Fidgets for Different Brains: One Idea, Many Purposes

Pop-its are an example of a fidget tool that has increased in popularity over the past 5 years.

Fidget toys—simple tools with a profound impact. Many people would say, that fidgets have exploded in popularity over the past few years. From spinners and cubes to putty and textured fabrics, these small tools are often marketed as ways to improve focus, reduce anxiety, or occupy restless hands. They're also no longer just items targeted at those with additional needs, we see them everywhere from the Service Station, the $2 store, to Myer and David Jones.

But fidgets aren’t just trendy gadgets or toys — despite their popularity or availability - for many neurodivergent people, they’re an essential support tool. These small, tactile devices are far more than playful distractions; they are lifelines to focus, calm, and self-regulation. In a world often designed for neurotypical minds, fidgets bridge the gap, offering a sensory outlet that promotes cognitive and emotional balance.

Neurodivergent brains function uniquely, processing stimuli and managing energy in ways that can sometimes feel overwhelming or chaotic. Fidgets step in as allies, enabling users to channel restless energy, reduce stress, and enhance their ability to concentrate. Whether it’s squeezing a stress ball, clicking a spinner, or manipulating a smooth, textured object, the repetitive movements provide not just relief but also a sense of control in environments that may otherwise feel overstimulating.

In this blog, we’ll explore the science behind fidgets, their role in supporting neurodiverse individuals, and how these unassuming tools can transform the way people engage with their surroundings. Let’s uncover why fidgets are more than just toys—they’re essential instruments for empowering brains of all kinds.

Popular Fidget tool - Tangle (TM )

What’s often overlooked is that why someone uses a fidget can vary widely depending on how their brain works. A fidget isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution — it’s a personalised regulation strategy. Let’s explore how fidgets serve different roles for people with autism, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, and OCD.

Autism: Supporting Sensory Regulation and Predictability

For many autistic people, fidgets offer a way to self-regulate in environments that may feel overwhelming or unpredictable. The repetitive, controlled movement of a fidget can meet sensory needs — especially tactile and proprioceptive input — in a way that feels soothing and grounding.

Fidgets can also act as a safe outlet for stimming (self-stimulatory behaviour), which helps manage big emotions or sensory overload. For someone who flaps, rocks, or chews to self-soothe, a fidget might be a portable, discreet way to get similar input — though it should never be used to replace natural stims if they’re not harmful

Key function for autism: Sensory input and emotional regulation.

ADHD: Anchoring Attention Through Movement

People with ADHD often fidget because their brains crave stimulation. Movement helps them stay focused — not get distracted. A fidget gives that little boost of sensory input that can make it easier to concentrate on less stimulating tasks, like listening in class or sitting through a meeting.

Importantly, fidgets for ADHD aren’t always about anxiety or calming — they’re often energising. The right kind of fidget — one that provides enough movement without becoming a distraction itself — can help channel hyperactivity into something functional

Key function for ADHD: Maintaining alertness and task engagement.

Tourette Syndrome: Offering Choice and Control

People with Tourette Syndrome experience involuntary tics — sudden movements or vocalisations. While tics can’t be prevented, some individuals find that using a fidget helps redirect urges or reduce the frequency or intensity of certain tics. It gives the hands or mouth something else to do, offering a sense of control in moments that might otherwise feel unpredictable.

Fidgets may also serve a soothing role for those who experience premonitory urges — uncomfortable sensations that come before a tic. Engaging with a fidget might provide a competing sensation that relieves the urge, at least temporarily.

Key function for Tourette’s: Redirection and sensory substitution.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Soothing Anxiety, Replacing Compulsions

For some people with OCD, fidgets can act as a healthier alternative to compulsive behaviours like tapping, checking, or repeated movements. While a fidget isn’t a cure — and should never be seen as a replacement for therapy — it can offer a sense of relief, grounding, or comfort during moments of high anxiety or intrusive thoughts.

The tactile or rhythmic nature of fidgeting might also help reduce rumination by anchoring a person in the present moment, giving their hands something safe and predictable to focus on.

Key function for OCD: Anxiety management and grounding.

So, what looks like the same object — a stress ball, a spinner, a tangle — may be doing vastly different jobs depending on who’s holding it. That’s the beauty of a fidget: its flexibility.

This is also why it’s so important not to judge or assume. A child squeezing putty in the classroom isn’t “just playing” — they might be managing their anxiety, concentrating harder, or avoiding sensory overload.

When we understand the why behind the tool, we can better support people in using what works for them.

So next time you see a fidget in someone’s hands, remember: it might be more than a toy. It might be a lifeline.