I agree with everyone the toys calm them and make it easier to cope with things. I have never heard this is a bad thing from anyone, and it is very common. We have done it right from the beginning.

For our family, we allow things like that as long as our son is not hyper focused on the item. If having it helps him to acclimate to the environment, we've felt that is more important. Getting him used to being in a different social setting can be challenging....nothing wrong with giving him a little help!

The last six months my daughter who is 26 has been carrying lots of stuff animals around. So the speech therapist suggested a backpack from some toys and the other she puts in the trunk of our car.

Ditto top. My son takes a toy with him all of the time. It eases anxiety. If it works, why not?

My daughter has to take a toy outside everyday. We have an agreement that it goes into my bag when she gets to school so it doesnt get lost. We get total meltdown if we dont have enough time for her to pick toy before we leave house