Designing Environments for Children & Adults with ASD
Design from an Autistic Perspective
Dr. John Biddulph john.biddulph@outreach.org.uk
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Content • Personal perspective and experiences • Working with autistic children and adults • Conclusions and thoughts
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A quote from a young man with Asperger Syndrome “People with AS are like salt-water fish who are forced to live in fresh water. We‟re fine if you just put us into the right environment. When the person with AS and the environment match, the problem goes away and we even thrive. When they don‟t match, we seem disabled.” From “The Essential Difference” by Simon Baron-Cohen 2004
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The personal perspective
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The personal perspective • Childhood (EMEB + Masson Mill parties)
• Sport • Music College • Accommodation • Shopping
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Sensory processing is critical • All we know about the world comes through our senses • Perception is the process by which we collect, interpret and understand the information • Sensation is interpreted, then understood and then acted upon • If interpreted differently, then actions may be seen as inappropriate/extreme/bizarre ga architects © Autism Outreach 2010
Sensory differences • • • • • •
Manchester Town Hall Syndrome (MaTHS) Lunchtime Music in Peterborough Transition/preparation for a sensory experience Impact of environment on skills (reading) Proprioception - „sit her in the corner!‟ „And when an architect has designed a house with large windows, which is a necessity today in order to pull the daylight into these very deep houses, then curtains come to play a big role in architecture.‟ Arne Jacobsen
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Is there an ideal building? • Research • Outcomes „data, data everywhere nor any drop to sync.‟ Desirable elements
As opposed to…
Windows
Subdued lighting (dark room)
Large spaces to avoid crowding
Small intimate corners to hide in
Stairs with big steps
Escalators & lifts
Plain walls in a pastel colour
Bright coloured walls with pictures
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Conclusion and thoughts • Flexibility • Understanding of issues related to the autistic individual • Correct/appropriate interpretation of data • No one correct or appropriate solution, no one size fits all „We require from buildings two kinds of goodness: first, the doing their practical duty well: then that they be graceful and pleasing in doing it.‟ John Ruskin ga architects
“My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we - architects - can affect the quality of life of the people.� Richard Rogers
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Designing Environments for Children & Adults with ASD
Design from an Autistic Perspective
Dr. John Biddulph john.biddulph@outreach.org.uk
ga architects