Designing for Autism
Posted by Matt Hagg on Wed, Oct 26, 2011 @ 01:44 PM
One of the most challenging disabilities to accommodate when designing the built environment is autism, especially when it comes to designing schools specifically for individuals with autism. Arch Daily found that no one is entirely sure whether the best way to accommodate individuals with autism is to design environments with subdued colours, little natural light, small spaces, low ceilings, or if in fact the exact opposite is true, and we should design large spaces, featuring plenty of natural light and high ceilings. No studies have yet been done to compare these two approaches, and so architects continue to debate the merits of each method.
Others are taking autism research in a different direction, by using technology to try and help people with autism. Researchers at the University of Southern California have recently found that robots can greatly assist in making emotional connections with children with autism, who often tend to have trouble interacting with humans. Also in California, software developers gathered recently at a "hackathon," which was held to help create new computer and smartphone applications specifically for people with autism. The end result was 421 different ideas for applications that aim to "give people with autism a voice" by helping people with autism learn or solve daily issues that they may have, such as basic tutorials on brushing teeth.