Forum für

Autisten und interessierte Zeitgenossen

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Friendly Housing

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term that covers the many sub-groups within the spectrum of autism. Along with the triad of impairments associated with ASD that manifest as problems with communication, social interaction and imagination, those with ASD often suffer from sensory sensitivity to the visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, gustatory and olfactory realms. Therefore for those with ASD, the Built Environment can become difficult, confusing and even threatening. Subsequently one of the main difficulties for the person with ASD is to simply feel at ease in their own environment. This is particularly important in relation to the home environment, where the person with ASD needs to have a place of rest and repose, a refuge from the incidental and negotiations that comprise contemporary life in an urban context. Feeling ill at ease in a domestic or residential environment for a person with ASD can lead to withdrawal and increased isolation. With the marked increase in children and adults now presenting with ASD, it is now timely to start investigating what constitutes ASD-friendly housing and the measures that need to be made to support those with ASD in the home. The aspiration is then that this might help inform future housing policy and architectural design, thereby encouraging fuller integration of the person with ASD into wider society.

Supervisors: Keith McAllister & Stephen McKay