Designing for neurodiversity
It’s estimated that more than 15% of people in the UK are neurodivergent. This means that the brain functions, learns, and processes information differently from a neurotypical person. In this guide, we explain more about designing for neurodiversity, and how to achieve it in your home.
Designing for neurodiversity
Designing for neurodiversity allows us to create environments that help neurodivergent people to feel more at ease.
Neurodiversity covers a range of conditions including (but not limited to) autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia.
Neurodivergent people can often have sensory processing difficulties (SPD). This is a neurological condition that affects the way the brain processes information from the senses.
People with SPD can be extra sensitive to, or not react to, sensory stimuli. For example, strong smells, loud noises, bright colours, or particular tastes and textures.
While everyone is affected by their surroundings, for someone with SPD, this can have a huge impact on their wellbeing.
In this post, we look at this topic in more depth and provide guidance for designing interiors that help neurodiverse people feel calm, focused, and comfortable.
What is neurodiverse design?
Neurodiverse design involves evaluating what’s included in a room’s design to consider how it affects the body as a whole.
This includes all elements that engage the senses: the visual layout, furniture, colour scheme, textures, sounds, smells, taste, and lighting.
What is sensory design in interior design?
Sensory design is creating spaces that help people to feel at ease in their surroundings – for example at home or work. For a neurodiverse person, sensory design can have a huge impact on their wellbeing.
What are the five sensory design principles?
Sensory interior design is structured around our five main senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
When designing sensory spaces, all five of these elements should be considered with the individual in mind.
7 expert tips when designing for neurodiversity
If you live with a neurodivergent person – or you’re neurodivergent yourself – no doubt you’ll be keen to learn how to design a sensory room that will help promote a feeling of being calm and relaxed.
Below, we provide some guidance covering the key considerations to make with sensory space design. However, it’s important to remember that what works for one person may not suit another.
Where possible, work with the person you are designing for to understand what sensory elements bring them comfort and what is best avoided.
1. Room layout
A neurodivergent person will often benefit from having defined zones within their room to help organise a busy mind. For example, a clearly defined area for sleep, for play, for learning, and relaxation.
If designing for a neurodivergent child, you may wish to incorporate a space to help with emotional regulation.
This could be an area that helps to block out sensory stimulation, for example, a tent or teepee. Fill it with items that provide comfort, perhaps noise-cancelling headphones, a weighted blanket, and favourite fidget toys.
Related content: Learn how to zone an older child’s bedroom with designated areas for study, sleep, and relaxation.
2. Storage
If storage and organisation are important to the person you’re designing for, think about the best way to incorporate this into the room design.
In some cases, simple storage boxes with clear labels will be sufficient. Or perhaps bespoke, built-in storage, with open shelves to display treasured items, will better suit your needs.
3. Colour scheme
Certain colours are considered better when designing for neurodiversity. So what are the best colours for neurodiversity?
Muted, pastel tones and neutrals can be soothing for someone with autism. Meanwhile, blue is known to have beneficial qualities for people with ADHD, including slowing the heart rate and encouraging calm.
However, designing for neurodiversity doesn’t mean creating spaces devoid of sensory stimulation. A neurodivergent child, for example, might feel more comfortable in a themed bedroom with all the things they love providing great comfort.
The main thing to avoid is bold, primary colours (bright yellow, bright red etc.), opting instead for grey-toned shades, such as a grey/blue or grey/green tone.
Related content: For help selecting the optimal paint colour, read our guide to choosing the perfect paint colour for any room. If you have a child who tends to lick surfaces, choose non-toxic wall paint.
4. Walls and flooring
The texture of the walls and floor can also impact how comfortable (or not) a neurodivergent person feels in a room.
While ‘quiet’ flooring such as carpet is favoured by many, some people with autism, for example, can struggle with the texture of carpet.
Natural wood flooring makes a popular choice as it absorbs sounds and is typically warm, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.
People with sensory processing difficulties (SPD) tend to process every detail, so it’s often better to keep wall decor simple and avoid clutter.
If hanging wall art, opt for one frame per wall and choose natural landscapes or abstract prints with soft curves.
Natural materials are often preferred with neurodivergent design. This can include breathable fabrics such as soft linens and high-thread-count cotton bedding. Our post on creating the perfect rustic bedroom provides plenty of inspiration for using natural, nature-inspired elements in your room design.
5. Lighting
Lighting is a key consideration when designing for neurodiversity. We have three top tips in this arena:
- Dimmer switches to control the intensity of the lighting
- Smart LED lighting strips to customise the ambience (pictured above)
- Layered lighting to help create a soothing space and reduce overwhelm
Related content: Not sure how to create layered lighting? Read our post on interior design ideas to live by to learn more.
6. Plants and ventilation
Sensory design also involves smell. Avoid heavy smells such as synthetic room fragrances – opt instead for the subtle smell of a Eucalyptus plant, for example.
Good ventilation is important to help remove overbearing smells. It’s also beneficial for the overall ambience of your home – helping to reduce condensation and damp.
Wondering how to ensure good ventilation in your home? Open the window to allow fresh air in, install working extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom, make sure airbricks and wall vents are not blocked, and you have trickle vents in the windows.
Related content: Consider safety window locks to allow fresh air in via a limited opening.
7. Noise reduction
Last but not least, noise is a major consideration when designing for neurodiversity. There are several ways to reduce internal and external noise:
- Plant trees and shrubs to help limit sound from outside such as traffic and sirens
- Soundproof your room to better absorb indoor sound using soft furnishings, bookcases, acoustic panels, and extra underlay
Where possible, the rooms you design for neurodiversity should be the furthest from sources of noise.
Designing for neurodiversity: key takeaways
There are many ways to help neurodiverse people feel more comfortable at home through interior design choices.
- Neurodiverse design involves evaluating what’s included in a room’s design to consider how it affects the body as a whole. This includes all elements that engage the senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
- Designing a sensory space can help a neurodiverse person to feel calm, focused, and relaxed because our surroundings are linked to our mental health and wellbeing.
- There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when designing for neurodiversity. It’s usually best to work with the person you are designing for to understand their needs and the sensory elements they feel most comfortable with.
- Some of the key considerations with neurodiverse design include room layout, storage, colour scheme, wall and floor coverings, lighting, plants, ventilation, and noise reduction.
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