Avoiding Common Design Mistakes

There are many different pitfalls one can fall in to when creating the décor for a child’s room. The first and most popular is the traditional tendency to be attached to color based on gender.

Pink for girls.  Blue for boys.

While I think the majority of parents have begun to break away from that tendency, it still seems to be the basis for design in the majority of children’s rooms. There is nothing inherently wrong with utilizing these colors at all, it has more to do with the shades of these colors and how they’re used with regard to a special needs or autistic child. Once again, the way the neuro-typical child responds to these average primary and/or bright colors is vastly different then the way a special needs/autistic child might respond. Certainly using softer versions of these colors are fine, but again, it’s important to look into the way they’re used and how much they’re used.

Color on the ceiling. Should you or shouldn’t you… and what color? Do you paint a sky motif with clouds, a space motif with space ships and stars, do you paint it a solid color and if so, should it be darker or lighter then the wall colors you use? Should you hang educational mobiles depending on your child’s age or cognitive needs?

The list of queries could go on indefinitely and frankly, tend to vary quite a bit from child to child. This is why it’s helpful to learn about other parents experiences, but not count on their outcomes to be the same for you or your child regardless what similarities there might be. Physically, the child’s responses will almost always be unique and will manifest in each child differently.

A general rule with regard to any design on a ceiling is to consider the size of the entire room. Darker colors tend to make the room feel smaller and light colors open it up and allow for a more spacious feel. This is a good guideline when contemplating your design motif.

As parents you may also know how clutter can exacerbate a child’s sense of turmoil and chaos. (after all it tends to do that to all of us!) but it’s effects are much more visceral for the special needs/autistic child. Therefore, when deciding on the way to store your child’s books, toys, games etc… try to avoid the average pitfall. That is the tendency to get big clear plastic bins. It might seem like the perfect solution due to the fact that you can see what’s being stored therefore it’s easy to discern where a particular favorite item might be. However, all of the different colors, shapes; and objects combine to create an overload of visual stimulation.

Instead, look for storage units that combine shelves with doors. That way everything can be put away but remain out of sight. The overload of visual stimulus is averted and you can select what you want to remain in sight and what should be stored away until the appropriate time it is to be used.

Look at the layout of your child’s room. Is it very small or somewhat large and empty? Resist the temptation to utilize all the furniture you originally envisioned as it simply may not be conducive to the space. If you don’t consider the room you have and just focus on the furniture, you might inadvertently close off whatever open area you do have or, conversely, overstuff the room with extra items or over sized furniture in an attempt to keep the room from feeling too sparse. In the end you don’t accomplish function or form within the room.

In short, simply take some time to shift the way you think about décor and focus on the goals for your child’s personal progress within their space. Utilizing these principles as a guide should make creating the perfect space for YOUR child a much easier and more enjoyable endeavor!