Simple Home Modifications for the Comfort of Your Autistic Child
Creating a fully functional, safe home and offers the kind of sensory stimulus your autistic child needs is essential for their well-being. You need to consider the internal aspects of your home deeply, from lighting to sound. Too much or too little can be overwhelming. It is difficult for them to settle in chaotic environments, so you need to consider ways to reduce chaos and make things as peaceful as you can. Luckily, you can make many home modifications that will make it easier for your autistic child and will not be too much for other children. Here are some ideas:
The Visual
The visual stimulus can be difficult to process with someone with autism, which means you need to be careful how you use lights and color. Think about installing lighting with the look and feel of natural lights, ensure your lighting does not flicker, even subtly, as this may not be bearable to someone with autism. Choose lighting that does not buzz either, as this may be distracting. Try also to reduce glare on screens, so do not put a television up where light for the window will interfere with it. It is also a good idea to choose calming colors. So, painting the walls in light blues or green, for example. Muted colors are a far better choice than bright colors, and this goes for your furniture and other furnishings too. Additionally, you shod try and keep the home as free from clutter as possible. Not only is this good for your child’s well-being, but it also helps to reduce your stress levels too.
Touch
Touch is important for autistic people, so it is a good idea to try and add a variety of different textures. You can use pillows and throws to achieve this. However, ensure you do not keep around any textures your child is not keen on. You could take them to a store and feel all the different textures to discover which are the most soothing to them. Also, consider the temperature of your home. Always ensure you have proper furnace maintenance way before you need it, to avoid your child sitting in the cold.
Smell
Try an minimize the number of smells in the home. Autistic people generally tend to have a stronger sense of smell, and too much fragrance can cause meltdowns. Ensure you have proper ventilation and use low odor finishes when doing your home up. Only use perfumes in a room with a window open and closed door, or even better try and spray it outside.
Sounds
Sound can often cause issues for children with autism. So you need to look to reduce those annoying sounds, other than using noise-canceling headphones. Think about replacing hard floors with soft, noise-canceling carpets. You may also need to use sun installation on windows or walls. You could even install thicker winnows if it is not possible to install insulation around the windows. Concentrate on your child’s bedroom first and ensure that their sleep cycle is difficult to be disturbed.
Kori
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