Sensory Stuff - Tumblr Posts
by the way it’s okay to wear sunglasses indoors, it’s okay to wear earplugs or noise cancelling headphones all the time, and in general it’s actually more than okay to make use of whatever tools and aids that help you get by
i love you candles i love you salt lamps i love you string lights i love you lava lamps i love you lanterns i love you ambient lighting
Why do autistic people like stuffies/plushies so much?🧸❤️
Support: Taking a stuffie/plushie with us when we go out in public (especially to potentially scary places like doctor’s offices or places with lots of sensory input like grocery stores and public transport) can help us feel safer. Basically, in any situation that could make us feel anxious, a stuffie/plushie can make us feel less anxious and more comfortable. 2. Collections: Autistic people often like to collect objects. A lot of us also love organizing, cataloging/categorizing our collection. (For example, I have an excel spreadsheet for my personal Jellycat collection and another one for Jellycats in general that has over 1700 Jellycats cataloged and organized in detail) Lining up our stuffies/plushies, for example lining them up neatly on shelves or reorganizing our shelves can bring us joy as well. 3. Sensory Joy/Stimming: Stuffies/plushies can bring us what’s called “sensory joy” as opposed to “sensory pain” caused by stimuli that feel overwhelming or painful to us. A lot of autistic people love soft things, whether it’s a soft blanket, a soft sweater or a soft and cuddly stuffie/plushie! We can stim with them in many ways, for example by petting them or brushing their fur. The way we stim with our stuffies/plushies can vary from person to person. Please don’t stop us from stimming with them. We are just trying to soothe ourselves and not harming anyone.
4. Social comfort/ A friend to talk to: Autistic people are often extremely lonely and fail to connect with people. A stuffie/plushie can be a real friend for us. We give them names, we create entire personalities for them, we ascribe them specific character traits. All of these things bring us comfort and joy and talking to and caring for our stuffie/plushie friends can ultimately help us feel less lonely. In a world where autistic people face rejection on a daily basis, it is a great comfort that they will never reject us and will always be there to listen to us no matter what.
5. Our inner child: A lot of autistic people have an inner child/ a child-like personality and stuffies/plushies appeal to them because of that. (and to anyone who has ever tried to steer an autistic person towards “more age-appropriate interests and behaviors”, you actually make things worse for us not better, please don’t do that)
Finally, this should go without saying, but if you see any of the above-mentioned behaviors especially in public, please be respectful. These things are part of what helps us cope with everyday life and may prevent sensory overload, shutdowns or meltdowns.
Note: This specifically refers to autistic adults who love stuffies/plushies, not autistic children!
In autistic children loving stuffies/plushies is seen as “normal” and “unproblematic” in most cases. In fact, autistic children that don’t like stuffies/plushies or don’t show an interest in them like their neurotypical peers are often perceived as odd.
Let me know in the comments or tags how your stuffies/plushies/whatever your preferred term for them is help you, and why you like them so much!
-Victor
Hi there! My friend is going to be opening a toddler / child “play place” and she wants to develop a sensory room to help give a safe space to autistic or other neurodivergent children. She’s enlisted my help, but since I was diagnosed in my early 20’s, I really am not sure what would help autistic children. Not to mention the wide variation of symptoms!
So now, I’m gathering information. I know it’ll never be a “one-size-fits-all” type of thing, but we want to get as close and as inclusive as possible. Do you have experience with places like this? Or, would you have any suggestions? Thanks in advanced <3
Hi there,
I found an article talking about how to build a sensory room. According to this article:
How do you set up a sensory room?
Before designing the room it is important to consider:
1. The individual needs of the clients who will use the room. What are the ages, abilities, and needs of the individuals who will use the room?
2. How many individuals will need to use the room at the same time?
3. How the room will be used. Will the room be a calming area? Will it be used for therapy sessions including occupational therapy, speech, sensory integration therapy, or one on one instruction?
4. Keep in mind the long term use of the room. If all of your equipment is static, students can become bored. A good goal is to create a flexible space that allows you to create different scenes or moods depending on the emotional, cognitive, and physical needs of the students. How will the room be adapted to meet changing needs and keep it interesting?
Common Components of a Sensory Room
* Bubble tube
* Fiber optic sprays, or lighting
* Beanbag chairs
* Interactive Wall Boards
* Rocking chairs
* Stereo or MP3 Player with Headphones
* Therapy balls
* Lighting/projector that can display various colors & patterns
* Weighted blankets or weighted lap pads
* A flowing water fountain
* Bins with assorted sensory activities
* Aromatherapy diffuser kit
The full article will be linked below, as it goes into more detail:
I also found another article on what items to include in a sensory room:
What Items To Include in Your Sensory Room
Large crash pillows or mats
Bean bag chair
Body sock
A net swing or therapy sensory swing
Fidget items that allow for a repetitive moment
Weighted blankets or vests – the blankets and vests I linked to here are handmade by a fellow Occupational Therapy Assistant with a small business on Etsy.
Tunnel
Therapy balls
Sensory break cards
Books to read
A stuffed animal or favorite toy – the Soothing Sammy dog and program is a great option for preschool and kindergarten-aged children
Calming, alerting, and organizing activities for kids – free printable included to hang in your sensory room
The article will also be below if you want to read it too.
I hope these help. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ❤️
Listen if you have sensory weirdness or just love being cozy I cannot recommend enough buying two (2) body pillows and sleeping between them like a subway sandwich.
old post still stands
Weighted blankets are annoyingly physical. Can gravity increase around me instead? Can God crush me under its astral palms please? Thank you.