5 Tips for a Home that Supports Sensory Needs

Lou Chandler shares reflections on how home environments can impact sensory needs, drawing on their lived experience as an Autistic person. Lou explores how elements such as lighting, noise and spatial layout can affect regulation and offers gentle prompts for considering small, supportive adjustments at home.

As an Autistic person, I spent a long time not realising how much my home environment affected my sensory needs. We often think about the five main senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch), but there are actually three others: proprioception, vestibular and interoception.

• Vestibular : The vestibular sense relates to balance and movement.

• Proprioception: Awareness of our body in space.

• Interoception: Interoception is the sense of internal body signals, such as hunger, thirst or needing the toilet.

Some Autistic people are more sensitive (hyper-sensitive) to sensory input, while others may be less sensitive (hypo-sensitive). You can also be a combination of both hyper-sensitive (more sensitive) and hypo-sensitive (less sensitive). Our sensory needs can also change over time, so it can be helpful to check in regularly and adjust our environments as those needs shift.

1. Considering the lighting

For me, lighting in my living space has a huge impact and is something I need to get right. The intensity and positioning of light can completely change how a space feels and how comfortable I am in it. In each area of the home, it can help to think about what you need from that space and what kind of lighting could support that.

For example, softer, warmer LED lighting helps me feel calm and grounded, while bright fluorescent lighting can be over-stimulating and even painful.

Using lamps instead of overhead lighting can also reduce sensory input and make it easier for me to regulate.

I pay close attention to natural lighting too. Streams of sunlight through windows can feel harsh or distracting. Having blackout blinds secured with velcro to the window frame can help reduce streams of light when I need to rest and regulate.

2. Clear walkways

It is also important to think about how your space is arranged to meet your sensory needs. For me, vestibular and proprioceptive differences can mean that I often trip over or walk into objects. Clutter makes it harder to move through a space.

It can help to notice the routes you use most often, such as from the bedroom to the kitchen, and ensure those paths are clear. You might also look at where clutter naturally builds up, such as around doorways or on the stairs, and create simple storage solutions for those areas. Using baskets or boxes can make spaces easier to navigate.

3. Considering the noise

Sound plays a big role in how I feel in my home. Sounds that other people might not notice can feel overwhelming and distracting. Everyday noises such as the hum of electricity, ticking clocks or traffic outside can accumulate and make it difficult for me to cope.

Soft furnishings, such as rugs, curtains and cushions, can help absorb sound and reduce echo, making a space feel calmer. It can also help to think about where noisy appliances are placed. For example, keeping washing machines, dishwashers or other loud devices in a utility area or away from main living spaces can reduce background noise.

Even small details can make a difference. Standard cupboards and drawers can slam shut, creating sudden, startling sounds. Adding soft-close mechanisms or adhesive pads inside drawers can be an easy and affordable way to reduce noise and make your home feel quieter.

4. Creating a sensory safe space

For me, having a space designed to meet my sensory needs is really helpful. It allows me to find safety and comfort in a world that can often feel overwhelming. It is a place where I can decompress and regulate without having to manage so many external sensations.

A sensory safe space can look different for everyone. It might be an under-stairs cupboard, a corner of a room or even a whole room, depending on how much space you have available and what works best for you.

When setting up a sensory safe space, it can be useful to think about the different senses and what helps or feels challenging in each area.

• Sight – Consider the lighting in the space. For those who are hyper-sensitive, dimmable lights, fairy lights or lamps may be useful. If you are seeking visual input, you could use a light projector or colour-changing bulb.

• Sound – If you are hyper-sensitive, think about how you can reduce or control noise. This might include using soft furnishings to reduce echo or removing noisy items such as ticking clocks. For Autistic people who seek sensory input, a white noise machine or headphones for music may be helpful.

• Touch – This could include textures that feel grounding or regulating. For those who are hyper-sensitive, textured items such as fidget fabrics or stim toys may help. For those who are hypo-sensitive, softer, less stimulating fabrics such as soft blankets or cushions may be preferable.

• Smell – Certain scents can be regulating, while others may be overstimulating. For those who are hyper-sensitive, keeping the space scent-free, for example by ensuring good ventilation and using scent-free cleaning products, can help reduce sensory overload. For those who are hypo-sensitive, introducing a scent you enjoy, such as a scented candle or essential oil, may be helpful.

• Taste – Some people find it helpful to eat foods that feel regulating from a sensory perspective. For those who are hyper-sensitive, strong or intense flavours may be overwhelming, so milder tastes may be better. For those who are hypo-sensitive, more intense flavours or chewy foods can provide useful sensory input.

• Proprioception – Items that provide deep pressure or resistance can help with regulation. Weighted blankets, body socks, resistance bands or even carrying heavy objects can give grounding input. Those who are hyper-sensitive may prefer gentler pressure, while hypo-sensitive people may benefit from firmer or more active input.

• Vestibular – For those who are hyper-sensitive, rapid or unpredictable movement may feel overwhelming, so gentle movement such as rocking in a chair or using a swing can be soothing. For those who are hypo-sensitive, more active movement, such as jumping on a trampoline, spinning in a swivel chair or swinging, may help with regulation.

5. Considering specific tasks that require adjustments

It can be helpful to identify which tasks in your home feel difficult and then break down exactly what makes them challenging from a sensory perspective. For example, showering might feel overstimulating. Some potential barriers might include:

• The feel of water on the skin

• Sudden or intense changes in temperature

• The noise of running water

• Bright or harsh lighting in the bathroom

Once you have identified the specific sensory elements that make a task more difficult, you can explore adjustments to make the experience more manageable. For example:

• Using a shower head with adjustable pressure

• Using dimmable or softer lighting

• Playing soft background music through waterproof headphones

• Keeping towels on a radiator to reduce the temperature change when getting out of the shower