Paxton Mathis, 8, plays at Time 4 Toys, in Flowood, Miss. The son of store owner Bethany Mathis, Paxton, who has a sensory processing disorder, often tests some of the toys in the store.

NEW YORK — Toy stores, with bright lights, loud sounds and crowded aisles, can be hard to manage for children with autism or other sensory issues. For parents, finding toys that match their kids’ skill sets and will hold their attention can be a process of trial and error. Big toy sellers and specialists are both trying to provide some better options.

Hasbro, for instance, offers tips on how parents can teach autistic children to play with Mr. Potato Head or a My Little Pony set. Toy maker Melissa & Doug offers stores special catalogs.

A Toys R Us in King of Prussia, Montgomery County, Pa., turned off its music for three hours on a recent Saturday morning and turned its break room into a quiet zone as part of an event planned with the Greater Philadelphia Autism Society. The company’s 100 stores in the U.K. have been offering similar hours for one day a year since 2014, and Toys R Us plans to bring similar events to more of its 900 U.S. stores. Chuck E. Cheese’s, the chain with arcade games and rides, similarly plans to turn off the music and dim the lights at 40 Northeast restaurants for a couple of hours one Sunday a month starting in January.

In the meantime, small stores designed specifically for children with sensory issues are popping up.

“The need for a store like this is even bigger than I thought it would be,” says Bethany Mathis, who opened Time 4 Toys last month after having a hard time finding toys for her 8-year-old son with sensory processing issues. The walls at the store in Flowood, Miss., are painted in soft colors and kids can test out the toys.

An estimated one in 68 children has autism or a related disorder, according to a government study. That’s up from one in 150 a decade before. Symptoms vary widely, and can range from mild social interaction problems to repetitive behaviors to difficulty speaking or even the inability to speak. This can make choosing toys harder.

Jamilah Rahim opened Spectrum Toy Store in Chicago this year after she realized no toy stores were meeting that need. As an in-home behavioral therapist, she saw parents spend money buying toys online that their children ended up not interested in. At her store, kids can sit and play with any of the toys and parents can see if they like them before buying.

“It’s more of an experience than just a one-stop shop for them to buy toys,” says Rahim, who still works as a behavioral therapist part-time.

Meghan Hetherton drove four hours to visit the store from her home in Eaton Rapids, Mich. Two of Hetherton’s children are autistic, and when she takes them shopping at big stores, her 4-year-old son hums to cope with the crowds. Hetherton often finds herself apologizing to store workers.

“I shouldn’t have to,” she says, but “store employees just don’t understand.” At Spectrum Toy Store, her kids pulled toys from the shelves, played with putty and tried on chewable silicone jewelry before she bought some. “They were able to be themselves,” says Hetherton.