Real Tools for Writers with Autism
Hannah Lee Kidder
NovelPad Author
Many people on the autism spectrum are drawn to the creative arts, including writing. Savant skills occur in $ 10% of autistic people, compared to 1% of the general population.$ These artists also might have different needs and preferences compared to artists of the general population.
This blog post contains advice and tools that could help autistic writers, but keep in mind that autism is a vast spectrum, and if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. The needs, preferences, abilities, and interests of each individual are entirely unique. Hopefully my neurodivergent author pals will be able to find a new tool or strategy on this list to make writing a little easier.
What To Look for in Writing Tools for Autistic Authors
While autistic authors have a wide range of individual and unique needs, here are some of the more common elements that would be helpful in a writing tool for writers with autism.
Customization
The ability to customize the function and layout of a writing tool is helpful for writers to create a workspace for their particular work style and preference.
Distraction control
Tools with a distraction-free mode can be helpful for writers with autism. A program with too many features might be overwhelming. A built-in timer for focused writing sprints is also a plus.
Sensory considerations
Having control over sensory input is important. This can include features like sound adjustment, the ability to mute notifications and alerts, light/dark modes, and a distraction-free interface.
Organizational tools
Features to help organize thoughts and materials, such as a high level view of the entire project, a mind map template, outlines, notes, comments, and annotations can help writers who have difficulty conceptualizing large projects without a visual aid.
Recovery and saves
Every writer hates to lose work, but for some writers with autism, it can be a catastrophic event that ruins that writing session, their day, and maybe their week. In writing software, there should be automatic saves, as well as a functioning recovery feature.
These are only a few guidelines you might look out for when selecting writing programs.
Tools For Writers With Autism
Now for the recommendations! Here are a few things that have really helped me personalize a writing process that works for my particular preferences and workflow.
Noise control
Sound input can often make or break a writing session for writers with autism. Noise control tools are essential, and it can be difficult for people with autism to find the right ones that block sound in the way they want, allow them to function in public, and are comfortable in or on their ears.
Many autistic writers will already have $ headphones$ , $ earplugs$ , or another form of noise control. If you’re a writer with autism and haven’t found the right tool for you, it’s worth the time researching and trying out some options!
If silence isn’t your bag (I have tinnitus, so I usually don't enjoy complete quiet), a $ white noise machine$ can have the same grounding and calming effects.
For daily life, I wear $ Flare$ earplugs because they block the sharpness of sounds without making it difficult to hold conversations.
There's a growing market for stimulation-blocking devices, so you're sure to find one that works!
Virtual Cottage
Virtual Cottage is a free Steam app for body doubling. Body doubling is the concept that having another person near you while you perform a task can improve your executive function and focus. This is often helpful for writers with struggles like autism, $ ADHD$ , and $ depression$ .
Virtual Cottage contains the following features:
- Internal timer for work sprints
- Sound customization (lofi music, rain, snow, wind, storm, bird song, cicadas, and fire crackling)
- On-screen to-do list
- Visual preference settings, like a cat or dog and your avatar’s skin and hair color
NovelPad
NovelPad is a novel writing software that offers autism-friendly features, such as:
- Distraction-free drafting page
- High-level (but optional) organization
- Intuitive goal-tracking
- Dark mode
- Chapter board with scene cards to see the Big Picture
- Autosaves and a Rewind feature that allows you to retrieve any previous version of a project
- Scene revisions that keep every revision pinned to the original scene card so nothing is lost
- Notes that you can organize into folders and link to other story elements
You can try NovelPad $ here$ , no commitment, no credit card, and see if it vibes with you and your process!
A Writer’s Nest
Make yourself a physical space that you find personally calming and that helps you focus. As a kid, I would pitch a tent in the middle of my room and have knitting sprints where I cranked out baby hats for an orphanage. If I had a tent currently, assume I’d still be doing this. To finish my first NaNoWriMo novel, I built a fort on my closet floor and pretty much lived there the whole month.
Some autistic people convert everyday items like dog kennels into a little sensory den. That might not be particularly comfortable for writing, but the idea of an enclosed, soft, dimly lit, quiet space is usually what to aim for.
So set up a comfy spot in a quiet corner or grab a children’s $ play tent$ or XL dog kennel from Craigslist to create your writing nest.
Notion
Notion is a highly customizable system that can be essentially anything you want it to be. There are even $ neurodivergent-specific templates$ you can use. Notion can be overwhelming for new users, so I recommend not actually watching any intro videos before you begin. You can start with to-do lists, trackers, mood boards, or whatever else you’d like to use, then learn about individual features as the need occurs to you.
My own Notion is pretty simple. Here’s an example of my main menu and the pages inside of my House Management Hub:
Notion is great for tracking your responsibilities, schedules, health, and routines. The customization makes it perfect for neurodivergent users.
In my Work Hub, I have a separate page for each of my clients, sites, and pen names. Within my pen names, I have publishing schedules, my publishing process, and anything else I may need to reference. Even though I have a wide range of types of work I do, Notion lets me create a totally customized system for each one and keeps it all in one place.
And it's free to use!
Habitica
Gameify your productivity with Habitica—organize your tasks and habits to earn points when completed. You can then spend your points on personalized rewards and in-game elements like eggs to hatch companions, weapons, and potions. Habitica is free to use, and neurodivergent users find a lot of benefit from the design of systemic dopamine hits.
Habitica appeals to many types of incentive preference—you can input your own real-world rewards, you can level up, you can battle with friends, you can find treasure, you can feed pets until they turn into mounts. It's pretty fun!
Mindfulness
Everyone can benefit from a mindfulness practice, and people with neurodivergence can utilize mindfulness to have calmer, more focused days. There are many apps and programs to help, and you can find lots of free resources, like guided YouTube meditations.
Waking Up is a meditation app with guided courses to get you started on a journey of mindfulness. It is a paid app, but they have a $ scholarship program$ for anyone who can't afford the fee.
If you’re very new to meditation, something like a body scan session can be a good introduction, as there is a more consistent guide, and you have something to "do":
Even setting a five-minute timer and closing your eyes to really notice your body and environment can have calming effects throughout the rest of your day.
Autism can present unique challenges, and having the right tools and strategies for your particular cocktail of traits can help you stay calm, focused, and making progress toward your goals.
Disclosure: We earn a small commission from products purchased through the links in this post. This is at no additional cost to you, and recommendations are based on our honest opinions and personal experience.
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