Sensory Accomodations
Once you know you’re autistic, you may start noticing how much noise and harsh lighting have been wearing on you. A lot of late-diagnosed adults spent years pushing through that discomfort without knowing there were other options.
Everything here is something I use myself or have recommended to autistic adults who told me it helped. You’ll find headphones, earplugs, eyewear, and a few everyday comfort items. Take what fits your life and leave the rest.
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I wear Loop earplugs in meetings and anywhere they’re allowed that gets loud and crowded, like restaurants and concerts. They don’t block sound completely the way foam earplugs do. A small filter lowers the overall volume while keeping voices clear, so I can still hold a conversation without all the noise around me hitting at full intensity. Loop makes different versions: Engage for conversations, Experience for concerts and louder events, and Quiet for sleep and travel.
I bought these for someone I love dearly, and now they keep them with them all the time. They wear them at work when they can, around large groups of people, or any time they’re out of the house. The ear cushions soften a lot of the sound around you, and you can play music or a familiar sound when everything else feels like too much. They’re also comfortable enough to wear for long stretches.
FL-41 is a rose-colored tint that filters much of the blue light that can bother light-sensitive eyes. These glasses have made a huge difference for me. Since I started wearing them every time I leave the house, I rarely have vertigo, tinnitus, or migraines. I wear them indoors too, because so many stores and offices use fluorescent lighting. The pair in my photos is a different style from the one I wear now, and the link goes to the pair I currently use. Here are the glasses in my pictures.
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Avulux lenses are made for people who are sensitive to light, especially those who get migraines. They filter the blue and red-orange light that tends to bother sensitive eyes the most while letting in the soft green light that most people find easier to take. Colors still look normal through them, which isn’t always true of tinted lenses. Autistic adults with migraines whom I recommended these to have told me their migraines became rare or stopped altogether.
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Bearaby makes weighted blankets that are knit, with no beads or filler inside, so the weight is spread evenly through the whole blanket. There’s nothing that shifts, clumps, or rustles when you move, which matters if those sounds and textures bother you. The open knit lets air through, so it doesn’t trap heat the way many weighted blankets do. They come in different weights and materials, including organic cotton and a cooling Tencel version, so you can choose what feels right on your body.
