Adult Autism Room Design

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Is there any websites or links where there is advice on how to design or tips on designing bedrooms for autistic adults? My family will be building a new house and i'll be moving with them so I want my bedroom to be designed specifically for my needs with my autism.

Do you have light sensitivity? Touch sensitivity? Sound sensitivity?

Think about details you're particularly attuned to in a positive way too.

Think about your specialist interests.

Use a black out blind if you have light sensitivity. Alternatives to wallpaper (and especially to paint!) can be more acoustically friendly for sound sensitivity. Avoid things which give you physical discomfort.

Some people benefit from light touch. Avoid weighted blanket. Some from heavy touch. Get a weighted blanket.

Get stuff around your specialist interests as this will make you happy. Especially a long term interest. If you're like me and spend about 3 years on something before moving on, maybe avoid the long term and go for the medium or short term things which you can imagine delving into later.

If you're especially attuned to detail in a positive way: decorate your room with highly decorative rugs, wallpapers, blankets etc rather than plain ones.

In short: I think the reason why such a guide is hard to find is because we all have different needs. For me, decorating my house has been about embracing rich details, toning down the light (using orange rather than white glowing lights), using wood panel in my library, using darker colours as I'm more atuned to them.

For sound sensitivity you could plan on insulating every wall & the ceiling, doing double layer 5/8's drywall on all walls & ceiling.. mounting resilient channel (rez-bar as it's called) on the framing & ceiling trusses/joists to make an air gap between the framing and first layer of drywall to ensure minimal sound transfer. There are a couple other things that can be done for soundproofing, but doing all of these is already well into overkill territory that no one really does ever so should make for a Very quiet room IF you need a quiet room.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Any suggestions for ideas to do with me getting hot so easily since I’ll be downstairs this time instead of upstairs and as my mom said the downstairs usually gets hotter more often than the downstairs?

Design will often be tailored to the individual.
Yes, KT above is correct. Please give some info on your sensory profile.

There are also loads of different approaches to building.
There are a couple of books on the market that go into detail with regards to how to approach designing social housing and community buildings for people with ASD.

The type of layout and design you will want will greatly be determined as to your sensory profile but also what your normal behaviour is.

For example, are you the type of ASD person who stim's, and if so, how do you stim?
Some people with ASD are prone to pacing around in circles when they are overstimulated.

In such cases, architects recommend designing the layout of the room so that the bedroom leads into another door way
or two, that allows the ASD sufferer to pace around in circles.

As for soundproofing, I recommend your parents getting advice from a qualified acoustic technician, as doing so,
would save your folks a lot of work. Lower level sound proofing doesn't always work. Especially if it is done by lower level sound proofing specialists.

If your folks pay for a qualified acoustic technician, they should be able to work out the science so you don't have to, and what they recommend will pretty much be guaranteed to work!

With regards to temperature, there are ways of approaching this too. If you live in a hot country then air con is often very common, and those old fashion ceiling fans.

I also like the idea of earth sheltering homes, as the earth shelter sides keep the room temp warm in the winter, and chilled in the summer. Very eco-efficient, as well as helping your home to sink into the natural landscape.
But not everyone is into it. I understand.

at home with autism

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Designing-Auti ... 640&sr=8-1

I moved to a new place with my parents and I just finished redesigning my bedroom. Since I'm learning more about my sensory and mental health needs I wanted my space to reflect this.

These are just my suggestions based on what I find works for me. Some of the were recommended by therapist's, books, or just from my own experiences.

1.Removed bulky furniture you don't really need to open up the space. For example my bulky computer desk was replaced with a laptop stand. I like having room to walk around when I'm restless and my coordination is not very good, so having additional floor space where possible is a big help.

2. Fill your room with items you find pleasant and bring a sense of peace to the space. I used to clutter my room with tons of posters and shelving filled with action figures. I realized this was actually distracting and put up photos and prints of wildlife and nice abstract patterns.

3. Use shelving wisely. I had a ton of old file folders, books, and bins of fitness equipment that were just piled neatly on a small shelf, but it didn't take long for me to get more of this stuff and ended up on the floor. I invested in proper shelving and it really simplified things and it makes me less anxious knowing where everything is and not having to look at piles of random stuff on the floor.

4. Buy items that can liven or calm your senses. I recently bought an essential oil diffuser and set-up a salt lamp. These are things I would not have thought of buying for myself in the past, but they really proved helpful. Scents like lemon can really liven a room and energize the senses while lavender can make a place feel calm and soothe the senses. The salt lamp ads a really nice gentle glow I love when I wish to work in the dark or calm down after a stressful day.

5. Install dimmer switches wherever possible. I have two light fixtures over my bed on dimmers and they are great if you are light sensitive. If I'm reading or watching TV from my bed having the ability to adjust these is great, especially after a long day.

6. Select colors which you find comforting, not just what is fashionable. I really can't stress this one enough. My room was designed by an interior decorator who recommended my parents to paint the walls light grey, buy white furniture, and ensure the trim and doors are white. I didn't think too much about about it at the time, but I hate it. Sure it's simple and fashionable, but the brightness actually gets to me. I hate how the light reflects off of everything and for some reason everything appears unfinished. I realized darker walls and wood textures are actually more calming on my senses and provide me with a sense of comfort and warmth.

I strongly recommend going over colour swatches and textures to ensure everything feels right. Most people would find my room open and relaxing, but it's brightness and airiness of the colors present actually annoys me in a way I can't explain. Find something that sits well with your senses and helps create a space you can feel comfortable in.

7. Consider a set of shear curtains paired with darker/heavier curtains Depending on the size of your window I found this combination really helpful in the past. I loved having shear curtains to help awaken my senses with the sunshine while still having some privacy and the dark curtains keep all the distracting city light out at night. I hate blinds since I found them difficult to operate and they often fell apart to quickly.

Currently my bedroom is in a basement where it is always dark. I have a black-out blind for privacy since it was the only thing that would fit my awkward window, but honestly I don't need it for blocking actual light. I hate not having any natural light, but that's just how it is.

I hope these suggestions help you with the plans for your new bedroom!

https://www.snoezelen.info/


Snoezelen Rooms were designed as autism and sensory-friendly spaces in hospitals. You can get a lot of ideas from their websites even though much of it is cheaper elsewhere.

Flaghouse sells some of the items like bubble lights. Installation and room design experts can be recommended for you, by calling Snoezelen or Flaghouse, or any ASD Occupational Therapist who treats sensory processing disorders.

https://www.flaghouse.ca/Pages/sensory-room/