Nau mai haere mai
Welcome to Autism Housing Toolkit Aotearoa
Your home should support you — not work against you.
Are you an autistic person (tangata whaitakiwātanga) creating a home that fits how you live?
Or a parent wanting to make your home a calmer space for your autistic child (tamaiti)?
Our practical toolkits offer tips on how to set up and organise your home to work for everyone.
Drawing from the latest research, lived experience, and design knowledge, we will guide you across different budgets and living arrangements.
We offer small changes you can make today and larger ones you can work towards.
Our toolkits will help you modify the home (kāinga) you have, or design the one you’re dreaming of.
ACCESSIBILITY TIP: To customise the website to your needs, open the widget by clicking the blue accessibility icon at the top right of your screen (or press “control” and “u” together on your keyboard). There is an option listed to “hide” this icon.
“An amazing resource I will definitely be going back to and sharing with my friends and family”
Backed by Evidence
Combining Research, Expertise, and Experience.
Grounded in Research
Our toolkits are informed by the Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline: He Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau, an evidence-based foundation for autism support. The Guideline was recently updated with research-backed advice on how to design built environments for autistic people. In our toolkits, we translate this evidence into practical guidance you can apply in your home.
Shaped by Expertise
Our toolkits draw on professional knowledge in architecture, building science, accessibility, and research. This technical expertise provides clear and practical guidance. It aligns with how homes are designed, built, and used in Aotearoa New Zealand. It also ensures the guidance is clear enough for informed decisions and when professional input may be needed.
Enhanced by Lived Experience
Lived experience brings insight into how environments are often experienced in everyday life by autistic people (tāngata whaitakiwātanga). This perspective strengthens the guidance beyond technical experience alone. We also received cultural guidance on the respectful integration of te reo Māori and Māori design principles into our toolkits and website.
What You’ll Find Inside
Plain-Language Guidance You Can Actually Use.
Practical Toolkits
Supporting a wide range of ages, life stages, and living situations — including families, couples, flatting, and new builds.
Room-by-Room Guidance
Detailed advice for bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living areas, outdoor spaces, and more — covering layout, materials, storage, and furniture.
Sensory Considerations
How lighting, sound, texture, temperature, and layout affect autistic people — and the practical changes you can make in response.
Downloadable PDFs
Save, print, or share each toolkit as a clean, accessible PDF — alongside a growing library of resources, links, and tools.
Your Home, Designed for You – by You.
Whether you’re starting small or planning a whole new build, we hope our toolkits help you create a home (kāinga) that works — beautiful, practical, and on your own terms.