The Autumn 2023 Access Insight magazine has an article by John Van der Have on designing for autism. He introduces a design guide by Magda Mostafa and her work on design for the autistic community.
Van der Have begins his article with an older medical description of autism (ASD) and some statistics. As many people know, sensory overload is common for people within the neurodivergent community. Too many sights, sounds, smells and tactile experiences can cause stress and anxiety. That’s why the choice of building materials and systems need additional consideration.
Minimising noise and unwanted sounds through good acoustic design is a vital criterion. But how much acoustic insulation is enough, and how much is too much? Questions such as these have implications for construction costs.
Biophilic principles are beneficial for everyone, but for the autistic community, these elements can enhance their sense of wellbeing. Natural lighting, natural ventilation and views of nature are especially helpful.
Van der Have discusses educational settings and a time-out room where children can still learn in a supportive environment. A calming space at home, as well as a room fitted out to suit a child’s preferences is also a good idea.
As we begin to understand autism and neurodiversity, it’s possible there will be moves to regulate suitable designs. However, regulation should not be needed if designers take action themselves to be more inclusive. Van der Have’s article is on page 18 of Access Insight. It is titled, Design for People on the Autism Spectrum and introduces the work of Magda Mostafa.
Autism friendly design guide
Magda Mostafa, an architect and researcher, developed a design framework for incorporating the needs of the neurodivergent community. The framework is based on 7 design concepts:
- Acustics
- Spatial Sequencing
- Escape
- Compartmentalisation
- Transition
- Sensory Zoning
- Safety
In Cities People Love, Mostafa talks about her experiences as an architect working as an autism design consultant. She says designers have to rethink the tools they need. A human-centred approach to design, such as focus groups, assumes everyone is able to speak and participate. She wants to see the principles from the Autism Friendly University Design Guide applied more widely.
The Autism Friendly University Design Guide was developed in collaboration with the Dublin City University and is applicable in other settings. The first half of the 116 page detailed guide covers the research, and the second has the guiding principles. Mostafa’s work is worth following for anyone interested in designing for neurodivergence.
This Autumn 2023 edition of Access Insight also has an article on water safety for autistic children on page 4.
Autism: What we have heard
The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre has responded to the NDIS Review Committee’s interim report, What we have heard. In responding they draw on evidence from their research and from autistic people.
The report has 29 recommendations that go beyond the NDIS review to all sections of society. The focus is on children – one in ten Australian children are participants in the NDIS. The recommendations are based on providing supports in everyday early childhood settings and with collaboration across governments and community services.
Longer term support needs are minimised if neurodevelopment vulnerability is detected early and community-based supports are put in place.
When setting up the NDIS the Productivity Commission’s assumption was that about 1 in 150 children would need support. Research at that time showed it was closer to 1 in 69. Currently the estimation is 1 in 31 children are autistic. This figure is similar to those in other countries and indicates diagnoses not prevalence. In addition, autistic people are just as likely to have some of the same challenges neurotypical people face. Intersectionality applies here too.
Community supports in everyday settings
With the right community supports, children can make significant developmental gains and increase their chances of participating in mainstream settings. State and local governments should be key players in the quest to include autistic people in community activities, education and employment.
The title of the report is, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre: Response to ‘What we have heard’ report. The research centre is based at La Trobe University. They aim to support autistic people to realise their full potential, and to actively participate in the community.
La Trobe University pioneered an autism screening tool which is used on children as young as 11 months. The SACS-R tool, or Social Attention Communication Surveillance Tool, is based on 15 years of research. Key points are infrequent or inconsistent use of:
- gestures (waving, pointing)
- response to name being called
- eye contact
- imitation or copying others
- sharing interest with others
- pretend play
La Trobe University has devised a free app, called ASDetect to help parents detect autism in their child. the App is 83% accurate and is for children from 11 to 30 months.
This research paves the way for more autistic people to participate in everyday life and feel included.
University lecture theatres
An article from the UK discusses the different design elements needed for students to feel comfortable in university lecture theatres. Autistic students were asked about their experiences in higher educational settings.
Several elements were reported as distracting such as bright lights, echoey rooms, smells, and textures of seats. Coping strategies were also explored. The title of the article is,
From the abstract
The aim of this study was to explore autistic university students’ lived experiences of teaching spaces and how aspects of these spaces affect them.
We conducted a qualitative study comprising one-to-one semi-structured interviews with 10 autistic students from three UK universities. Participants were asked about the aspects of teaching spaces that affect them, the effect these aspects have, and the adaptations they would consider helpful.
We identified 3 themes: Aspects of Teaching Spaces, Outcomes, and Coping Strategies and Adaptations, each of which contained sub-themes. Aspects of Teaching Spaces included sensory aspects, people, seating, screens, and predictability and control. Outcomes included physical symptoms (e.g. headaches, nausea), mood (e.g. anxiety) and cognition (e.g. attention). Coping and Adaptations included personal coping strategies (e.g. wearing headphones, dressing in layers) and environmental modifications (e.g. have dimmer switches).
This study identifies both personal and environmental modifications and adaptations that would support university students’ learning experiences.