DESIGN METHODS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR AUTISTIC-FRIENDLY SPACES
Keywords:
Autism, learning environments, neuro-typical, sensory sensitive designAbstract
In our revolutionary world, it is mandatory to design healthy, non-discriminatory and accessible environments for broadest range of human abilities. For decades, one of the main design considerations that architects and urban planners had the responsibility to address, is the need to remove the so-called ‘architectural barriers’ for people with physical disabilities. While this has been done with utmost attention and care, there has been little to no considerations for individuals with cognitive or mental disabilities.
Autism like other cognitive disabilities, has been excluded from accessibility design guidelines for many years, but as the number of students with autism grows rapidly, the concern for supportive learning environment for these children is starting to increase. Perceptions, experiences, and interactions of autistic individuals with their surroundings are different form their neurotypical peers. Considering that they may not be able to verbally communicate their experience, it often remains unexplored, not heard nor understood.
This study aims to explore how the built environment can act as a stimulant in the improvement of the lives of children with autism. To understand the needs of these children in the learning environment, it is necessary to know more about the symptoms and characteristics of their disablement. Designers need to create better understanding of what happiness, comfort, and satisfaction means for autistic people, so that they can translate it into design solutions. The research focuses on the sensory issue that has an effect on the way that autistic individuals are able to learn. By analyzing relations between their sensory perception, their learning difficulties, building codes and regulations in the field of design and different approaches for designing for autism, this thesis attempts to understand the specific design requirements for these individuals. The study considers many design aspects such as movement, space, color, light, shape, patterns, and wayfinding, in order to build up a design guidance for learning environments of children with autism.
References
Beaver, C. (2010). Autism-friendly environments. The autism file, 82-85.
Bettarello, F., Caniato, M., Scavuzzo, G., & Gasparella, A. (2021). Indoor Acoustic Requirements for Autism-Friendly Spaces. Applied Sciences.
Bogdashina, O. (2003). Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Different Sensory Experiences, Different Perceptual Worlds. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Daly, J., Daneski, R., Ellen, R., Sue, G., & Hawkings, T. (2007). Sensory issues in Autism. London: The Autism and practice group.
Frith, U. (1989). Explaining the enigma. Blackwell, Oxford, England.
Gaudion, K., Hall, A., Myerson, J., & Pellicano, L. (2014). Design and wellbeing: Bridging the empathy gap between neurotypical designers and autistic adults. Conference: Design for Sustainable Well-being and Empowerment.
Ghazali, R., Sakip, S. R., & Samsuddin, I. b. (2018). The Effects of Sensory Design on Autistic Children. Asian Journal of Behavioural Studies, 69-83.
Habib, M., & Altamirano, H. (2019). Evaluating Adaptability in ASD centres: A study conducted in Egypt. Proceedings of 9th Masters Conference: People and Buildings.
Hawkings, G., Jenkins, J., Watson, L., Foster, V., Ward, M., & Keeler, D. (2014). Building Bulletin 102- Designing for disabled children and children with special educational needs. Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Hebert, B. B. (2003). Design guidelines of a therapeutic garden for autistic children. LSU Master's Theses. 3288.
Henry, C. (2011, November 03). Designing for Autism: The 'Neuro-Typical' Approach. Retrieved from Archdaily: https://www.archdaily.com/181402/designing-for-autism-the-neuro-typical-approach
Humphreys, S. (2008). Architecture and Autism. UDDA: Hasselt.
Leestma, D. P. (2015). Designing for the sepctrum: An educational model for the Autistic user. Master Thesis, University of Maryland.
Montiel, I., Mayoral, A., Navarro Pedreno, J., & Maiques, S. (2019). Acoustic Comfort in Learning Spaces: Moving. Sustainability.
Mostafa, M. (2014). Architecture for autism: Autism aspectss™ in school design. International Journal of Architectural Research: ArchNet-IJAR 8, no. 1.
Mottron, L., & Burack, J. A. (2001). Enhanced perceptual functioning in the development of autism. The development of autism: Perspectives from theory and research, 131–48.
O'Neill, M., & Jones, R. S. (1997). Sensory-perceptual abnormalities in autism: a case for more research? Journal of autism and developmental disorders.
Pellicano, E., & Burr, D. (2012). When the world becomes too real: A Bayesian explanation of autistic perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences., 504-510.
Trajkovski, V. (2005). Epidemiological characteristics of autism in Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 25-39.
Urbanowicz, A., Nicolaidis, C., den Houting, J., Shore, S. M., Gaudion, K., Girdler, S., & Savarese, R. J. (2019). An expert discussion on strengths-based approaches in autism. Autism in Adulthood, 1(2), 82-89.
Whitlock, J., Kingan, M., Dykes, C., Gronert, R., & Cliff, C. A. (2020). Designing Schools in New Zealand (DSNZ), Design Quality Learning Spaces (DQLS), Acoustics. Ministry of Education.
