When you have a child or family member on the autism spectrum, creating a safe and functional home environment is an important task. Autism can have a huge impact on an individual’s development, lifestyle, and social connections. People on the spectrum can be particularly sensitive to lights, sounds, and other stimuli. Many crave order and routines to make sense of the world. Safety can be a concern for those who wander, are drawn to water, or are prone to head banging or self injury.

According to the Autism Society, about 1 percent of the world’s population has autism spectrum disorder, and the condition affects about 1 in every 59 children born in the United States. This means that in America, 3.5 million people are on the autism spectrum. This number is growing as diagnostic criteria are becoming better understood.

Children and adults with autism often struggle with sensory integration, the neurobiological process of  interpreting and managing the sensory input they receive. It can be hard for them to make sense of sights, sounds, smells, and other sensory information.There are three main sensory systems that may be affected when an individual has autism. Understanding these three sensory systems is key to understanding individuals with autism and how they interact with their home environments:

  • The tactile system, which is the sense of touch, pain, temperature, and pressure
  • The vestibular system, which involves movement, balance, and head position
  • The proprioceptive system, which involves a person’s awareness of body position.

For some individuals on the autism spectrum, sensory input is completely overwhelming. They have a very difficult time dealing with noisy or chaotic environments. For others, sensory input is hardly felt, leading them to crave additional input. In the autism community, these two extremes have different names. “Sensory seeking” refers to those people with autism who crave additional sensory input. “Sensory sensitivity” or “sensory avoiding” refers to those people with autism who are prone to sensory overload, which causes confusion, anxiety, and withdrawal.

In either case, for people with autism or sensory processing disorder, living in a world designed for neurotypical people can be challenging. Thankfully, families who have autistic family members can make their homes more accommodating. Home modifications, including simple changes and more complex ones, are an excellent way to create a comfortable retreat for people with autism.

Here is a closer look at some of the home modifications that can help someone who is living with autism feel more comfortable and at peace in the home environment. While many of these are geared toward parents with a child who has autism, they often apply to adults as well, as the challenges of neurodiversity do not have age limits.

The above information is from Christy Clawson from wondermoms.org sent to me on Sat 12/06/2021