Environmental Changes

For this one I think it is a bit of a difficult one to explain to someone who hasn’t got any sensory issues, but I will give it a shot 😊.  I will split it to three parts: one about people, one about different bit of our environment (lightings, smells and sounds) and the last one about how some people on the spectrum make our own environment.

So, first things first. What do I mean by environment is things like lighting in a room, odd smells; just the things in a room that can make an atmosphere or change how the room looks. This could include how many people are in a room or the type of person that is in the room with you. Most commonly, so not everyone has these issues, some issues that people on the spectrum are sensitive to light, noise, touch and smell. It like all your senses or a sense has become enhanced in some way. All my senses are sensitive to a point but not as sensitive as some I know. Whilst some I know only have a sense or two that are sensitive.

So as I think everyone knows people are random and just generally odd and loud. People change the environment a lot, more than what you would think, as the shadows can change the lighting in a room. Someone can slam a door or shout/raise their voice and it can hurt ‘our’ ears this can lead into a meltdown just by any of these changes. This isn’t just because they hurt, it’s because it is something no one could plan for unless it happens lots of times; I count as a quick learner and it will take somewhere between three to ten times before I will learn all the changes. So take it from the top part of that- ten times. It would be ten meltdowns before the meltdowns slowly went and this is just one change. There are lots of other changes which people do almost naturally like changing layout of rooms, different people coming into rooms and people changing colours or hair/ getting spay tans; it seems a funny one to bring up but if there is a change then some people on the spectrum may stare at them for a very long time. I will admit I do this, it not because something has changed it because something has change and we don’t know what.

So there are a lot of things that could change in the environment- minus people. There is lighting this one is odd as too little light, and most would rather go to sleep if it is too bright and we close our eyes because it burns. The best way to describe it is that it is like someone putting pins in your eyes. There are also smells that can be distracting as it feels like an itch which you can’t seem to get rid of. This could be from deodorant to candles or even washing up powder it all depends on the person. Loud sound are another thing that can change the environment as it means we not be able to hear people and to some people who are completely literal if they hear “Can you turn …. on” rather than “Can you turn the light on” it could be confusing. The loud noise could be anything from noise like a doorbell to lots of dogs barking. Taste change is odd environmental change, but it can be there. This can be from new recipes in food or drink, an obvious on to me is milkshake where it now tastes like the power it has been made from it use to taste sweet but because of the healthy eating changes the flavour of the milkshake has slightly change the recipe. The last environmental change is the way things feel. This can be something that is broken or cracked, and you can feel where the break is or something has been used so much that just general wear changes the feel and it can make it hard to fidget with it because it may be hard to grip or it may just feel wrong. 

The obvious or stereotypical way people on the spectrum are seen changing everything is by making their own order or plan what they want to do. To some of us that is right but some of us just get on with life by working through slowly what needs to be done first, if there is anything.  In my case I follow a flexible-ish order, so I know what should be happening around me so nothing unexpected should surprise me.  If we have control over our environment we can usually pick somewhere to seat so we only have to get use to one lot of light levels, sounds and everything else. Also some environmental things change like people disappear or change. So I my case people I know at the moment  are moving to University. This change is sort of slow and I can still talk to them so it should be fine. So at Hub (See one of the Gecko Links) we decided to  make this session a bit more different so we made oragami things. To me that was a change but I didn't mind. The change I am/was more focused on is this two lovely people going to University because they are funny and I actully going to have people I am actully going to miss.

Wonderful Hub friends- Good Luck at University!!

This might not be something most people find easy to understand but it takes a lot for me or generally people with higher funtioning autism becuase we don't normally like people so it is hard and lonely place if you let it. This people have made Hub a fun place- and so has everyone else but Hub is going to be quieter.  This is a changes that has no real repercussions but its a noticeable change which feels wierd to me as most changes I have experianced either end up in a meltdown or something else but this is will mean its quieter and I'm not sure how that will be becasue I can still talk to them. So its very odd. 

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