In environments serving autistic children and adults, it’s imperative that we pay attention to the amount and type of sensory stimulation in every area and each stage of a process. It may be helpful to conduct a sensory audit with neurodivergent members of your community, walking through your setting together and listening to feedback on what feels welcoming and what feels uncomfortable to different people. 

In a study published in the British Medical Journal, 51% of autistic patients reported that these features of the waiting room kept them from readily seeking care: 

Sound 

In studies, sound is more likely to be problematic for an autistic individual than other senses. In a review of two longitudinal studies, researchers explored the conditions that made it harder for autistic children and teens to participate in public places. The participants talked about the sounds that caused them pain or deep distress.  

One university student said: 

Everybody is on their laptops typing at the speed of light and that tikatik noise, which drills into my ears to the point where I could not focus on anything the teacher was saying ‘cause all I could hear was the noise of the other students around typing, and I would have [panic] attacks. I would walk outside of the class because of that sound of people typing on their keyboards (Clément et al., 2022).

In large institutional settings, controlling acoustics can be challenging. Melissa Brito-Alvarez is manager of access programs at the Dallas Museum of Art. In a museum this size, with 4 floors and multiple galleries serving a large metropolitan area, sound can be a problem for autistic visitors.  

“We still provide a sensory haven,” she explains. Museum signage and museum guides are on hand to show visitors to these havens. “We’re letting people know: ‘We know it’s busy. We know it's loud. But this is the space you would want to be if you want to escape all that.’ It's in our museum office floor.”  In that quieter area, people can relax on couches and recover from louder galleries.  

“For large events like spring break…we provide headphones and ear plugs because we acknowledge that adults also have sensory needs. Our music can get really loud during those public events,” Brito-Alvarez notes. 

Sight 

The way a space looks can affect how it feels to people visiting. Visual clutter and strong colors may distract, distress, or even cause pain for some autistic individuals. In her book Sensing the City: An Autistic Perspective, Dr. Sandra Beale-Ellis describes a challenge that sometimes arises when an autistic individual stays in a quaint B&B:  

Smaller guest houses may be a better choice for some; they tend to be less busy, easier to find your way around and more peaceful. They are often interesting and quirky; many have small gardens or private sitting rooms for guests to relax in. One sensory challenge might be a tendency in some I have visited to fill rooms with bits and pieces which collect dust and can cause visual overload. This could cause a kind of motion sickness in autistic individuals.

Lighting can affect the sensory experience, too. Experts recommend natural lighting from diffuse sources. Clerestory windows and skylights may reduce the distraction that can come from windows at eye-level. Adjustable LED lighting is preferable to the glare and hum of fluorescent lights.  

Touch 

For those who are highly sensitive to touch, crowded or confined spaces can cause distress. Ceiling height can create a feeling of spaciousness that may be helpful. Unobstructed, clearly identified travel paths may also ease the sensory burden. 

One autistic visitor explained how the arrangement of shelving saved him some anxiety in a favorite haunt: “I love going to bookshops. They tend to be quite quiet…particularly ones where the shelves are all quite spaced out from each other, so you're not kind of crammed in against other people” (MacLennan et al., 2023). 

Smell 

Cleaning chemicals, perfumes, out-gassing from furniture or building materials, fragrant vegetation, and other scents can keep people from participating fully in an experience or setting. Challenging odors can make it harder to focus, learn, and interact. Studies have shown they can also lead to physical difficulties such as these:  

Indoor air quality, ventilation, functional air conditioning systems, and patterns of product use are important considerations (Zwilling & Levy, 2022).  

Taste 

Food and eating are part of the experience in many venues. It’s important to understand that food tastes and textures may be processed differently by some autistic people. Some researchers say between 70–80% of autistic children “engage in food selectivity” arising from their unique sensory experiences. These children aren’t simply “picky eaters.” Brain imaging studies show that for some people, there’s a relationship between certain brain structures and taste sensitivities (Goldschlager et al., 2025). 

Communicating with prospective visitors about food choices may help them decide in advance how to handle eating opportunities.  

Other Possibilities 

In Sensing the City, Dr. Beale-Ellis extends her discussion of sensory differences to include these other realities for some autistic people: 

These sensory experiences may bring comfort or cause distress, depending on the person and situation. Educating team members in your venue about these sensory perceptions can lessen stigma and prepare people to respond with understanding and kindness. 

Dive into our infographic: How to Create a Sensory Friendly Classroom 

Sensory Guides 

One way to communicate about the sensory experience at your venue is through sensory guides people can explore before they visit. A sensory guide explains the opportunities to engage each sense in different areas and ranks their intensity. For example, sensory guides on the website of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum in St. Augustine, Florida provide these details of the experience: 

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum recently earned a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). IBCCES offers several autism-related certifications to individual practitioners and educators, as well as to organizations and venues. These certifications require staff to be trained “to better understand what autism is (and isn’t), how to empathize and understand how autistic individuals experience the world, communicate more effectively, and be aware of common sensitivities and concerns in a recreational environment” (IBCCES, n.d.)  IBCCES officials also visit sites to conduct sensory and safety evaluations, and the organization offers templates for resources such as sensory guides.  

Regulation Tools 

Some organizations offer kits or backpacks stocked with objects that can help people regulate their emotions in challenging social and sensory situations. Lynda Wilbur, senior manager of access and outreach at the Nasher Sculpture Center and co-author of Success on the Spectrum: Practical Strategies for Engaging Neurodiverse Audiences in Arts and Cultural Organizations, says visitors can check out “a backpack with headphones, a communication card, fidget, and a number of things that can help them regulate. We have those right at the front.”   

Information about the backpacks is shared on the website so families know in advance what’s available on site. Reminders are posted throughout the museum. Wilbur adds, “Our staff has also been trained on how to interact if a child starts showing that their level of discomfort is rising. We can help them find a place that is more comforting to them.”  

Sensory differences are part of the human experience. When we design with that natural variation in mind, our environments will be functional and inviting for more of the people in our communities. 

Anna Smith, curator of education at Nasher Sculpture Center and co-author of Success on the Spectrum: Practical Strategies for Engaging Neurodiverse Audiences in Arts and Cultural Organizations, sums up the impact of the Center’s annual sensory days. She describes one family with a neurodivergent child whose birthday coincides with the sensory day in April.  

 “They treat it like her birthday party. She brings a hat, and her siblings come, and they bring their gifts for her. It's a safe environment where she can feel entertained and welcomed,” Smith says. The child feels as though the event is for her, and the family and staff have formed a special connection.