Accommodations for Autistic Adults: Part 2

Last time we talked about accommodations for autistic adults we looked at social needs, communication needs, and stim needs. This time, we are going to dig in to special interests and sensory needs. Click here if you missed part 1!

As a reminder, accommodations aren’t just for work. We need them in all areas of life, including school, family, relationships, hobbies, volunteering, and anything else. 

Special Interest needs

This is a big one! While it can be hard to integrate our passions into every area of life, we know that engaging with our special interests can be soothing for autistic people. How do we turn this into an accommodation though?

Can I engage in my interest while also participating in this other activity?

While this isn’t always possible, sometimes we can do both. Love crochet? See if you are able to work on a “mindless” project while in an online work meeting. Into Anime? Watch your favorite anime together movie with your partner on a date. 

And for those interests that you can’t do alongside other things, be sure to carve out time specifically to engage with them. Maybe you can’t hike all the time, but looking at maps and planning trips can help when you’re stuck at home. Or maybe you can listen to podcasts about your interest on breaks at work or school. But be sure to get time with your interests. 

Sensory needs

This likely could be multiple posts (and probably will be in the future), but for now, here’s a breakdown of things to think about when it comes to accommodating your sensory needs. Again, remember everyone has different needs, so what works for one person might not work for you. 

One question to ask with each part of your sensory system- do I need more of this, or less of this? There’s no wrong answers, and it’s not unusual to need both. 

Visual

When thinking about visual accommodations, we often think of things like turning off fluorescent lights. This is helpful for many people, but there’s many other things that go into visual stimuli. Think about how bright any lighting is and is it a tone that works for me? Some people find warm lighting soothing, while others prefer cool lighting. Are you overstimulated by many visual details where you are? Bright colors? Lots of movement in your periphery?  

Hearing

This is another one we often think of when we consider accommodations and the usual recommendation is to wear some kind of noise-canceling headphones or something like loops earplugs. But again, there’s more to it than that. Do you need certain types of noise and/or sound (white noise, nature sounds, instrumental music, music with loud bass)? Are there certain types of sound that are more irritating than others? Are those things you can avoid, or can you do something else to muffle them? Can you get more of the sound that you need?

Taste

Taste can go beyond just “I like this food” or “I don’t like this food.” Many autistic adults get a lot of sensory input from their sense of taste. Beyond preferences, think about things like needing a lot of flavor, vs. needing foods to be more bland. You may be someone who needs a lot of spice and heat, or maybe you feel overwhelmed by too many flavors in a food. Think about your taste needs beyond whether you like the thing or not. 

Smell

Smell can be overpowering at times. For those who are sensitive to smell, are there ways to get away from smell? Can you use unscented detergents and hygiene products? Do you need additional filtration in your home and/or work to neutralize smells? Or maybe you have certain smells that you crave and are regulating for you. Consider having a candle with that scent (even if you don’t light it- you can hold an unlit candle to your face to smell). Some people like having essential oils with them to sniff, or a scented lotion.

Touch

Touch is a big category, and overlaps some with what we are going to talk about next time. For now, when thinking about meeting your touch needs consider if you like to be touched by others, and if so, with how much pressure? Do you crave deep pressure hugs from people you are close with? Or do you prefer a light touch? Or would you rather not be touched by others at all?

Also think about what types of things you like and don’t like to touch. Do you love to run your hands over fuzzy blankets? Enjoy the sticky, wet feeling of slime? Find it regulating to feel different textures with your fingertips? Think about all the things that you like to touch (and don’t!) in order to get more of what you need and less of what you don’t. 

But wait, there’s more! While we often think of the senses as the 5 systems we were taught about in elementary school, there’s also interoception (picking up on your body’s internal cues) and proprioception (awareness of where your body is in space). Those can take some more work to figure out, so stay tuned for part 3! 

If you are in the Charlotte area, or anywhere in North or South Carolina, and looking for support as an autistic adult, click here to schedule a free consult. Looking for an assessment to determine if you’re autistic and/or ADHD? You can schedule a free consult to learn more, or head over to my scheduling page for assessments and we can get that started! I’m always happy to help!