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Autistic children and young people experience significantly poorer mental health compared to their neurotypical peers, with many in the UK receiving care in NHS-funded inpatient facilities that often fail to meet their sensory needs. Recent autistic-led research highlights a systemic lack of understanding around autistic sensory differences, with inpatient environments frequently worsening mental health and contributing to a cycle of increasingly restrictive care. This paper explores these issues through the insights of autistic individuals with lived experience and offers recommendations for improving sensory environments and guiding future research.
Autistic children and young people experience significantly poorer mental health compared to their neurotypical peers, with many in the UK receiving care in NHS-funded inpatient facilities that often fail to meet their sensory needs. Recent autistic-led research highlights a systemic lack of understanding around autistic sensory differences, with inpatient environments frequently worsening mental health and contributing to a cycle of increasingly restrictive care. This paper explores these issues through the insights of autistic individuals with lived experience and offers recommendations for improving sensory environments and guiding future research.