Setting Up the Home: Safety and Sensory Comfort

Home is where your child spends the most time and where they should feel safe. In this chapter, we'll look at how to set up your home so it works well both for physical safety and for sensory comfort.

Safety Measures

The sensory under-responsiveness we discussed in Chapter 8 (especially a high pain threshold) and the tendency toward "running off" (elopement) seen in some children make home safety especially important. Extra locks on doors and garden gates, window safety locks, measures that limit access to the stove and dangerous chemicals, and -- when needed -- a GPS tracking device (particularly for children prone to wandering) are all worth considering.

When to Seek Advice

Running off (elopement) is a serious safety risk in children with autism and a leading cause of accidental death, drowning above all. If your child has this tendency, along with adding extra safety measures at home, seriously consider letting your neighbors and the school know, having your child wear an ID bracelet or necklace, and giving your local emergency services advance information.

A Home That Fits the Senses

Based on the sensory profile we discussed in Chapter 23, the following adjustments at home may help:

• For children who are highly sensitive to sound: reducing echo with heavy curtains and rugs, keeping headphones or earplugs on hand
• For children who are highly sensitive to visual input: soft, adjustable lighting instead of fluorescent, and avoiding too much visual clutter
• For children who seek out sensory input: a safe "movement corner" (a small trampoline, a swing, a balance cushion)
• Creating a low-stimulation "calm-down corner" they can retreat to during moments of overload

Tip / Practical Suggestion

Set up a "calm-down corner" at home: a soft cushion, a favorite blanket, a preferred sensory toy, and low lighting. Never use this space as a "time-out" or punishment corner. It should be framed as a positive tool for self-regulation -- a place your child can go to on their own when they need it.

Visual Structure Works at Home Too

You can apply the TEACCH principles we discussed in Chapter 25 at home as well: making the purpose of each room or area visually clear ("this is where we play," "this is where we eat"), keeping belongings in consistent places, and supporting daily routines with a visual schedule (see Chapter 29, visual daily schedule). All of this increases predictability at home, and with it your child's sense of safety.