Inclusive design of spaces can help autistic people avoid sensory overload
## Navigating a Noisy World: Sensory Overload and the Autism Experiance
When Coral Loader recalls her son’s childhood, everyday tasks like shopping could easily cause a meltdown. “The sounds were so loud he would bash his head, he’d punch himself or he’d try and get out because it would just become so overwhelming,” she said. “He had so many noises coming in.”
Like most people on the autism spectrum, her 23-year-old son corey has difficulties processing sensory input and experiences heightened senses.Background noise, certain foods and smells could easily become overwhelming and made it hard to manage daily life.”if you go to the supermarket and your child is overwhelmed, people will see it as they’re badly behaved,” she said.”It’s just that they can’t block out the sounds of the fridges in the supermarkets, the lights flickering, or your shoes walking on the floor.”
“To someone who is super heightened with their hearing, at the time it consumes them and they just can’t move,” Loader added.
‘The world is increasingly busy and loud and fast’
Table of Contents
Around 1 in 100 australians are autistic, with a significant portion of people on the autism spectrum experiencing unusual reactions to sensory input. These difficulties can affect up to 96 per cent of people with autism, according to autism Spectrum Australia.
For many, navigating a world filled with constant stimulation can be incredibly challenging.
Alex Lazarus-Priestley, an autistic advocate, understands this struggle firsthand. “The world is increasingly busy and loud and fast,” he said. “For autistic people, it can be incredibly overwhelming.”
Lazarus-Priestley has been working to make more places autism-inclusive, advocating for sensory-friendly spaces and raising awareness about the unique challenges faced by autistic individuals.
He believes that understanding and accommodation are key to creating a more inclusive society for everyone.
Designing for All: How Sensory-Friendly Spaces Are Changing Public Life
Sensory overload. It’s a term we hear frequently enough, but for many, it’s a daily reality. For individuals with autism, sensory processing disorders, and other conditions, the world can be a barrage of overwhelming sights, sounds, smells, and textures. But a growing movement is pushing for change, advocating for the creation of sensory-friendly spaces that cater to diverse needs.
These spaces, designed with careful consideration for sensory input, are popping up in unexpected places – from playgrounds and libraries to workplaces and public transportation.
“It’s not just hypersensitivity, which means that people are more sensitive to sensory input, it’s also hyposensitivity, which means that people need or seek more sensory input,” explains Alex Lazarus-Priestly, chief change officer at Amaze, an australian institution advocating for people on the autism spectrum.
These sensory needs extend beyond autism, affecting individuals with other forms of neurodiversity, as well as those with dementia and PTSD.
Creating Calm in a Chaotic World
Sensory-friendly spaces aim to reduce or remove sensory stressors. This can involve a variety of strategies,from adjustable lighting and sound dampening materials to designated quiet zones and calming colour palettes.”When we’re talking about sensory friendly spaces in a workplace or in a public space, we’re looking for spaces that reduce or remove sensory stresses,” Lazarus-Priestly says.
She emphasizes the importance of individualization, allowing people to adjust their surroundings to suit their specific needs.
“It’s to allow individuation of the space as much as possible,” she explains. “So for exmaple, user adjustable lighting with lamps or different kinds of seating.”
The goal is to create spaces that allow individuals to regulate their sensory input,preventing overwhelm and potential meltdowns.
Victoria Park: A Model for Inclusion
one example of a successful sensory-friendly space is Victoria Park’s inclusive play space in Ballarat, Australia.
[Image of Victoria Park’s inclusive play space featuring multiple play zones and accessible equipment designed for people with all abilities.]
The park features multiple play zones and accessible equipment designed for people with all abilities.
The City of Ballarat is also implementing a four-year disability access and inclusion plan, developed in consultation with the local disability community.
Mayor Tracey Hargreaves highlights the importance of involving people with disabilities in the design process.
“It’s about ensuring that everyone feels welcome and included in our community,” she says.
A Movement Gaining Momentum
The push for sensory-friendly spaces is gaining momentum,driven by a growing awareness of the needs of neurodiverse individuals. As more spaces are designed with inclusivity in mind, we can create a world that is more welcoming and accessible for everyone.
Designing for Everyone: How Sensory-Friendly Spaces Are Benefitting Communities
Ballarat, Victoria – creating inclusive spaces that cater to diverse needs is becoming increasingly critically important, and sensory-friendly design is leading the way.
City councilor Belinda Hargreaves, a strong advocate for inclusive play spaces, emphasizes the importance of incorporating the perspectives of people with lived experience. “I’m constantly surprised by the insights you get from people with lived experience,” she says. “There might be things that you don’t think of unless you’re vision impaired or there might be different challenges with people’s mobility that we need to consider.”
