Q25: I/FAMILY MEMBER IS AUTISTIC OR HAS ADHD OR HYPERKINETIC DISORDER. I AM WORRIED HOW YOU WILL APPROACH DECLUTTERING?

A25: I am not a professional in these fields. I have taken an online course with the University of Derby to learn more about ADHD and Autism.

 I will firstly listen to you. Listen to what makes you feel stressed or understand how autism means you live your life. This way I can set out a plan of what we will do together with you and your family. At every stage we will talk about what we will do. Often with autism spaces that have lots of things on show can be a sensory overload. Having books behind some closed doors and toys in boxes rather than all laid out on show can help reduce sensory overload. If the order in which we will declutter brings about too many anxieties which are related to ‘patterns, rules and behaviour of your ADHD or Autism’ then we can look at what is going to suit you. I understand that the process must not be rushed.

“STRUCTURE IN THE HOME - Declutter - Try to remove or limit the amount of visual clutter at home. Although, it is difficult to always keep a busy family home tidy, simple strategies such as tidying toys into boxes, books onto shelves and letters into drawers can significantly reduce the visual clutter. This helps to make the environment more organised and less stressful for the child or young person with autism.” Structure in the home - Building Capacity Resource (middletownautism.com) https:// capacity-resource.middletownautism.com/strategies/strategies-for-the-family-and-home/structure-in-the-home/