Innovative Ways to Create a Sensory-Friendly Home for Individuals with Autism

Individuals with autism experience the world in a range of ways that vary from fully immersed to requiring various forms of accommodations and assistance. Help an autistic person in your life find calming comfort in your own home by incorporating these simple ideas to help create a sensory-friendly home and make their world and yours a little better.

Incorporate Natural Materials and Colors

Stone veneer can add a natural and calming element to kitchens, sensory rooms, or any room in the home, in addition to outdoor spaces. Using natural materials in design is an easy way to incorporate beauty into the space you call home. 

You want everyone in your home to feel comfortable and at ease with their environment. Make your space pleasant and inviting through the cool, natural touch and look of stone veneer. The calming textures and colors beg to be touched and inspected, while the elements of natural design that run through them invite anyone to step closer for further inspection and discovery.

Another way to bring organic elements inside is by using colors found in nature to decorate your interior. Look for calming shades of blue and easy-on-the-eyes gray tones that are not too bright yet do not interfere with anything in the room.

Bring Music into Your Home

Music can be a powerful tool for anyone, but it is especially so for people with autism. Use it to make a soothing environment by playing a favorite song, group, or musical genre. If you live near a busy road or notice a lot of outside noise that interferes with your child’s well-being and concentration, consider using a smart speaker system throughout your home to ensure soothing music is always playing in the background.

Watch this video for a simple and engaging visual and calming music that will resonate with everyone.

Create a Space They Love

Everyone is different. There are different personal histories or origin stories, as some might say. Some people have diagnoses that affect their lives and the world around them. Those diagnoses may be visible, and sometimes they are invisible. As your child walks their unique path in life while experiencing their diagnosis and living it every day, look to them for inspiration. It may surprise you. Take notice of what might make them sit up a little taller, take an interest, or bring a smile to their face. 

These are probably things they are already comfortable with, so try leaning into that joy. Perhaps your child has a keen interest in plants. If so, try planning and planting a garden with them. Base their involvement on their ability level. Select a patch in the backyard or an array of containers. Pick out comfortable gardening gloves without tags or loud velcro, if appropriate. Make gardening an activity to enjoy together instead of a chore. Place chairs near the garden and add a water feature for a soothing sound element.

The world is a big and busy place that can be uncomfortable for kids with autism. Make their homes a place of respite and calm by creating a sensory-friendly place for them to feel safe. Through the use of natural elements, color, music, and adding things they enjoy, your kids will grow. 

Photo by RDNE

*this is a collaborative post