Sensory issues

[JeanneA]

Hi I was just curious to know if any autistic youngsters are sensitive to bright areas, i.e. like rooms with lots of glass in (like a conservatory), fluorescent lights, bright paint on walls I'm sure there will be a lot of you will say 'yes' to this but it would be nice to get your views. The reason I'm really asking is, the care home where Glen lives has a glass built conservatory, very bright as you can imagine, this is the room where Glen appears to do a lot of activities, i.e. jigsaw puzzels, colouring etc.and there has been a few incidents in this conservatory like Glen throwing furniture and hitting himself and I thought to myself I think the room its too bright for him, would you agree?

 

I put this to the care home manager that due to Glen's sensory issues the glass conservatory could be too bright for him which is making him agitated if he's in there too long. He agreed with me initially, then a couple of days later he didn't think the conservatory was the problem because Glen would get agitated in other rooms too and would hit himself. I still personally think I am right about very bright/light areas though regardless to Glen hitting out in other rooms. I would appreciate hearing what you think, thank you.

[Special_talent123]

definitely flurocent light.... bright light, . yes its causing sensory overload for him and he wants to get out of that situation.

[JeanneA]

Hi Kirsty thanks very much for your reply.

[Special_talent123]

Also if they are saying he having outbursts in other rooms- are the other rooms got bright lights?

[Sa Skimrande]

As an adult with this thing, I have never liked bright light and places where there is lots of reflections like modern townscapes in summer, our eyes weren't designed for that stuff, light reflected off everything.

[Isobel]

I have to wait for my eyes to adjust sometimes as I walk out of my office building after 7 and a bit hours, I get a brief headache and everything.

[JeanneA]

Thanks very much for your replies. I will look into what the other rooms are like Kirsty as I'm not sure how bright they are.

[robert7111a]

Fluorescent lights also make a buzzing noise - more audible to some than others. This could also be a contributory factor

[Sa Skimrande]

Fluorescent lights also make a buzzing noise - more audible to some than others. This could also be a contributory factor

 

I agree they do and audible buzzing is usually a sign a fixture is past it's best or is a cheapo job, where attention has not been paid to such comforts as harmonics, as it is the ballast transformers and starters that make the racket. Not all fluorescent strips light are equal, they may look the same, but they have different applications and so have ratings where class A is the quietest. The other think because I suffer depression, I noticed a difference in my home when I switched all my light fixings to daylight balanced emitters, the so called 'artist's light'

 

I can sometimes hear or otherwise detect even the quietest florescent tube to be a high pitched squeaking which does annoy after a while until that is all you can hear is the fitting noise as well many of us focus intently on certain sounds to the exclusion of all else much louder.

[JeanneA]

I rang the care home to ask after Glen and I was told that he hit out this morning at someone when they turned a light on in the lounge as due to the weather it was very dark. It shows that Glen is sensitive to light and hitting out is his way of communication this I guess.

[Special_talent123]

yep that sounds right. i got woken up with full blast light but dim lights are helpful

[JeanneA]

Thanks Kirsty yes dim lights are ideal, we haven't got them at home unfortunately and Glen's coming home this weekend so I hope he will be alright, I may change the light bulbs in the living room to a lower wattage so they are not so bright.

[Sa Skimrande]

Maybe we have this totally wrong and maybe it is that the high stress that is in society today is because of it, the culprit, the electric light where other parts of nature go to sleep when natural light fails ?

 

Earlier this month I experienced total electric failure due to a faulty fuse board, so no tv, not that I have tv but no internet and nothing electrical. My home is all electric and so it was candles and paraffin pressure cookers to cook on and do you know what, it got to point where after I ate I went to bed and awoke early when natural light came into my home, and so I wonder is our stress because we are not getting quality sleep.

[JeanneA]

Hi you do have a very valued point there it certainly does make you think.