Team: Angeles Mercado, Federico Capogrossi, Edrei Ibarra, Edgar Ludert
The
ROAD towards EMPATHY How do you think autism looks like? Your guess can be as good as anyone’s, expert or none expert on the matter. Autism does not have a face, it does not even present the same symptoms on the persons who live with it. Then, how can we show more empathy
mothers, Melina and María del Sol, and the ever-changing passerby. This frame enabled an overview that led to the recognition, not only of the difficulties faced by the kids when exposed to the environment’s stimulus, which pushes them
towards autistic people if we cannot even recognize them? The objective of this research was to identify the difficulties faced by young boys with autism, while trying to get from their homes to the autism center in Mexico City. Four postgraduate design students followed the paths of Mauricio (7) and Emilio (5), while using sensory ethnography as a research tool. This method required the acknowledgment of two more stakeholders: the
to constantly self-regulate their senses; but the complications faced by the mothers while trying to protect their kids from potential dangers on the road, and the constant passerby judgmental sights. Being the main objective of this research to build a bridge between unawareness of the difficulties faced by these kids and their loved ones, to the acknowledgment of ways in which we can help them ease the way to their destinations.
Maria del Sol and Emilio
Melina and Mauricio Frequency: Monday to Friday Time: 1:45 hrs Track: Cuautitlan to CAT Transport: Home - Combi - Subway - Taxi - CAT
Frequency: Monday to Friday Time: 1:45 hrs Track: Ecatepec de Morelos to CAT Transport: Home - Taxi - Combi - Walk - CAT
Medicine monster
All eyes on me
I reluctantly swallow the medicine my mother is giving to me. It is the most unpleasant thing that can exist because it makes me bother and make weird faces after swallow it. It seems that the taste of medication is a horrible monster.
Judgmental eyes constantly staring at me throughout the journey, paradoxically an invisible condition that attracts so many incomprehensive looks. Microaggressions for being different, for not behaving exactly as expected. What are they really looking at? What they expect to found out or achieve with heavy dark eyes piercing me? Have they never seen a kid before?
The Concha Nothing softer, full of happiness, spongy and sweet than a “concha”.I enjoy every bit of the most precious treasure of that Mexican bread that fill my face with sugar crumbs. It means the world to me.
The most terrifying moment that temporarily freezes me, is when my mamma lets my hand go. Rattles my world that never ending dark path to her. With support and motivation I will be brave and rise up to the challenge; keep walking, prevail.
Long way through the tunnel
Robot child The surprise of the encounter with another child, someone unknown, who does not look at me in the eyes; someone with whom i would like to play but does not act like me; someone who does not express like me. He looks at me different. At the eyes of the world i am autism.
Don’t let me go
The most frightening thing of all and what paralyzes me for a moment, is when my mom release my hand. Something shake my world because the road to she, becomes dark and gloomy. It requires support and motivation, so, despite the challenge, I bravely face the challenge and keep walking alone by myself. I successfully fought this battle.
Surprise diaper I start to move more and more from my seat, without saying anything. I feel something in my seat so, i start to make faces without taking my eyes out of the road. Despite not talking, my mom already knows what happened because she carry me, starts to smell and finally, it seems that I left a surprise in the diaper.
Beeeeep The most shocking of the trip for me is the endless beep of the subway when it arrives and when it leaves a station. I now when the moment of cover my ears is near because i feel when the subway is close to screeching again.
Wonderful chips I see something in a clear plastic bag, it is my favourite food, my delirium and emotion. I stop instantly, insists and request to my mom to buy me one package of those potato chips. This probably could be the only good thing of the long and restless trip to school.
Yell and Music
CAT
Invasive sound, smells, bright lights, passerby in a hurry, in short the streets are like a ticking bomb. I begin to acclaim the masterpiece that city produces, shout excited and begin my own rhythm in a constant mmm. Finally, the bomb is defused and becomes, in my melody.