Tag: sensory friendly

Autism and Relaxed Performances

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Happy new year! Hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas holiday! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about relaxed performances in the theatre and how they can be beneficial to autists.

So what exactly is a relaxed performance?

A relaxed performance is pretty self explanatory- it is a performance in the theatre where the normal rules and etiquette are “relaxed” and the ambiance is adjusted to be more sensory friendly for the audience. Oftentimes the theatre can overwhelm the senses with loud music, strobe lighting and sudden noises (I jumped so high when a prop gun went off during Phantom of the Opera!), which can make it problematic for autists.

But how is it tailored?

Different theatres will offer different experiences, but in general, a relaxed performance focuses on sensory elements such as removing strobe lighting, turning down the stage volume, and brighter house lights. The normal rules of the theatre are relaxed, meaning that the doors are not locked, you can get up and move around if you are getting overwhelmed, and many theatres even provide a designated, quiet chill out space.

As an avid lover of musical theatre, I was naturally eager to attend one, and was delighted to see that the Watergate theatre in nearby Kilkenny was putting on a relaxed performance for their pantomime performance of Aladdin. The theatre had a very detailed plan on their website for the performance to make the show inclusive for all:

  • The auditorium doors were opened 45 minutes ahead of the performance (way earlier than a standard show) to allow the audience extra time to come in and settle down and familiarize themselves with the room
  • Strobe lighting and loud/sudden sound effects were removed, and the overall lighting and sound was adjusted for a more comfortable sensory experience
  • The house lights remained on and low over the audience, who were free to move around as needed
  • Sensory tools and service dogs were also welcome
  • They even provided a detailed preparation journey document outlining the theatre facilities, with multiple pictures to help orient visitors with the theatre to fully prepare an autist for their theatrical experience

So what did I make of it?

For me personally as a high functioning, seasoned theatre goer, it was a bit of a mixed bag. In theory, the concept is amazing, but in practice it’s a lot more difficult. The lighting and sound adjustments were great, the experience was far more relaxed without the likelihood of jumping out of my seat unexpectedly, buuuuutttt these adjustments created another sensory quandary.

So the theatre has it’s rules and etiquette for a reason- to allow everyone to hear the performance un-distracted. But, without these rules, the audience is naturally much louder than a regular performance… In a room full of uninhibited, talkative/echolalic, snacking neurodivergents with lowered stage sounds, the performance becomes difficult to hear. I often missed jokes and lines due to the sound adjustments- and this was with me sitting in the front row beside a speaker. This created a greater sensory issue for me as I was surrounded by distracting noises everywhere, with constant chatter and rustling of snacks. While this was primarily irritating for me, a more sensitive autist could have had a meltdown in this scenario. As the stage sounds were reduced, normal sound reducing earpieces would not have improved the situation.

Granted, in my experience, audiences that have large numbers of children in attendance are much louder, but the stage volumes usually counteract the increased noise threshold. As such if sound is your primary sensory sensitivity, you would be better off attending a regular performance with ear defenders or noise reducing earplugs (I highly recommend these- I tested them out at Rocky Horror Picture Show and I lost no sound quality with the volume reduction).

All in all, while the concept of a relaxed performance is good in theory, it may not be suitable for all autists.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 😀

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism and Sensory Rooms

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Continuing on from my last post, this week I’d like to discuss sensory rooms and how they can benefit autists.

As I mentioned in my last post, while trying out the sensory pod on the Carlow campus of South East Technological University (SETU), I also had the pleasure of trying out the campus sensory room for students on the spectrum.

But first things first, what exactly is a sensory room and how can it help autists?

Sensory rooms are designated safe, calming spaces where an autist can retreat when overstimulated. Here they can relax and stim in a room designed to stimulate the senses and regulate emotions. As with sensory pods, sensory rooms are all different, but they may have dimmed LED lighting, water features, light projections, soft furnishings, swings, textured pads, sensory toys, punch bags etc. The concept is surprisingly not a new one, dating back to the 1970’s in the Netherlands where Dutch psychologists wanted to awaken sensory perception in individuals with disabilities through sensory stimulation.

Fun fact– they were originally called ‘snoezelen’, a portmanteau of the dutch word to sniff (snuffelen) and to snooze (doezelen).

Here’s a video discussing how sensory rooms can help neurodivergents in their education:

So how did I find the sensory room?

I booked in for half an hour into the sensory room and found that like the sensory pod, it was incredibly soothing. It was so nice to be able to take some time out on the beanbag in this soundproofed room away from the hustle and bustle of the busy student centre. I wasn’t a big fan of the whirring sound from the water pipe in the room, however, one of the great things about the sensory room was that I had the power to customize my experience. I was handed 2 remotes when I walked in which allowed me to control the lighting, water features, projections etc. so I could tailor the room to my needs- an essential feature given the level of diversity in sensory needs. Like the pod, this facility would have been great to have during my third level education to take time out when assignments and exams were frying my brain.

