Interior Design for Autism from Childhood to Adolescence

A. J. Paron-Wildes

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781118680384
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Décoration d'intérieur

When designing spaces for individuals with Autism, there are specific design strategies that can be employed to create optimal spaces that can have a positive impact on special learning and sensory needs. Interior Design for Autism from Childhood to Adolescence gives designers the exact information they need to implement these design strategies in their own projects. Projects covered relate specifically to the age ranges from childhood through adolescence, including high schools, residential group homes, and workplaces. The main neurofunctions of Autism are coveredalong withspecific design techniques that can be used to address each one. Information on toxins and material selection is also included.

1

RISE OF AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS: IS IT REAL?

It is very possible that if you are over the age of 40, you never met or knew a person with autism when you were a child. There were not many in regular education, nor integrated in educational systems. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the rate of autism was one out of every 2000 children. Now the CDC estimates the rate is closer to 1 out of every 50 children in the United States (CDC 2013).

Looking at the numbers only, there is an astoundingly high increase. Why is that? Did we underdiagnose in the past? Is there more awareness now? Or is there truly an epidemic of autism that is crushing our educational funding and devastating more and more families?

One of the biggest challenges in answering this question is we have very poor data and statistical numbers. There is no national surveillance system that can accurately count how many children have the diagnosis. Each state tracks its children differently and uses multiple systems. You can gather information on how many children your state is servicing in special education, but a child does not need to have a formal diagnosis in order to receive special education. The county may have a count of how many children with autism they are helping to fund with special supports or grants or waivers, but some families do not reach out to the county for services even if their child has a diagnosis. Some families refuse to get their child tested because they do not want a label to follow their child throughout school. So, most states have to combine a few different surveillance systems in counting their children and then try and guess the actual number of children with a diagnosis they have in their state.

California was the first state to actually count their children with autism, starting in the 1990s. The only reason this happened was the current secretary of state, Rick Rollens, had to resign his position when his son was diagnosed. Rick went on to write and get passed legislation that required California to track children who had a formal diagnosis of autism in that state. The chart that follows shows, from the past 20 years of reporting, that California has had a steady incline of autism from 1987 to 2007 as opposed to other childhood diseases such as epilepsy, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 Cumulative Percentage Change of Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, and Mental Retardation over Two Decades; California Health and Human Services Agency

www.dds.ca.gov/Autism/docs/AutismReport_2007.pdf

This shows that there is a true increase in the state of California not due to increase in attrition, people moving into the state. There would be a similar increase in the other childhood diseases if this were the case.

Now some arguments have been made over the years about why California has had such a documented increase. One argument has been that there are a higher number of technical professionals with savant-like skills in computer technology who marry others that have savant-like skills and, therefore, with this genetic makeup there is a larger propensity for autism in their children. Another is that California has more environmental toxins such as smog and heavy metals, and that is why their rates are soaring. Or that autism is more recognizable now, and since there is more awareness of the disease, more people are seeking help.

All of those factors may have some truth to them, but regardless, California still sees children go through their systems with no diagnosis, especially in minority and non-English-speaking communities. No matter what the causes and foundations are for the increase, is it real or not? The numbers of children that need help and assistance because of their disorder is real.

In the design community we have seen the growth of new clinics, therapy environments, treatment centers, specialized schools, and medical centers. When there are numbers of epidemic proportions that we are reaching, money follows to build centers and resources to fill those needs.

Ten years ago, I was called to work on a design project that involved autism maybe once a year. In 2012, I was called upon for five significant design projects throughout the United States, all unsolicited.

With the increase of numbers for diagnosis, there will be more and more need for good design for this population, and designers who can empathize with the patients' needs. Designers and architects need to learn how to look at the world from this special population's view in order to better design successful environments for them.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New data on autism spectrum disorders. Retrieved from the CDC—New Data on Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2012. www.cdc.gov/features/countingautism/

Department of Developmental Services, State of California. Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Changes in the California Caseload. An Update: June 1987–June 2007. www.dds.ca.gov/Autism/docs/AutismReport_2007.pdf

2

RELATIONSHIP OF TOXINS AND NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS

For years, autism was thought of as a completely genetic problem. It was the way the child was wired in his or her brain and there was nothing you could do about it.

We now have much better science that teaches us otherwise. Dr. Martha Herbert, an autism expert and neurologist at Harvard University, states that “By now, most researchers agree that genes usually don't act on their own to cause autism. Genes may lead to vulnerability—they may “load the gun”—but so much of the time, it's the environment that “pulls the trigger” (Herbert, 7).

