Designing inclusive educational spaces with reference to autism

Khare, Rachna; Mullick, Abir

doi:10.1037/e578422012-007

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…However, the classroom is an important element as the place within the school where the pupil with autistic spectrum disorder will spend most of their time and, if comfortable and relaxed, may be the secure starting point for those venturing into the bustle of the wider school environment with their peers. Therefore the ASD‐friendly classroom is worth looking at, and in detail, where generalised design guidelines, as is commonly the case when designing for children with cognitive disabilities (Khare, 2010, p. 1), however well intentioned, may be so generic that they do not actually make a meaningful difference to the pupil with autistic spectrum disorder. Moreover, lessons learnt by looking at ASD‐friendly classrooms might be introduced or considered in mainstream learning environments, thereby further encouraging integration of the pupil with autistic spectrum disorder into the mainstream classroom.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is evidenced by the need for both additional storage space and overall classroom area in comparison to mainstream classrooms. Importantly, the extra storage space gives the teacher the opportunity physically to change the environment to suit the needs and mood of the pupils (Khare, 2010, p. 47). This can be especially important for younger children whose toys and learning aids can be physically big (Myler et al ., 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design considerations for the autism spectrum disorder‐friendly Key Stage 1 classroom

McAllister¹,

Maguire²

2012

Support for Learning

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There is a growing consensus that an appropriate classroom environment will aid the performance of the pupil with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are, however, very few design guidelines available when considering ASD and the school environment. Such guidelines that do exist tend only to be in general terms. Therefore, this article seeks to highlight design considerations specifically for the ASD‐friendly Key Stage 1 (age five to eight) classroom. It will first highlight some of the challenges for those with autism spectrum disorder in a school environment and the triad of challenges faced by architects and designers when considering ASD‐friendly classroom design. It will then go on to describe the findings and results of a two‐year study carried out in conjunction with the ASD teaching staff of Northern Ireland's Southern Education and Library Board. These consist of 16 specific design considerations for the Key Stage 1 ASD‐friendly classroom applicable to all classrooms for pupils between five and eight years of age.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design considerations for the autism spectrum disorder‐friendly Key Stage 1 classroom

McAllister¹,

Maguire²

2012

Support for Learning

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“…However it is salutary to remember that this then places a real emphasis on the architect and educator in ensuring that the environment is an authentic aid both to supporting a child's education and to aiding inclusion. Just as a well‐designed environment can be supportive, an ill‐conceived environment can be harmful to a child's education (Khare, , p. 99).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusion and the special educational needs (SEN) resource base in mainstream schools: physical factors to maximise effectiveness

McAllister¹,

Hadjri²

2013

Support for Learning

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As a society, we have a responsibility to provide an inclusive built environment. As part of the need to promote inclusion, there is now a growing trend to place pupils with special educational needs (SEN) into a mainstream school setting. This is often facilitated by providing a specialist SEN resource base located within the mainstream school. This article outlines why the whole school should be considered when locating and implementing a SEN resource base. It also highlights the wider opportunities for enhancing inclusion for pupils with SEN when giving holistic thought to the wider context of the resource base. It then indicates a four-stage approach, using the illustrative example of a pupil with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), to help evaluate the optimum SEN resource base location within a mainstream school setting. Finally it highlights some benefits and challenges of an enriched school environment for all pupils when considering genuine inclusion.

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“…Most public-school environments have not been designed to suit the unique sensory challenges that many children with ASD, ID, and ED experience. Several authors have expressed surprise that little research is available to inform designers how to create supportive environments for them (Irish, 2019; Khare, 2010; Martin, 2014; Shabha and Gaines, 2011). The knowledge can be difficult for designers to find and is often “fragmented and inconclusive” (Shabha and Gaines, 2011, p. 228).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of special needs classroom prototypes to respond to the sensory needs of students with exceptionalities

Patel

Dorff

Baker

2022

ARCH

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PurposeThe observation by the authors, based on their extensive experience working in K-8 public schools in the region showed the special needs classrooms catering to children with exceptionalities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID) and Emotional Disturbance (ED) are typically makeshift arrangements with no consideration given to students' unseen sensory needs. A thorough literature review indicates that there are no holistic design guidelines in place to meet the sensory needs of students with ASD, ID and ED. This study seeks to address this gap by providing considerations to meet the sensory needs impacting these students' focus, behavior and classroom engagement with course content and peers.Design/methodology/approachSensory design guidelines were established utilizing a qualitative method, providing a foundation for the development of classroom prototypes that address the sensory needs of students with ASD, ID and ED.FindingsThe new guidelines, which correlated interior design strategies with the sensory needs of children with ASD, ID and ED, and the resulting prototypes provide a basis for the further development of design standards and takes designers closer to creating more conducive and inclusive environments.Practical implicationsThis study reinforced the belief that these recommendations should be considered in the school-wide design. Many students can be included with their typical peers for all or part of their school day if space has been designed to accommodate their differences.Originality/valueThis study bridges the gap while documenting the correlation between design factors and sensory needs of students with exceptionalities, in this case, ASD, ID and ED.

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Designing inclusive educational spaces with reference to autism

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Design considerations for the autism spectrum disorder‐friendly Key Stage 1 classroom

Design considerations for the autism spectrum disorder‐friendly Key Stage 1 classroom

Inclusion and the special educational needs (SEN) resource base in mainstream schools: physical factors to maximise effectiveness

Development of special needs classroom prototypes to respond to the sensory needs of students with exceptionalities

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