Designing for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Wayfinding Experience of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder within a Museum Context

“…Therefore, my aim was to provide a preliminary picture of the perceptions, preferences, and behaviours of a group of adults with ASD within the CSTM, and more specifically within the context of wayfinding. People on the spectrum may not be adequately considered in and served by current wayfinding standards and/or guidelines for public spaces (Gaines, Bourne, Pearson, & Kleibrink, 2016). This may be due to our limited understanding of this population's characteristics, needs, and preferences with respect to wayfinding design.…”

“…The book shares different methods and suggestions for designing ideal spaces in various contexts but does not include the design of museum environments. Starting with designing for the senses, the book outlines how sight, hearing, touch, and proprioceptive and vestibular senses all play a role when designing an environment for individuals with ASD (Gaines et al, 2016). More specifically, when it comes to sight, aspects such as lighting, colour, space organization, and designing for visual sensitivity need to be considered.…”

“…According to Gaines et al (2016), lighting can greatly affect how one perceives a space with the use of natural light versus artificial light. They also note that colour may influence an environment through the use of warm, cool or subdued hues.…”

“…Space organization is also an important consideration according to the authors, as it can create a visually legible environment to promote routine using "spatial sequencing" which involves organizing spaces in specific zones meant for specific activities (p.58). Designing for visual sensitivity by using principles of design which include scale, proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis, and harmony, while respecting specific elements of design such as space, shape and form, mass, line, texture, pattern, light, and colour, may make the perception of an environment more appealing (Gaines et al, 2016).…”

“…Therefore, the soundscape of a space is important to consider such as background noise produced by machines or electronics. Having elements to control the noise should be considered, which may include using sound-absorbing materials to compose the space relative to noisy equipment in the environment, or providing areas where sounds are more muted (Gaines et al, 2016).…”