibular, Proprioception, and Interoception
Interestingly enough, your brain is always processing input related to proprioception, vestibular, and interoception as well.
Let’s briefly go over these three sensory systems.
- Vestibular:
- The vestibular system is related to head position.
- When you flip upside down and close your eyes, your brain knows that you’re inverted using your vestibular system.
- Vestibular input releases histamine which increases alertness levels
- Proprioception:
- Proprioception is related to deep pressure and impact on the joints.
- When you do push-ups, your brain receives messages related to the deep pressure of the movement.
- Proprioceptive input releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has a strong calming effect.
- Interoception:
- Interoception is related to one’s awareness of their internal experiences.
- Knowing that you’re hungry or thirsty, for example, is related to interoception.
Hint… when kids jump on a trampoline, they receive a ton of incoming information from both the vestibular and proprioceptive sensory systems.
Common Traits of Autism
Some common traits of autism impacted by the benefits of trampoline therapy are plentiful. Autistic children and adults often have:
- Unique sensory experiences
- Delayed or deficits in motor development
- Repetitive behaviors
- Unique autistic social skills
- Challenges with spoken language with stronger nonverbal communication skills
As with all people, autistic people are unique each with different needs.
Autism and Sensory Integration
Many autistic children and those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have complex sensory development. As such, they may be diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder or sensory integration dysfunction.
SPD refers to challenges with processing sensory input. This can range from:
- Underresponsive (hyposensitive) to sensory input and constantly hit people to
- Extra sensitive (hypersensitive) to sensory input such as sound.
For example, some kids may demonstrate…
- Tactile defensiveness when it comes to light touch.
- They may pull away or become agitated when touched lightly.
On the other hand, that same child…
- May need a significant increase in applied weight to feel the effect of deep pressure.
Again, like the autistic spectrum itself, every autistic child’s needs are unique and vary… sometimes daily.
Repetitive Behaviors or Stims
Autistic children and adults often engage in repetitive behaviors that are sometimes referred to as stims.
While all people stim at times, stimming is most often associated with autism because they often stim differently than neurotypical people.
Regardless, stimming behaviors are critical self-regulatory behaviors that help calm the body and the brain. Some stereotypical stims include:
- Toe walking
- Hand flapping
- Head banging
- Bouncing
- Jumping
By glancing at this list, it’s easy to see how an outdoor trampoline could be one of the greatest tools for your child’s physical development.
Gross Motor Skills
It’s well documented that autistic children have unique patterns of gross motor development and overall motor skills. Often occupational therapists find autistic children or those with developmental disorders commonly have low muscle tone and weak core strength.
Occupational Therapists: Treatment Plans
Fortunately, a good occupational therapist will help you develop a solid treatment plan to help you support your child in areas of weakness. Optimizing your child’s OT time will include regular exercise as well as specific treatment related to developing muscle tone and working on sensory integration.
It’s not uncommon for occupational therapy to include the use of a trampoline as a critical component of a child’s therapy. Just walk into any sensory room and you’ll likely see multiple trampolines and swings.
Recap: Autism Trampoline Therapy
Both occupational and physical therapy centers use trampolines as part of targeted treatment plans for autism and sensory processing challenges. However, you can supplement your child’s treatment at home.
In the end, autism trampoline therapy, while not an official form of therapy, is an excellent way to support your child. As discussed earlier, trampolines are great for…
- Exercise
- Sensory input
- Social skill development
- Emotional regulation
- Learning
Don’t forget to speak with your child’s occupational therapist for more info. So, Friend, do you have a trampoline for your autistic child?
Related:
31 Best Sensory Toys for Autism and Why They Work (2025)
Anger Management for Autistic Children (Not ABA)
17 Best ADHD Supplements to Improve Symptoms Naturally
Why Do Autistic Kids Walk on Their Toes Anyway?
ADHD vs Autism: Overlap, Differences & Perspective
47 Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids Every Mom Needs!
About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…
Homeschooling the Dysregulated Child: Self-Regulation, sensory systems in your home and homeschool!
We definetly need at least a small, indoor trampoline, I think I could benefit, as well as my kiddos!
I love our trampoline for my kids. They get so much healthy sensory input that keeps them regulated for learning and more. 🙂