Our families may not be traveling as much, if at all. One of the many reasons is the lack of truly autism-friendly vacation destinations—those that have autism-specific sensory, spatial, and safety features. To address this gap, John Ordover and his wife Carol Greenburg* created an autism vacation haven on Fire Island, Fresh York, called Spectrum House.
The offer describes The Phantom House as “Your perfect summer getaway designed with the utmost care and attention for families with children on the spectrum, including privacy fencing and a sensory gym. This thoughtfully designed home offers a safe and sound, inclusive and relaxing environment so you can truly unwind and create lasting memories. Located just a block and a half from the ocean in one direction and steps from charming shops and delightful restaurants in the other, this place allows you to enjoy all that Fire Island has to offer.”
We talked to John about the Spectrum House project.
What inspired you to create Spectrum House?
When our autistic son was growing up, there was no safe and sound place to take him on holiday. Hotels made a huge effort, and I don’t blame them, they did everything that was often on the 20-item list we sent them, but there were things in hotels, such as fire regulations that prevented us from securing his room so he couldn’t go out on his own, that we couldn’t overcome. The final straw was when we took him to an incredibly helpful hotel who did everything we asked for but didn’t mention – and we didn’t think to ask – whether there was an iron in the room. We woke up to our son plugging in the iron and very happily ironing the carpet.
In compact, while there were plenty of places designed for people with various physical disabilities, there was no place for families traveling with an autistic child. So as soon as we had the resources, we created one.
We also noticed that most vacation rentals do not offer facilities for autistic people with sensory, motor and other disabilities. How does Spectrum House make vacationing more accessible for our families?
Spectrum House focuses on what we believe are the three main needs of a traveling autistic family: to know that their child can’t wander off on their own, to be in an environment that is as safe and sound as possible, and to have a way to serene the child down if necessary. So we surrounded the patio with a six-foot privacy fence and put a code lock on the inside gate, so even though the child could go out the front door of the house, that door only led to the patio, and the patio was locked. We got rid of anything we thought might be perilous, and we had a general “no glass” rule, and everything piercing is in a locker. All the dishes, cups, and cutlery are plastic. And finally, the back room of the house was transformed into a fully equipped Sensory Gym with weighted blankets and other soothing aids, like a cuddly toy.
Our autistic people can be deafening. Has Spectrum House considered this? People in recreational areas are not always welcoming to unexpected soundscapes.
Spectrum House is set apart from the surrounding homes and rises high above the street, with ramps leading to the living space. There is some street noise, but since Fire Island doesn’t allow cars during the holiday season, there’s much less of it than in most places.
On that note, our families may also have conflicting access needs, meaning that some members may have difficulty coping with each other’s noise, etc. Is the house vast enough to accommodate the need for separate spaces?
Spectrum House has four bedrooms and of course a sensory room, so there are plenty of places to isolate if needed.
Another reason our families can’t travel is financial. Do you have any deals for families who can’t usually travel to such great places?
We have purposely set the weekly rental price as low as possible while maintaining the property. We are working to connect Spectrum House with all the organizations that subsidize autism vacations to cover some of the costs. Also, because it easily sleeps eight, more than one family could work together to rent the place.
What does it mean that Spectrum House is “autism certified”? Who makes that decision?
We have a certificate Possibility of rentingwhich is an organization that connects facilities adapted to the needs of disabled people with those who want to relax, Autism Travel Club. In both cases I sent our layout and photos and answered many questions similar to yours! *laughs*. Anyone who wants to see the place in person, or an organization that would like to organize a tour, just contact me and I will arrange it.
Is Spectrum House a place designed exclusively for families with autistic children, or do you think it is also suitable for families without children (especially autistic adults)?
I’ve seen independent autistic adults enjoying the sensory room, lying on mats, gently swinging on the swing platform, or simply curling up in a weighted blanket. There are also swinging egg chairs on the deck that autistic people of all ages can operate.
What feedback have you received from neuroatypical guests so far?
Does my wife, who is autistic, count? *laughs* She loves it! At this point, Spectrum House has been on the market for less than two weeks, word hasn’t gotten out very far yet, and we haven’t had any takers yet (we didn’t open until too slow in the season for most summer renters). But we can’t wait to start serving the autism community! Our goal is to show that a house like this is a viable proposition, so the concept will be replicated across the US and the world.
UPDATE: Since this article was published, the House has welcomed its first guests.
What does the area offer beyond Spectrum House?
From my real estate agent’s website:
Welcome to the wonderful village of Ocean Beach, the unofficial capital of Fire Island’s five-block-wide, 32-mile-long barrier beach, just south of and parallel to Long Island. It’s perfect for all ages, singles and families alike. Its unique character is evident in its diverse restaurants, treasure-filled shops and home galleries. Ocean Beach combines resort charm with the laid-back atmosphere and safety of a bygone era.
We have it all – lovely supervised ocean and bay beaches, charming single-family homes, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, nightlife, movies, concerts, youth groups, tennis, basketball, baseball, art exhibits, international film festival, Memorial Day and July 4th parades and celebrations, concerts on the docks, boutiques and shops, ferry and water taxi service, seasonal and transient boat dock, medical and nursing services, post office, little red wagons and bicycles. And no cars in the summer!
If someone has questions about Spectrum House, how can they be contacted?
Best through our real estate agent, Tara Fishman, 631-614-5499 at Luxury Fire Island Homes. Tara also teaches theater to autistic children and is a special needs coordinator.
*Disclosure: Carol Greenburg is a contributing editor to TPGA.