Resources to improve the sensory environment for autistic people: Sensory-friendly resource pack (NHS England, 1 October 2022)

Summary

Lifelong and persistent sensory sensitivities are a diagnostic characteristic of autism.

As public transport, waiting areas and other clinical settings are more likely to be inaccessible to autistic people, they may reach crisis before receiving healthcare.

Inpatient settings without adaptations for autistic people’s sensory needs may risk autistic people being distracted or overwhelmed during therapy and/or excluded and segregated from the ward environment.

Environments that are not ‘autism friendly’ can:

• impede the effectiveness, or hamper the delivery of, therapeutic intervention
• exacerbate poor mental health
• lead to the use of restrictive practices such as restraint, seclusion or segregation.

NHS England provides this resource pack to improve the sensory environment throughout healthcare.