People with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can have a hard time processing sensory information if their sense of sight, sound, taste, touch, or smell is overwhelmed, according to the STAR Institute. When overwhelmed, people with SPD can succumb to sensory overload, causing them to feel a great amount of stress, anxiousness, and physical pain. In order to make the Ithaca community more accessible for people with SPD, we need to consider sensory needs when designing businesses and public facilities.

A person with SPD may have different needs depending on whether or not their senses are overly-sensitive or under-sensitive. For example, if a person has underdeveloped ears, they may not hear sounds from one ear. If a person has an oversensitive sense of sight, they might have a sensitivity to bright lights. As the disorder often occurs in individuals with autism, those with SPD also suffer from other symptoms related to autism, including migraines.

According to developmental psychologist Sharon Heller, Ph.D., in her book, Uptight and Off Center: How Sensory Processing Disorder Throws Adults Off Balance & How to Create Stability, “Other sufferers show normal development but later trauma to the nervous system creates sensory processing problems. Such trauma includes head or brain trauma, physical, sexual or psychological abuse, chemical abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder when people become constantly hyper-alert and sensory defensive.”

SPD comes in many shapes and forms

According to the STAR Institute, SPD affects eight different senses throughout the body:

• Visual
• Auditory
• Tactile
• Smell
• Taste
• Vestibular (body movement)
• Proprioception (balance & posture)
• Interoception (internal sensations)

The last three senses, vestibular, proprioception, and interoception help the body to maintain its spatial awareness, balance, awareness of emotions, and other internal feelings like hunger or pain. In total, there can be 13 subtypes of SPD, depending on the number of overdeveloped or underdeveloped senses a person may have, and up to 260,000 patterns for symptoms, due to how the disorder varies from person to person.

Creating accessible sensory spaces

To create sensory spaces that are easily accessible for people facing the symptoms of SPD, steps must be taken to make sure these individuals can feel safe and comfortable. For instance, The National Autistic Society recommends to avoid using wallpapers and patterned floors to make sure that no one gets overly stimulated by the busy patterns. Overly bright lighting and powerful scents should also be toned down to meet the needs of people who can be overwhelmed by their overdeveloped senses. At restaurants, accompanying each item on the menu with a picture and a written description can inform customers about the flavors, texture, and taste of each dish. Offering warm drinks like tea can soothe someone’s nerves.

Creating sensory accessible public spaces and businesses

Lydia Dolch, an empowerment coach who teaches neurodiverse children and adults about alternative communication methods and social skills in the Ithaca area, stressed the need for public businesses and facilities to embrace accessibility options for people afflicted with the disorder. “Before I had SPD, I thought that tools to help with sensory issues were optional. Now I know they are a bridge to a meaningful life,” she explained. Dolch recommends avoiding blasting music or putting up strobe lights, which can disorient individuals with sensory issues, and encourages making sensory spaces easy to navigate. To Dolch, being able to provide individuals facing sensory issues with the chance to participate more in Ithaca’s community helps to promote inclusivity and hospitality.

Businesses and facilities in the Ithaca community may be overwhelmed by trying to make their spaces friendlier to those in the SPD community, however, despite the large number of symptoms that individuals with SPD may experience, there are also plenty of ways to accommodate them.

Suggestions for businesses & organizations:

• Paint walls with soft colors like brown or cream
• Make sure any exit routes are easily accessible
• Make sure that facilities are spacious and that people can clearly see most of their surroundings
• Do not blast music or use strobe lights
• Avoid using strong scents
• Make sure that the lighting is soft and not glaring

Spread the word

Share the benefits of sensory-accommodating spaces on social media by sharing the YouTube video, PDF toolkit, or social media images below!