Kids with autism are not typical kids. And the Cosmonaut stylus is not your typical stylus. In the hands of a kid with autism or similar disability, or the hands of any young child, it's far superior to your typical stylus.

Meet the Cosmonaut capacitive stylus for touch screens! Made by Studio Neat, this wide-grip stylus is perfect for small hands and for kids with autism who have challenges with motor skills.

Sure, children can use their finger on an iPad screen. But in order to get a more realistic writing experience on the iPad you'll want a stylus.

Follow up:

So, it's about a realistic writing experience, but it's also about practicing and learning motor skills. But many of our kids can't yet grip a regular stylus which is the approximate size of a pen or a pencil. 99% of the styluses on the market are shaped like that. But our kids need something different. Something they can grip. Something they can handle. Enter the Cosmonaut.

The second I handed it to my son he was fascinated. Braden, who is 9 and has autism, looked at the Cosmonaut like it was his. He smiled and then walked over, picked up his iPad, and began playing iWriteWords like this new stylus was an extension of his own arm. He loves it! It's big, easy to grip, and looks like a black piece of sidewalk chalk in his hand. Finally, a stylus kids can claim as their own!

The Cosmonaut is not only bulkier than other styluses, it's "grippy" and has a little weight to it. It seems to be perfectly weighted, in fact. It's not too heavy, but not too light.

This stylus works perfectly on an iPad also. I had no issues with its sensitivity on the touch screen. And while watching my son use it, he appeared to have no issues. No issues means no frustration. We like that. Although it sorta resembles a rocket ship, we don't want to see the Cosmonaut achieve lift off and go flying across the room as a meltdown begins!

The Cosmonaut only comes in one flavor - black. It would be cool if they made it in different colors. Since they have black, a white one would be a nice contrast. And down the road maybe make it in red, blue, green, and pink also? Just a thought.

Even though you can only get it in black, you have the choice of either aluminum or cherry wood on the endcap. I like aluminum look a little more just because the iPad's frame is made of aluminum. It's not a huge choice, and either way the stylus is still very black, but it's something.

Most importantly, regardless of your endcap selection the Cosmonaut does it's job wonderfully. It's a great size for little hands. And that's something that's definitely NOT typical of most other styluses.

In fact, Cosmonaut is one of only two wide-grip styli, or styluses (or whatever the plural for stylus is) that I've seen. The Crayola iMarker by Griffin is the other, and I haven't heard great things about the iMarker. See for yourself by reading this review by Wired Magazine.

Need a practical, functional stylus to help your little un' practice handwriting on the iPad? Cosmonaut is really the only choice. And if you buy an iPad for a young child with autism you may want to consider buying this stylus at the same time, and maybe coupling it with iWriteWords, a fantastic app for learners just beginning to write their first words.

For the sake of being upfront and transparent you should know that I don't buy the products I review. Manufacturers send me samples. So I get the products and what you get is the non-biased, honest review of a parent raising a child with autism. If a product is no good for children with autism I will let you know!