This approach is evident in Ballarat’s new inclusive play space at Victoria Park. A dedicated sensory-friendly zone, fenced off for safety, offers a calming environment with connecting paths, shelters, seating, and specially designed play equipment.
“It’s fenced off from everywhere, people with small kids will appreciate how much better it is than being able to run away out onto the road, but also with the sensory things that are built in,” Cr Hargreaves explains.
The benefits of sensory-friendly design extend far beyond playgrounds. Initiatives like quiet hour at supermarkets, introduced by Coles and Woolworths in recent years, have proven popular with a wide range of people.
“We walked through the supermarkets with the lights dimmed, it wasn’t just for kids like Corey on the spectrum that it helped,” says local mother, Sarah Loader. “I was talking to some older people in there and they just said it was fantastic,they loved it as it was also too noisy for them.”
These examples demonstrate that designing for sensory needs can create more welcoming and accessible environments for everyone. As awareness grows, we can expect to see more communities embracing inclusive design principles, fostering a sense of belonging for all.
Introduction:
For many individuals on the autism spectrum, everyday sounds, sights, smells, and textures can be overwhelming, leading to sensory overload. This can make navigating the world a challenging experience. In this interview, Alex Lazarus-Priestley, an autistic advocate and chief change officer at Amaze, an Australian institution advocating for people on the autism spectrum, sheds light on this issue and discusses the growing movement towards sensory-pleasant spaces.
[NewsDirectory3.com] Coral Loader, a mother of a 23-year-old autistic son, described how simple tasks like grocery shopping could trigger meltdowns in her son due to sensory overload. What are some of the specific sensory challenges that individuals with autism often face?
[Alex Lazarus-Priestley] Sensory processing differences are incredibly common amongst autistic people. What this means is that our brains process sensory information differently than neurotypical brains. This can manifest in many ways, from hypersensitivity – where everyday sights and sounds become overwhelming – to hyposensitivity – where someone might seek out more intense sensory input.
Imagine constantly being bombarded with loud sounds, flickering lights, strong smells, and gritty textures. that’s what it can feel like for some individuals with autism.It can be incredibly challenging to filter out these stimuli and focus on daily tasks.
[NewsDirectory3.com] How prevalent are these sensory processing issues among autistic individuals, and how do they impact their daily lives?
[Alex Lazarus-Priestley] Sensory difficulties are extremely common amongst people on the autism spectrum. Around 96% of autistic individuals experience some form of sensory processing difference, according to autism Spectrum Australia.
These sensory challenges can profoundly impact their lives.They might struggle with social interactions, find it difficult to concentrate in busy environments like classrooms or workplaces, and experience anxiety or meltdowns when overwhelmed.
[NewsDirectory3.com] What are some of the misconceptions surrounding sensory overload and autism that you’d like to address?
[Alex Lazarus-Priestley] One harmful misconception is that people with autism are simply being “difficult” or “rude” when they react strongly to sensory stimuli. It’s crucial to understand that their reactions are due to a neurological difference, not a lack of manners or effort.
Another misconception is that sensory sensitivities only involve sound. As I mentioned earlier, sensory processing differences encompass a wide range of sensory modalities – sight, smell, touch, taste, and evenProprioception (sense of body position).
[NewsDirectory3.com] What are sensory-friendly spaces, and how can they make a difference for people with autism and sensory processing sensitivities?
[Alex Lazarus-Priestley] Sensory-friendly spaces are designed with the specific needs of individuals with sensory processing differences in mind. These spaces aim to reduce or eliminate sensory overload by taking into account factors like lighting, sound levels, textures, and even smells.They might offer designated quiet zones,adjustable lighting,noise-dampening materials,and sensory tools like fidget toys.
By creating environments that are more calming and inclusive,sensory-friendly spaces can empower people with autism and other sensory processing sensitivities to participate more fully in daily life.
[NewsDirectory3.com] What are some examples of sensory-friendly initiatives that are making a difference?
[Alex Lazarus-Priestley] We are seeing sensory-friendly spaces popping up in many different settings – from libraries and museums to cinemas and airports. For exmaple, some supermarkets now offer “quiet hours” where they dim the lights, turn off muzak, and reduce checkout noise to create a more comfortable shopping experience for people with autism.
Ther’s also a growing movement towards incorporating sensory-friendly design features in new buildings and public spaces. This might include things like designated quiet areas in parks, sensory gardens, or even sensory-friendly traffic lights that emit different signals for visually impaired individuals.
Conclusion:
Creating a more inclusive society for autistic individuals and those with sensory processing sensitivities requires understanding and empathy. By implementing sensory-friendly design principles and promoting awareness, we can help create a world where everyone can thrive.