One of the first things I loved about our townhouse, despite how much smaller it is that even Little House, was the odd cupboard under a pass-thru to the dining area. It’s small and has double doors, and the previous owners had wired it with electricity inside, I assume for a bar area perhaps. But for me… all I could think was BEAN will LOVE this.
And sure enough… it’s become his personal spot. It’s too small and tight for Jeffrey to get in— though he’s tried— and Abby can’t fit either. Bean has filled it with pillows, a lamp, books, his blanket, and a dvd player. When life gets too tough, or he need to reset, I send him to the Hidey Hole. Some evenings, he even has his dinner in there. If he’s having a particularly hard time, I set his dinner outside the door, knock lightly, and leave him be. He inevitably comes out soon after, reset and happy again.
I wish everyone had a Hidey Hole.
Dandelion Mama 
When my kids were small I used to dream about a walk-in closet with a secret room on the other side of it. I’d have books and music and a small fridge in there.
He asked me for a fridge, Susan!
I would have LOVED this as a kid.
I wasn’t even autistic, and I would have loved something like this at his age. (Reminds me of Eddie Munster, who slept in a chest of drawers.)
This is perfect. I’m a bit envious but happy for him.
Cool! My friends had a pantry cupboard that widened out into a room, too short to stand in, but big enough for 4 kids under 12 to crowd in and talk about important things and hide from our parents. There was a lightbulb, too, so it wasn’t scary.
my brother LOVED his “cupboard under the stairs” way before Harry Potter! and about your last post about football practice-way to go, Mom!
I kind of want a place to hide and reset in my house. Think the kids would mind?
What a great little spot. It makes me thing of Harry Potter (which I suspect would make ilthis spot even cooler), but also remInds me of my friend’s house. Growing up, one of my friends had large built in cabinets with a secret passage to the next room. My adult brain realizes they just cut through the wall to connect them but as a kid it had a magical quality to it.
So glad Bean has a good place to recharge and shut out the outside world when needed.
Make sure he doesn’t watch “The Great Escape”, or he’ll be taking a baseball in there too.
Seriously, this ought to be a required theraputic tool for special needs kids. Some builder ought to start listing tiny rooms like this as available options for construction.