Living with Autism: how to choose furniture
According to the National Autism Society, there are 700,000 people living in the UK today who are on the autism spectrum. That’s 1 in 100 people, many of whom live rich and rewarding lives with their families.
However, people with autism – and children in particular – have specific needs, not least when it comes to home furnishings.
Here are some key things to consider when selecting furniture such as beds for autism, and how we can help you.
Strength
Children with autism usually have a combination of two things: attention deficit and hyperactivity. What this means is that, for these children, physical play is very important. But they can also get very boisterous and hard to control, leading to parents and/or carers becoming concerned.
Our products are designed for challenging behaviour. Our Wyoming Bed is made from a fully welded mild steel mesh base which sits on thick steel cross- and side-bars. It’s virtually indestructible and can withstand even the most boisterous children.
As well as the Wyoming Bed, we have another nighttime solution for autism. The new Brick Mattress is highly reinforced, made from a heavy-duty pocketed spring unit with 1000 internal springs. We believe it’s one of, if not the most highly-reinforced mattresses on the market. It also has reinforced side support and a packed luxury filling. And if it’s a little too firm, there’s our air-flow mattress topper.
Sensory issues
Many people on the autism spectrum have sensory issues, which means that they can struggle to process sensory information in ways that non-autistic people do not. Or another way to put it is that their sensory relationship with the world is just… different. So certain adaptations have to be made.
For a child with autism, a sofa, for example, isn’t just something to sit on. It’s a climbing frame, a diving board, a hiding place, or something to cuddle. For a child like this, you need a sofa that can stand up to heavy and frequent use of this kind.
Our Extreme Opal Sofa is designed for just this kind of use. It’s upholstered and fully boarded out on impact areas, so there won’t be any cause to fear injury. As well as this, there are no visible staples, no internal webbing and it is built using anti-tamper fixings. The legs are anti-tamper too, so they can jump, play, and hug to their heart’s content.
To find out more about our Extreme Opal Sofa or Wyoming Bed, contact us at Reinforced Beds today.