Day 10: Sensory Life

Day 10 of the challenge I accepted asks me to speak about the sensory issues that autistic people face. To varying degrees and with different compositions, autisic people are sensitive and easily irritated by many things that can hamper their mood and ability to perform. Those issues include, but are not limited to:

1. Light - some autistics complain about flourecent lighting or bright lights.
2. Odors - when we put on the hiring pilot in Lansing, and when I have attended some events with many autistic people, I was warned not to use lots of cologne or perfume.
3. Touch - some autistic people loathe being touched or are easily startled.
4. Taste - flavors of some foods can be very off putting, and some autistics have a digestive sensitivity to gluten or other foods. @DUBISETTY, MALLIKARJUNA​ and others have posted here about autism-friendly diets.
5. Sound - loud noises can distract some autistic people.

Any one of these things can be easily ameliorated or mitigated, providing an environment in which the autistic person is not distracted and can work or enjoy themselves happily.

1. Flourescent lights can be replaced with incandescents, or lights can be dimmed or reduced in the area in which an autistic person works.
2. Although a challenge for some of us, we can lay off the perfumes and deodorants and be careful what chemicals are used in work environments with autistic people.
3. Be careful when approaching anyone from behind and startling them, and adjust your personal "touch" to each person.  Not everyone likes a handshake, slap on the back, or even a hug. Considering the news of late, we all ought to be careful about that anyway : )
4. As I mentioned, Mallik and others have posted autism-friendly diet information here.
5. Many autistic people I have seen like to wear headsets (like construction worker's gear) or use their headphones to listen to music or sounds that soothe them, and drown out distracting noises so they can concentrate.

How different is this for the rest of us "neurotypical" people? I see some of my employees like to work in darkness or near windows, and I have heard complaints about fluorescent lighting for years; not everyone appreciates the guy down the hall who drowns himself in Drakkar Noir or the person who, late in the afternoon, burns the popcorn in the microwave; we all have different preferences when it comes to backslaps and handshakes - I know manager who hug, but many more who never touch a person; working on an upset stomach isn't fun for anyone; many people in IBM wear headsets to enjoy music while working. I find it even helps me - and when I can I prefer to listen to monotonous music like The Crystal Method, Chemical Brothers, or Philip Glass. An intern I had years ago appreciated that so much he bought me a copy of The Crystal Method's new albums at the end of his summer with IBM (Hi, @Murray, Brian J​!).

These sensitivities provide constant challenge to parents of autistic children, however, as the parents discover, learn about them, and learn to anticipate the triggers and work to lessen them or eliminate them Autism advocates in our community work with retail and public spaces to teach these things and make their business more autism-friendly or at least autism-aware. It helps their business and the community. What sensitivities have you heard of or dealt with?