This is almost a cliche at this point, but I really couldn't have an autism list without mentioning Thomas train sets. There's a huge variety, check them all out!

Shape sorters are another staple with my kids. Amazon sells a wide variety! Great for prepositions - in, on, out, inside, outside.

Melissa & Doug make a ton of great puzzles. Be forewarned that some kids love the sound puzzles and some hearing-sensitive children detest them. Nice for a variety of vocabulary words.

Very very motivating!

Fun, intiguing toy, but an adult will need to put it together and the marbles can be swallowed! Another great game for language - have the child be the builder and work on following directions, or have them be the 'director' and use language to direct you.

Fun flying toy - adult will need to operate - NOT for the noise-sensitive!! Kids will not be able to operate this themselves so a great way to necessitate that they use their language with you.

Sensory tables are wonderful if you can find room!

A huge hit! Also check out the Tomy ball towers or the Busy Ball Popper.

These pin art things are a big favorite, also good if you're working on body parts or turn-taking as you can talk about where to put it.

This is the only video I'm listing as it's not really a 'toy'. I am not a big fan of having kids sit and watch a lot of videos, however, I mention this because it's been useful with some kids that were very, very hard to motivate!

Play tents are nice - they can be set up as a place to give kids a sensory 'break', with pillows, blankets, and books to look at.

A great movement toy!

This game has been so universally appealing with my students at every level of development, it's amazing! Designed to be an educational game as well.

Another great early game! Children of all ability levels seem to enjoy this game, and it's great for turn-taking and peer play.

Even for kids who are not into pretend play in a big way, the Smart Snacks products (they sell other sets) tend to be appealing. For one, they are all made to be manipulated in some way - stacked, snapped together, matched, etc. They are bright, life-like, and appealing, and designed to teach various concepts, while serving as a window to pretend play!

These cut-up foods are another great pretend play item for kids who aren't necessarily 'into' pretend play yet. Few kids can resist the satisfaction of slicing these and putting them back together! Other great and enticing Melissa and Doug food sets are the 'create-a-food' style toys, such as the Pizza Party and Birthday Party Cake.

This a fun toy! I use it by drawing answers on both boards, then turning it on under dim light and watching the drawings flash. The kids love this!

Yet another big motivator and favorite toy amongst the kids!

Motivating, educational - a great toy!