Autists have a problem with noise. So why not create a more quiet world.
Communication: clear and precise communication is key. Dont expect someone to be able to read your mind.
This is something I think about a lot, and talk about some. The accommodations that support one group may directly conflict with the accommodation that supports another group. I’m prone to migraines which are worsened by loud/sharp sounds and florescent lights. So I would love a world and workspace that is dark (or natural light only) and as quiet as possible. However I used to work in a skilled nursing facility where many many people had cataracts or other vision problems and others had hearing issues. The lights were bright for safety, and volume turned up for understanding.
The problem lies within the fact that stuff like this either tries to control an uncontrollable world (quiet) or it places the impetus for change on another when change is also possible for you (communication)
In the latter it’s really a question of who should change, and arguably the best answer is both: one should strive for clear communication while the other strives to improve their ability to read social cues. Otherwise you’re just making an argument for what is fair from a place of bias. Either way one of you has to go out of their way to practice behavior that does not come naturally.
In the former it’s just kind of tough. We can certainly cite examples that are more obvious to your side (like I fucking hate loud motorcycles and why would you ride that through a neighborhood at 11pm fuuuuuckkk youuu) but even with that example there are obviously people who enjoy it, so why does your sensory issue, which can be managed in other ways, trump that persons enjoyment? This becomes even more apparent when we start to reach the noise that is either completely uncontrollable (eg thunder) or not feasible to control reliably (eg children)
Can you define “autism friendly” to lend context
Autists have a problem with noise. So why not create a more quiet world. Communication: clear and precise communication is key. Dont expect someone to be able to read your mind.
Just some examples
This is something I think about a lot, and talk about some. The accommodations that support one group may directly conflict with the accommodation that supports another group. I’m prone to migraines which are worsened by loud/sharp sounds and florescent lights. So I would love a world and workspace that is dark (or natural light only) and as quiet as possible. However I used to work in a skilled nursing facility where many many people had cataracts or other vision problems and others had hearing issues. The lights were bright for safety, and volume turned up for understanding.
The problem lies within the fact that stuff like this either tries to control an uncontrollable world (quiet) or it places the impetus for change on another when change is also possible for you (communication)
In the latter it’s really a question of who should change, and arguably the best answer is both: one should strive for clear communication while the other strives to improve their ability to read social cues. Otherwise you’re just making an argument for what is fair from a place of bias. Either way one of you has to go out of their way to practice behavior that does not come naturally.
In the former it’s just kind of tough. We can certainly cite examples that are more obvious to your side (like I fucking hate loud motorcycles and why would you ride that through a neighborhood at 11pm fuuuuuckkk youuu) but even with that example there are obviously people who enjoy it, so why does your sensory issue, which can be managed in other ways, trump that persons enjoyment? This becomes even more apparent when we start to reach the noise that is either completely uncontrollable (eg thunder) or not feasible to control reliably (eg children)