Sensory-friendly Meetings
Sensory-friendly Meetings
Most autistic people experience sensory differences. For some, senses may be over-developed (hypersensitive), which means that they may, for example, find things too bright or too loud. They may enjoy a calm sensory environment. For others, senses may be under-developed (hyposensitive), which means that they may not notice sensory extremes such as heat. They may enjoy a livelier sensory environment.
Given the potential differences in how someone may be experiencing the environment, the easiest thing to do is ask them if they’re comfortable. Let them know that you understand that an environment can bring unique challenges, and if you can help, you will.
There are lots of different ways to refer to someone who has an autism diagnosis: autistic, person with autism, high/low functioning, on the spectrum etc. Some of these may be more appropriate than others. It may not be necessary to ever refer to autism in a meeting, so you may not need to worry about the most appropriate language to use. If you do need to refer to it, the best approach is simply to acknowledge that there are lots of ways to describe autism, and ask the individual student what they prefer.
Be mindful of the location you pick for your meeting. Autistic students and colleagues may have trouble filtering out sensory information, so if there is a coffee machine, other people talking, the clatter of knives and forks; it can be very hard for them to focus on the conversation they are having. Ask what sort of environment would suit them best before you book a meeting.
Some people on the spectrum may find it easier to concentrate in rooms without intense, high arousal colours on walls/soft furnishings. Equally, florescent overhead lighting can produce a hum or flicker that is hard for autistic students and colleagues to ignore.
Patterned floors can be more difficult to walk on, and soft carpeting can dampen noise to make the environment more comfortable.
Slatted blinds can be visually distracting for people on the spectrum. If possible, avoid vertical blinds, and consider a room with tinted glass rather than blinds. It is worth considering a seating arrangement that allows the person on the spectrum to face away from the blinds, if possible.
All of these factors may not be under your control, but they are worth considering when redecorating a room.
Any student attending a meeting with university staff may be feeling a little anxious. Given the social communication issues associated with autism, students on the spectrum may be feeling particularly anxious. To help them focus on the content of the meeting rather than on social behaviour, consider a chair arrangement where you are not sitting directly across from the student. Can you sit alongside them at a table? This will mean that they can avoid making eye contact if it makes them uncomfortable, and they will avoid being over-stimulated by all of the social signals that they would see if they were facing someone.
People on the spectrum may have a particularly sensitive sense of smell, which may mean that strong perfumes or scented candles are very difficult. In order to block out intrusive, uncontrollable smells, it may be useful to use a room diffuser that emits a subtle, consistent scent.
Everyone uses physical behaviours to help them calm down when they are tense, for example drumming fingers on a table, tapping a foot or chewing the end of a pen. Students on the spectrum may show unique ways of relieving this tension, such as rocking back and forth or flapping their hands. It’s a simple stress reliever, and it is important that students don’t feel judged for doing it. It is also a useful non-verbal way for students to express how stressed they might be feeling.