How to Build an Autism-Friendly Home

By raluca.olariu@…, 26 October, 2021
minimalist white room

The world is very often a scary place for people with autism. They need safe spaces that help them better understand and regulate their emotions, and the home environment is the perfect place to start.

There a plenty of factors to take into account when prioritizing an autism-friendly home and should be tailored to the individual needs of each person. However, there are some general guidelines that you can consider when building an autism-friendly home.

Autism-friendly homes & sensory overload

According to scientific research and firsthand accounts, people with autism experience sensory information differently. To better understand how sensory overload feels like, let’s look at some descriptions offered by people with autism and sensory processing impairments.

I hear everything when in sensory overload. But it’s not as if I can hear what is being said; rather it is just many, many sounds, unfiltered and loud. It feels like sounds are coming at me from every direction. Lights from all directions also seem to glare in my eyes. Sensory overload is horrible.” — Laura Seil Ruszczyk

Too much, noise, lights, sensation, all bombarding my body. [I] cannot stop feeling all of it and can’t shut it off… Your normal filters cease to work, you can’t stop hearing the sounds, talking, cars, etc., can’t stop seeing the lights, colors, can’t stop feeling it all so intensely.” — Susan Coughlin Broad

Imagine walking into a room filled with 25 72-inch flat-screen TVs that all have super-high definition and surround sound, but they’re all playing different movies. On full blast. At the same time. And the door is locked, so you can’t get out. Feeling anxious? Now imagine getting the same reaction just from being at the grocery store and having to drive home with your infant in the backseat. Yeah, that’s what it’s like.” — Jenalyn Cloward Barton

With these insights at hand, it may be easier to understand the requirements of an autistic-friendly home. Let’s delve into some best practices of building a safe and enjoyable home for people on the spectrum.

See also How to Handle Autism Meltdowns

Key guidelines for creating an autism-friendly home

  1. Build a healthy sensory environment.

As we’ve already seen, individuals on the spectrum can be particularly sensitive to artificial lights, loud sounds, or any other kind of external stimuli that can cause sensory overload.

That’s due to sensory integration issues that involve three main sensory systems:

  • Tactile, which includes touch, pain, pressure, and temperature
  • Vestibular, which is responsible for body movement, balance, and coordination
  • Proprioceptive, which impacts the awareness of body position

For people on the spectrum, it can be challenging to handle sensory input, which may feel overwhelming or, on the contrary, not enough. Their neurobiological functions of interpreting and dealing with sensory input are affected and can complicate everyday activities.

That’s why building a healthy sensory environment at home is essential and can positively impact the way people with autism interact with their surroundings. Here are some useful sensory-friendly home modifications:

  • Go for natural lighting as much as possible.
  • Avoid artificial lighting or flickering lights.
  • Consider window tinting to avoid glare and reflections from outdoor sunlight. Decorate using neutral, pale, or cool colors, which can be soothing.
  • Avoid bright, intense colors that can be overstimulating.
  • Use minimalistic color schemes and decorations.

READ MORE: The Right Calming Lights for Your Sensory Room

       2. Organize and declutter your home.

Many individuals on the spectrum find it easier to cope with sensory overload and complete everyday tasks if they follow a specific routine. Having an organized, decluttered home may help reduce the stress and anxiety that might arise from clutter or not finding certain objects.

As people with autism find it hard to adapt to unpredictable situations, it can be particularly helpful to give each room or part of the room a purpose. Create clear boundaries that offer structure to support the need for constant experiences and routines.

For more insights on how you can make decluttering easier, check out this article.

         3. Make it a secure environment.

Depending on the severity of their symptoms, people with autism can sometimes engage in self-harming behaviors or hurt other people. Therefore, ensuring that tools or items that may prove dangerous are locked in safe places is imperative.

The AutismSociety of America advises:

"Secure items that are dangerous if ingested, such as detergents, chemicals, cleaning supplies, pesticides, medications and small items a child might mouth or chew. It is easy for an individual with autism to confuse a bottle of yellow cleaning fluid with juice based on appearance or to pour/spill liquids (some of which may be poisonous or toxic) out of a bottle.

Secure items/mateerials that are dangerous or unsafe if used without supervision, such as sharp objects/ utensils (scissors, knives, razor blades). Many children like to cut things (clothing, curtains, wires, books, etc.) into pieces with scissors or knives when unsupervised."

           4. Store preferred food in the house.

Another way you can meet the need for consistency of an autistic individual is to make sure they have access to their favorite kinds of food. An autistic-friendly environment also means the freedom to enjoy tasty, comforting, and familiar meals.

           5. Try to limit at-home therapies.

An autistic-friendly home means a place where people should look forward to come to. Scheduling too many at-home therapy activities might do just the opposite. You should stick to only the necessary or make it fun through play-based activities or relaxing-sensory therapies.

            6. Create a space for practicing life skills.

Studies show that more than 95% of individuals with autism can’t live independently as adults. What’s a better autism-friendly environment than one that supports building life skills?

By creating a space specifically destined to encourage learning life skills, you provide more opportunities for children to live independently as adults. Make sure your house is an accessible place for them to learn how to do the dishes, clean up after themselves, or manage their schedule.

The autism-friendly home is more than a place

It is a feeling of safety, belonging, and confidence that no matter how overwhelming life can get, there is always someone to have our back. In addition to all the above factors that create an autism-friendly environment, family support for individuals with autism is essential.

At the end of the day, despite our differences, my [Neurotypical] brother and I complement each other. He serves as a sounding board for when I need to vent, and I do the same for him. He gives me financial pointers, and I give him advice on what to do next when he is contemplating options in a given situation.” - Sue Abramowski – Human Services Professional

Photo credit: Philipp Berndt on Unsplash.