You can check out a quick Tik Tok of the sensory room I visited here:

@setusucw

Sensory Room on campus for our students. #ForYouPage #ITCSU #ItCarlow #OnCampus #StudentReturn #Carlow

♬ original sound – Blake Healey

While facilities like this are great in an educational setting, you can also create your own sensory room at home to allow yourself or your kids some needed respite during an overload. There is no one size fits all model for sensory rooms. Different autists have different sensory needs, so being able to create your own room with sensory stimuli that specifically calm you is a game changer. Here’s a handy article that gives some tips on how to build your own room https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2022/10/15/a-quiet-place-how-to-build-a-sensory-room/.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Sensory Pods

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about sensory pods and how they can be beneficial for autists!

So first things first, what is a sensory pod?

A sensory pod is an enclosed space designed to be calming and relaxing for autists. Each pod can be different but they are generally soundproofed to reduce outside noise, dimly lit with LED lighting (which has been scientifically linked to behavioural improvements) and may have cushions or a comfortable mat to sit on. Pods may also allow you to adjust the temperature, play white noise, project visuals on the wall, and you can further add in sensory toys, weighted blankets, vests, plushies etc. As autists can struggle with sensory processing and overload, sensory pods are an ideal way to help manage an overwhelming situation. You can see a video about sensory pods here:

I recently booked into the sensory pod on the Carlow campus of South East Technological University (SETU) to give it a try. The university has two sensory pods in the library that neurodivergent students can avail of for time out, or even just a quiet place to study.

So what was my experience like?

I can highly recommend the sensory pod. While it was a bit awkward climbing into it as a fully grown adult in her thirties, once I was lying down in the pod it was so soothing. The room was kitted out with an interactive screen on the wall where you could avail of streaming services like Netflix to take some chill time out from your studies. There was a mirror on the wall with a panel of dials to adjust the lighting to your liking- blue, green, red, white and even no lights. The college even provided a USB mouse and keyboard that students could avail of if using the pod to study. Lying there on the squishy mat, I could easily have fallen asleep with the sounds of the library dulled around me. You would forget that you were in the middle of a busy college campus on a Friday evening!

It’s great to see a sensory facility like this for neurodivergents in an academic institution, I would love to have had something like this to study in back when I was in university (then again, I was only diagnosed as I was leaving third level education 🙃).

I also had the opportunity to try out the sensory room on campus which I will talk about in my next post.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Halloween

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

In light of the week that’s in it, I’m going to discuss how Halloween festivities can impact those on the autistic spectrum 🙂

Halloween is designed to be a scary time all around, but if you’re on the spectrum, Halloween can be even more unsettling than you might think. From a sensory perspective, Halloween can be difficult to navigate with the noise from explosive pyrotechnics, the bright lights, open flames, itchy costumes and the unpredictability with potential jump scares and strangers in costume waiting around every corner. On another level, masked faces can also pose a problem given how autists struggle on a normal basis to read social cues and facial expressions.

But just because Halloween can be challenging for an autist, doesn’t mean that it still can’t be fun. Here are some of my top tips for navigating the scary season:

Plan your costume ahead of time– some costumes are made from quite cheap materials which can be quite irritating to an autists sensitive skin, so it’s always best to get your costume ready in advance/get them to wear it round the house to make sure that they will be comfortable in their outfit. Try incorporating specialist interests into the costume as this will help your child feel more at ease as they navigate Halloween festivities. Pro tip– have a backup option with something comfy that you know your child will be happy to wear in case something goes wrong.

Do makeup trial runs– Halloween makeup can be quite irritating and sometimes smelly, so it’s a good idea to do a trial run, particularly if you’re planning anything with liquid latex (you would not believe the smell- I covered half my face in the stuff for a Phantom of the Opera look one year and the smell was so bad it burned my eyes all night!)

Discuss costume options with friends in advance: Children with autism may be scared or may not recognize a friend in makeup/wearing a mask. If they are heading out with a group of friends, have a chat ahead of time so that they will be prepared for the choice of costume and won’t find the change so unsettling.

Get an autism awareness card– for nonverbal autists that are unable to say “Trick or Treat”, you can get some fun Halloween cards that will explain this to show when you knock on a door, which can help make the night a little easier. Check out this this one below for example:

Halloween Autism Awareness Cards - Autism Dog Services

Use sensory aids such as earplugs and sunglasses: These can help to take the edge off the loud noises and bright lights. If you’re feeling self conscious, why not try and incorporate them into your Halloween costume- Halloween is the one night of the year where you can look like an oddball and no one can judge you for it 😉

Head out early– if your child is uncomfortable in the dark, or you want to reduce the chances of them getting overwhelmed by the amount of people out and about, take your child out for early Trick or Treating. Alternatively, you could organize some indoor activities or a mini Halloween party with familiar friends to put your child at ease.

Halloween may be scary for an autist, but it doesn’t mean that you still can’t have fun 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a wonderful Halloween! 🙂

Aoife

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