Hi, I’ve been following for a li’l while, since I’ve found that recently stims have been a obsessive-interest or even hyper-interest lately, as I’ve recently found what stimming is, and have realized how beneficial to me as someone with anxiety (not officially on the spectrum, tho, I do suspect a li’l). I’ve got a lot of hand stims: button clicking, rocker switches, a lot of the things found on the fidget cube/pad that I own. My dad recently brought up a curious idea: a mini keyboard. (pt 1)
He meant like, piano keyboard, but if there’s even something like a computer keyboard, either would probably make me really happy and able to keep my fingers involved! Do any of the mods know if such a stim exists? Like tiny piano keyboards with working keys or tiny computer keyboards? Computer keyboard would be awesome since I have a lot of memories associated with them! Thank you!
I think stims are a special interest, obsession, hyperfixation or passion for most of us, so join the club. We have stim toys, after all!
As far as I know, @afrostycatblr, there isn’t a stim toy that specifically mimics a keyboard. I’ve checked a few different therapy/OT webstores, and I haven’t quite found anything that fits that description or need. I hope someone else knows of something I don’t, but when it comes to stim toys, the closest I can think of is children’s toy piano/keyboards.
The best computer-style keyboard option, which will have those clicky keyboard keys like that of a full PC keyboard, is a numeric keypad: it’s just the keypad section of a keyboard sold on its own. This should be small enough to be portable and held in your hands, while still feeling like an actual computer keyboard. There’s lots of different options on eBay; how about this USB one for $3.75 USD with free international shipping?
The second best option would be an actual wireless mini keyboard. There’s several different shapes and designs, some like a keyboard tablet and some like a keyboard crossed with a TV/DVD player remote. I’d check eBay, as there’s several options between $13 and $30 AUD, most with free shipping. Please note that the keys are not similar to that of a full-sized PC keyboard - they look more like the push-button keys on an older mobile or cell phone. You probably won’t get that press-down-and-click feeling short of using a full-sized PC computer keyboard for stimming. If you’re after this, go for the numeric keypad.
(For that matter, many of us will have family members with an older mobile/cell phone, probably replaced by a smartphone, still floating around the house, so you might even be able to get one for nothing, if pressing the softer keys suits you as a stim. You can always say that you want a back-up phone because your current phone is playing up if you’re not ready or able to discuss stimming.)
I’d also direct you to the piano finger trainers we recently reblogged from @sodastim, in terms of pressing buttons. I have no idea what they’re like to use, mind, but they might be worth checking out in terms of being a portable push-button stim.
I know that’s not a lot of offerings, but I can’t think of anything more. Followers?
- Mod K.A.
