User:Emma3816j/sandbox/Functional Design For Disabled Users

'''Functional Design For Disabled Users '''

The Focus:

As humans have progressed through time, research and science has helped people to better understand society, human behavior, and design in response to advancements in techonology. Through this research, varying learning and development disabilities have been identified such as down syndrome, dyslexia, and autism. Each learning condition presents its own issues in the design for schools, especially in elementary where intellectual growth is so crucial. The history of interior design as a result shows the evolution of schools and how designers have changed explored applications of light, sounds, and color to accommodate students who struggle with autism.

The Specific Problem:

Autism is a neural developmental disorder which causes difficulty with communication and interaction in social situations. It can vary widely in its severity and the extent to which it limits a person’s ability to function in social situations. Classic autistic disorder typically begins to show in young childhood, and is characterized by a child regressing in their development. The common thread among all autism spectrum disorders is that they all affect a person’s ability to interact appropriately with others.

Timeline:

Included below is a timeline to highlight the evolution of autism ever since the term was coined by Swiss psychiatrist, Paul Bleuler, in 1911. Since the term was defined, people’s understanding of autism has evolved, culminating in the current diagnosis and informed by many notable events impacting autism clinical research, education, and support. All research leading up to most recent years of 2014 in which the president signed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act of 2014, reauthorizing and expanding the Combating Autism Act in schools and other areas. And furthermore in 2020, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines how impactful the disorder is since it is identified in every one out of 54 children.

- 1911: Paul Eugen Bleuler coined the term, using it to describe what he believed to be the childhood version of schizophrenia. - 1926-38: Several psychiatrists detail cases of childhood schizophrenia, who in today’s time, have symptoms that resemble classification of autism. - 1944: Hans Asperger publishes a scientific study of children with autism,﻿ a case study describing four children ages 6 to 11. - 1964: Ole Ivar Lovaas begins working on his theory of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy for autistic children. - 1965: The Sybil Elgar School begins teaching and caring for children with autism. - 1990: Autism is included as a disability category in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), making it easier for autistic children to get special education services. - 2014: The president signs the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act of 2014, reauthorizing and expanding the Combating Autism Act. - 2020: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines one in 54 children have been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Parallel to Interior Design:

With the information on autism and how important a supportive physical environment is for students, seeing how interior design has changed within elementary schools starting in the early 1900s due to increasing desire for knowledge is impactful. During the early 1900s, school’s architecture and interior design had changed drastically compared to the 1800s where education was not as emphasized. The exteriors of schools had changed to take on the neoclassical look of sophistication. However, when it comes to the interiors, design implications for students were starting to become focused on improving quality of learning. Classroom sizes expanded, more natural light was included, fixed desk seating was added, and air ventilation was considered with the changing technology were just the beginning of the big change in school atmospheres. The expansion of schools greatly impacted the interior planning because the size of the organization required a need for a larger mechanized structure with inclusion of administrative offices and additional programs. In addition, they were influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's ideas of creating environments that were both functional and humane by adding warm colors and “clean” materials.

Effects of War on Schools and Quality of Student Education:

However, moving into the mid 1900s, many schools constructed after World War II were influenced by the ideas that modernist architects brought to the US from Europe. Such as Mies Van der Rohes concepts of "skin-and-bones'' design. Schools became the expression of the movement into the modern era, where the saying "less is more" was applied. In schools, there was no additional ornament. Rooms became bland and redundant. The surfaces of walls became smooth and flat. Also, windows and good ventilation was deemphasized in order to reduce costs. Classrooms were instead filled with fluorescent lighting which decreased focus and learning levels. In addition, elementary school’s interiors started to resemble corporate headquarters and government buildings, and marked a shift away from designing schools that resembled prominent civic buildings like the earlier neoclassical style.

Moving into Present Time:

Moving into present time, due to the negative changes in schools from the mid-1900s from low costs and high numbers of baby boomers being sent to school, renovations have been done in reconsideration of interiors for schools. Also, there has been a more specialized attention in the last 20 years for focusing on mental health and better learning environments for students in general to help improve focus. With the acceptance of autism in the disability category in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, education services and interior design has begun to evolve with changes and ability for children to get special education services in order to help with sensory and social issues. With the acceptance of autism in the disability category in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, education services and interior design has begun to make changes and created the ability for children to get special education services in order to help with sensory and social issues. For students with autism, interior design has been incorporated a multitude of ways to help out. Design has been applied to furniture though adding flexible and ergonomic furniture to help with the children's needs to move around and have squishy or bouncy chairs to relax their mind. Furthermore, graphics and color are also included to reinforce community and engage students. The colors can become overwhelming to kids with autism, but it is applied in schools to help expose the children to real world distractions in a thoughtful way. Also, sensory details are included to help with focus: an example of this would be having a more tactile environment with different textured surfaces on furniture and walls for the kids to touch and interact with since children are so active and curious. There is also an attention to improve lighting and acoustics, in contrast to the previous 1900s constructions, to support various educational functions and help with attention and diminish distractions from surrounding spaces. Elementary schools now are also incorporating modern technology in the classroom because life is moving into a world where kids do not know life without the internet. Lastly, interior designers are creating seats, counters, and other structures within a school to be kid sized so that they can interact with environment like an adult would. Overall, the research and changes for elementary students with autism has significantly helped with behavioral issues. They have reduced the stress of the learning and social atmosphere at school which helps with further development as they grow older.

King Solomon Elementary School in Israel

The design concept of the elementary school is based on the wish to translate the pedagogical – philosophical idea of holistic education to an exciting learning experience, and includes the considerations for students with autism. The Interior Designer over the project was Sarit Shani Hay.

Future Inquiries:

With the combination of society issues, interior design, and design movements throughout the 1900s into the 2000s, elementary schools have evolved to incorporate many aspects of a student. The fact that interior designers are expanding their research and applying design to elementary schools to reach other types of people like children with autism is a hopeful outlook into how designers approach creating not just the aesthetics of a space, but also include considerations of behavior, applications of spaces and how it affects moods, and overall improvement to better help life for a student in their prime years of learning. Also, an ongoing research project led by Sean Ahlquist, creates therapeutic structures for children with Autism. One prototype, the sensoryPLAYSCAPE, is a tent-like pavilion made of tensile fabric stretched over rods to create an immersive environment. Responding to touch, sounds are triggered, and 2D imagery is projected onto the fabric’s surface, as if on a screen. This visually demonstrates the connection between motor skills and auditory and visual feedback, helping children with autism adjust the amounts of force appropriate to apply at a given movement—a common issue among those on the autism spectrum. It brings up the question of if technology applied to creating structures and fabrication like this in schools in maybe not classrooms, but common areas around entry walkways or a sensory room in which kids can have an interactive room to just experiment in and learn by their senses could be beneficial to learning in the future? Would it make them more open minded?