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The 10-Minute Fix That Transformed My Sensory Experience at Home

Writer's picture: Leigh Ann JohnsonLeigh Ann Johnson

Would it surprise you to know that as I’ve been building my Sensory Empowerment Program, I’ve discovered things that have helped me with my own sensory experience? Maybe it doesn’t, because you recognize that everyone is constantly learning. Or maybe it does, because you would expect me to know everything about my own sensory system in order to build a good program. But doing this work is organic and ever-changing. I’ll give you an example.


One of my areas of greatest sensitivity is in the auditory system. Loud noises feel physically painful to me. I also get very annoyed by repetitive sounds and certain types of sounds. Sounds that are close to my ears are especially problematic. Many different sounds overlapping are also challenging for me in that they can feel overwhelming and it’s difficult for me to focus on only one. It took me years to figure out the nuances of my sound sensitivity.


My biggest breakthrough when figuring out my auditory needs was realizing that all of this sound wasn’t just unpleasant to me, it was physically exhausting to me. If I were in a loud environment for an hour or two, even with sounds I enjoyed like a concert, I would leave completely burnt out. Using my Loop earplugs in these situations completely changed the game for me by reducing that overwhelming sensory input to a manageable level for me. Thus, ensuring that my auditory input was kept within a certain realm became an important part of my self-care.


A close up photo of the curling tip of a fern with a dark background.

As part of my Sensory Empowerment Program resources, I’ve been building a comprehensive list of tools that clients can use to meet their sensory needs after they gain an understanding of their personal needs. The full list is currently over 8 pages long and encompasses tools for both sensitivity and seeking in each of our eight sensory systems. I tailor the list for each client to include the tools that fit their sensory needs. I give them this list in session 4 when I share their individualized Sensory Empowerment Plan so that they can use it to complement the plan.


While working on the auditory sensitivity section of the list, of course I included all of the tools that I already use for myself. But I recognize that I don’t know everything about what is out there and that there is a lot that I haven’t tried yet. So I started researching tools for auditory sensitivity and recommendations for sensory-friendly interior design. I also sat with myself and thought about what I hadn’t noticed yet about my sensory experience in my home.


What I’ve found to be one of the biggest barriers to myself (and anyone doing this work) when it comes to meeting my sensory needs is that I’ve spent my life trying to ignore these needs. Society has told me that anything other than neurotypical sensory needs is weird and unimportant. People have told me that I’m too sensitive and that I need to just suck it up. I’ve had to undo over 40 years of this conditioning as I’ve worked to get back in touch with what my body actually needs in order to be healthy.


So even though I’ve done this a lot over the past five years, I sat some more with my needs, not just for myself, but for those in my Sensory Empowerment Program who will have similar needs. And I noticed something I hadn’t noticed before! I noticed that the two main chairs I sit in, one where I eat and one where I work, both created loud unpleasant noises that I could do something about. Eureka!


For my dining chair, I realized that I’d neglected to put felt pads on the legs so that every time I moved it, it created a loud scraping noise against the kitchen floor. For my desk chair, I realized that it squeaked when I leaned back and that my footstool also scraped on the floor. It took about ten minutes, 8 felt pads, some WD-40, and some bolt tightening to reach a new level of calm in my living space. These sounds weren’t super loud, but they were jarring and unpleasant, and I’ve found that without them in my home, my sensory experience has improved.


This is the power of the Sensory Empowerment Program! We as autistic adults rarely look this deeply into our sensory needs. I had previously done that, through seeing an Occupational Therapist, reading many books and articles, and reflecting on my needs a lot, and I still benefitted from this program. I think so many others can also reap these life-changing benefits.


Since I had already done a lot of self-reflection and advocacy around my sensory needs, the new changes I made were small. But every time I notice something new about my sensory experience, it feels huge. It feels like I’m getting that much closer to fully respecting and meeting the needs of my unique and incredible sensory system. I’m excited for you to do this too!


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​© 2019 by Leigh Ann Johnson

Seattle, WA

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