Bedroom Design for Children with Special Needs

Physical Disabilities

If your child is in a wheelchair, make sure you lay out the room in a way that lets them maneuver easily.

When designing a bedroom for a special needs child with a physical disability, your foremost concern should be accessibility. Your child should be able to easily reach their shelves, open their drawers and closets, and maneuver within the room. First, start with some common sense adjustments:

• Invest in long, horizontal shelves instead of tall, vertical ones for storing books and toys. You can either buy horizontal shelves, or simply place vertical shelves you already have on their side.

• If your child has a problem turning door knobs, replace traditional knobs with door levers. If the levers are too hard to use, consider placing the door on swing hinges so you child only has to push the door to open it, or a pocket door that slides into the wall.

• Move light switches down to a level your child can reach. A motion sensor light will help a child who cannot operate a standard light switch.

If your child is in a wheelchair, you need to be sure they can easily move around in their room in their chair, and get in and out of the room by themselves. Consider this when you layout the room – a 36 inch isle is usually required for a wheelchair to pass easily. The doorway should be at least 32 inches wide for a wheelchair or walker to get through. Make sure the door does not block access to the room when it swing open – you can swap a right swinging door for a left one, or vice versa, if this is the case.

Make sure the tables and desks in your child’s room are tall enough and deep enough to accommodate a wheelchair, and that your child can sit there comfortably. Investing in a table with adjustable legs may be worthwhile, so it can grow with your child.

Asthma and Allergies

If your child suffers from asthma or has severe allergies, protecting them from environmental concerns is of more concern than accessibility. To keep their rooms allergen free, consider the following steps:

• Pull up carpeting and stick with a hardwood floor. Carpets trap an enormous amount of dust that vacuuming cannot adequately remove.

• Use a dehumidifier to keep the moisture in the air low, so mold and fungus cannot grow. Keep the heat down as low as possible in the winter.

• Seal your child’s mattress in a plastic cover.

• Keep furniture and decorations minimal – anything with fabric will hold onto dust, and the more surfaces there are, the more surfaces to breed allergens.

• Keep family pets out of your child’s bedroom.

• Install an air purifier in the room.

Things to Keep in Mind

Aside from the additional considerations that you need to keep in mind, there is no need to approach bedroom design for children with special needs differently that you would designing any child's bedroom. As soon as your child is old enough, you should involve them in the process of decorating their bedrooms. For a special needs child, this takes on special significance for two reasons. First, your child can communicate to you the needs they have, the problems they face within the room design, and the things that could make their lives easier. Second, your special needs child’s bedroom should be a place where they can escape their problems and truly be comfortable – giving them a hand in the design process will ensure they get the haven they deserve.

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