Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home
Remember when there was a trend going around where people said the quirky things that “just make sense” in their home? Well, today I want to talk about things that make sense in my neurodivergent house, that might not in others.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Lovesac Sactional
The biggest one is probably our Lovesac sactional couch. We have it set up where it is four across and two deep which works perfectly for our family. We affectionally call it our nest. It's so comfy, gives so much space and gives the kids plenty of room to roll around and wrestle on while also giving plenty of room for the whole family to be in it without touching each other. It also has their stealth tech audio system in it, and so you can feel the base in the couch and it comes out the side speakers as well. I love that it can be taken apart and the cover is machine washable, so if there is a spill on one cushion only I can take it apart and wash that specific cushion cover without having to do the whole couch. We seriously LOVE this couch and can't say enough good things about it.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Nugget Couch Location
The next thing that just makes sense in our house is the location of the nugget couch. We've been putting the Nugget around the perimeter of the couch because our 2-year-old likes to jump off the couch and fall on the floor; he has a flair for danger like most 2 year old boys. Having the Nugget around the couch is like a landing pad for him, but also has turned into both kids jumping and wrestling on the couch and Nugget. There's a lot of sensory input that's coming from having the Nugget and the couch together. Even though it’s not necessarily aesthetic or something I would decide to do in our space, it works for our needs.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Art Cart
Another thing we have is the art cart. We keep this cart in the closet under the stairs on our main floor. I put together this art cart for my daughter so she can find all of her art supplies in one place. It can move around the house and keeps things relatively contained. It also makes it so things are much easier for her to independently find.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Schedule Board
I originally made a schedule board for my daughter during the COVID lockdowns. It was something I knew they were doing at school so I created a basic one with Google images, and the more we used it, the more it evolved. It was so successful for us that I kept getting requests for friends and family. I ended up working with a Ukrainian artist and got streamlined images. I made a few different versions to fit different needs and it’s available in the shop! She doesn't use it a lot now, but when we created it we would sit down every night and plan out her day. This way, she wasn't surprised by anything and could reference the schedule board throughout the day.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Clothing Choice Boards
Another thing we consistently use is clothing choice boards. This was originally her therapy team's idea when she was going through a stage that made changing clothes VERY difficult. We came up with something resembling a bingo board so she could mark off something she'd already worn and see what options were left. We love that it takes out the guesswork for getting ready. Sometimes I feel like I should make one for my own wardrobe to combat decision paralysis! There is a downloadable option in my shop as well.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | House Bed
The house bed in our daughter’s room has been around since I built it in 2020. At the time, she was three and a half and still sleeping in a crib that was just too small for her. Both of my kids are very tall and she also loves to sleep with lots of stuffed animals. The house bed has changed over time, first it had a gate to keep our daughter safe and in her bed at night, but now she uses it how she wants. It's still full of stuffed animals and we decorate it for each holiday. It is a winner for our daughter and we expect it to be for quite some time.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Clear Bins and Labels
I have these cabinets in the family room, and of course they have doors on them. If you have ADHD or autism, you know that object permanence is an issue making it hard to remember what you have unless you can actually see it. Since the cabinets have doors, I have all clear bins inside of the cabinet so I can see what we have. I've done my best to have open shelving throughout our house so we can see and keep track of the things we have. I also do my best to label almost everything we have so that others, including myself, can find where things are and where they are put away easily.
Things That Make Sense in Our Neurodivergent Home | Shoe Station
Clutter becomes very overstimulating for me so having shoes pile up at doors is not okay. Because of that, I have shoe storage solutions at our back door so we know where shoes are when we are trying to leave and we know where to put them when we get home thereby eliminating the shoe pile problem.
That’s the roundup of things that just make sense in our neurodivergent house. Maybe one of my ideas can help you feel more successful in your neurodivergent home as well.
