MYSET – a new Sensory Experiences Tool

Reports from caregivers can be valuable as families often adapt their routines to accommodate autistic people’s sensory preferences by reducing their exposure to sensory experiences that they find unpleasant (Bagby et al., 2012). Nevertheless, according to the principles of person-centred practice (Taylor & Taylor, 2013), it is imperative that autistic people’s views about their sensory issues are also heard. Williams (1996) highlighted the need to listen to ‘the autistic voice’ to better understand their sensory experiences. Increasingly, autistic advocates are calling for the voices of autistic people to be heard. They recommend exploring better ways to garner the views of all autistic people, including children and adults with communication challenges (Leadbitter et al., 2021).

MYSET aims to empower autistic people to describe their sensory worlds to others. Eliciting the perspective of autistic people can sometimes be difficult because they often experience challenges in communicating their experiences (Kwok et al., 2015). Communicating sensory experiences is particularly challenging because sensory processing is an abstract concept. For example, the distress autistic people experience in crowded, noisy environments may not always be identified as a sensory issue. However, autistic people have also been shown to have relative strengths in processing pictures as compared to words (Kamio & Toichi, 2000). MYSET embraces this strength in visual processing by combining visual cues with simple text on cards to support autistic people to share their everyday sensory experiences.

Jill’s career in the disability sector has spanned over 4 decades, and she has held a number of senior occupational therapy positions in education and disability-specific organisations. Her doctoral study explored the relationship between the sensory processing challenges of autistic children and their educational outcomes. Since 2007, she has been the manager of research and development at Autism Queensland, where her research has focused on the education of autistic students, the practices and professional development of therapists, service delivery via tele-practice, services for autistic adults including post-school transition, goal-setting and employment, and sensory processing. Jill has been interested in the sensory processing differences of autistic people for more than 20 years, and her work in this area has involved a number of research projects, including the development of MYSET.

Vicki has 15 years of practical experience as an occupational therapist, helping to deliver better outcomes for diverse communities. She is passionate about universal design, evidence-based practice and giving a voice to those who often go unheard. During her engagement in research development and commercialisation at Autism Queensland, Vicki was a key collaborator in the design, development and evaluation of tools to support self-determination for autistic and other neurodivergent people. As a senior community inclusion consultant, she continues to advocate for inclusive practices that reduce barriers and that support participation for all people, in all places and all spaces.

Jaimie is the project consultant for the Autism and Mental Health Project at Autism Queensland and a proud autistic person and ‘ADHDer’. He is also a peer mentor for groups at Autism Queensland and works alongside the professional and learning development team, co-facilitating workshops. Jaimie completed his undergraduate and honors degree at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2022, with his thesis looking into post-sexual experiences of the LGBTQIAP+ community. He is currently studying his Master of Professional Psychology at Griffith University. Jaimie is passionate about neurodiversity-affirming practice and believes it benefits everyone. He has a keen interest in the areas of gender and sexuality, autistic women, and mental health and autism. In his spare time, Jaimie coaches traditional Japanese jujitsu for children and adults, with a number of his students being neurodivergent. He also enjoys binge watching TV series and playing Minecraft and Pokémon.