What chemicals and toxins you expose a child to in an environment does matter. It can be exhausting and almost impossible to try and eliminate all of these exposures for a child, but we will spend some time on the biggest ones we know to avoid.

The most notable research has been the link between autism and vinyl flooring. The study showed Swedish children who live in homes with vinyl floors are more likely to have autism.

Most all children in the autistic spectrum have immune system problems and detoxification problems. What this means for designing environments is that it is very important to have a “clean-air” environment. Off-gassing of or exposure to certain toxic chemicals can cause real problems for these children, since their bodies can't get these chemicals out. This may lead to allergic reactions, behavioral problems, and other medical problems arising from these chemicals such as cancer.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS

The environmental components that contribute to these symptoms are:

• Exposure to toxic chemicals in cleaning supplies, fabric protectors, gas and heating fumes, or lawn and plant fertilizers.
• Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. These are all neurotoxins and can cause or amplify autistic symptoms. Lead can be found in paint used before 1980. Mercury can be found in thermometers, silent light switches, heating system thermostats, and batteries. Arsenic can be found in the older playground systems.
• Exposure to chemicals from off-gassing of products such as crib mattresses, pajamas, and other fabrics with flame retardants in them.
• Exposure to chemicals from off-gassing of structural or building products such as carpeting, carpeting pads, paint, vinyl flooring, wood products, or stain.
• Exposure to asbestos or radon in the home. Radon can be at high levels in basements. Asbestos can be found in pre-1980s vinyl flooring, ceiling tile, furnace ducts, and flues.

SUGGESTED DESIGN CRITERIA

• Take all mercury products out of the home or facility. Dispose of all toxic materials at hazardous waste facilities.
• Use chemically sensitive cleaning supplies or natural cleaning products. Do not add fabric protectors or flame-retardant products—these have many chemicals of concern in them.
• Make sure your home or space has adequate ventilation with whole-house fresh air replacement systems.
• Clean the ducts frequently.
• Try to eliminate carpeting in your home or space. If needed, try to use 100% wool; you might want to check to make sure that no one is severely allergic to wool first.
• Do not use plant fertilizers or lawn care fertilizers or pesticides.
• Conceal (paint over) any suspected lead-based-painted areas. Prime the area first, then coat it three times. Do not sand lead-based paint—the dust is the most dangerous. Wet scrape any loose paint.
• Use low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint and stain products.
• Try to air out any products made with materials such as particle board and let such cabinetry off-gas before you take it into your home.
• Conceal any asbestos-based products—go over them with new products.
• Try to use natural products.
• Use reverse-osmossis water systems and an air filter in your home.
• Institute a flushout or off-gas period for any work done in the space or new products installed. An off-gassing period could happen in another environment such as a garage or warehouse—make sure all packaging materials have been taken off and all doors opened.
• For food service, offer organic and fresh whole foods that are appropriate choices for children. Using gluten-free and casein-free food is also a plus since many of the children are on those selective diets.

Many similar approaches can be found in the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) reference manuals in the Indoor Environmental Quality sections that address exposure to toxins in the built environment.

References

Cone, Marla, and Environmental Health News. “Scientists Find ‘Baffling' Link between Autism and Vinyl Flooring.” Scientific American, March 2009, www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=link-between-autism-and-vinyl.

Herbert, Martha, and Karen Weintraub. The Autism Revolution: Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Health Publications, 2012, page 7.

3

NEUROFUNCTIONS OF AUTISM AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE DESIGNED ENVIRONMENT

Autism is a spectrum disorder that typically appears within the first three years of life and affects the five sensory systems of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. These systems in autistic individuals are altered from what is considered normal. They experience various sensitivities and either overreact or underreact to environmental stimuli. Therefore, the designed environment plays a very important role in the lives of these individuals.

In this chapter, we will dive into the specific neurofunctions of autism and how they relate to space. Designers create spaces based on normal human reactions to stimuli of the brain and the senses. When neurofunctions are off, sensory input can be interpreted differently in the brain and create effects that are not wanted or intentional.

Although you cannot control the entire designed world, it is important to understand how the designed environment can affect a person with special needs like autism to increase his or her chances of being successful in the environment. Appr...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Overview
• Chapter 1: Rise of Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Is It Real?
• Chapter 2: Relationship of Toxins and Neurological Impairments
• Chapter 3: Neurofunctions of Autism and How They Relate to the Designed Environment
• Chapter 4: Types of Spaces
• Chapter 5: Project Planning and Research
• Chapter 6: Implementation and Construction process
• Chapter 7: Outcomes and Celebrations
• Chapter 8: Conclusion
• Additional Research
• Index
• Cross-Merchandising Advertisements