Good Reads & Tools

Here is a collection of tools to help you assess your environment either at home or in a hospital.

If you find or use a good one please share with us so we can add to the board.

Files & Links

Accessible Environmental Audit

NHS Guidance

Building in Sound

NAS Accessible Environments PDF

Safe Environmental Home Assessment

Autistic SPACE

Sleep Study

Research

Checklists for autism friendly environments

South West Yorkshire NHS Foundation Trust. Checklist for Autism-Friendly Environments.

National Institute Health & Care Excellence. A Safe Home is Still A Home

NHS England. A Sensory Friendly Resource Pack

BBC. Neurodiversity and Buildings

National Autistic Society. The SPELL Framework

Sensory Audit check list for schools

Autism Education Trust. Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms

Frontiers for Young Minds. Acoustics of Classrooms

Global Journal of Psychology Research New Trends and Issues. Fractal Images – A New Way to Reduce Stress and To Improve Educational Workspaces

Lighting

National Development Team for Inclusion. Sensory Friendly LED Lighting for Healthcare Environments

National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Sleep induction effects of steady 60 dB (A) pink noise

Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood

The evening light environment in hospitals can be designed to produce less disruptive effects on the circadian system and improve sleep

Sound 

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. A Review of Decreased Sound Tolerance in Autism: Definitions, Phenomenology, and Potential Mechanisms

Ecophon. Impact of noise in healthcare

National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health

Sleep induction effects of steady 60 dB (A) pink noise

Hospital environments 

National Development Team for Inclusion.

“It’s Not Rocket Science”

Sensory Friendly Wards Principles List

Accessible Public Space 

Sensory Street. “It is a big spider web of things”: Sensory experiences of autistic adults in public spaces

Guggenheim. Creating a Sensory-Friendly Environment

Nature 

Mental health Foundation: Nature: How connecting with nature benefits our mental health

Translational Psychiatry. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health

National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Viewing Nature Scenes Positively Affects Recovery of Autonomic Function Following Acute-Mental Stress

A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye