DESIGNING FOR NEURODIVERSITY

Architecture and Interior design are not just about what looks good; it’s about how an interior space makes someone feel. This is why inclusive design principles are particularly important to ensure environments are accessible to those people who are neurodivergent.

According to The University of Edinburgh, it is estimated that around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, which means that greater consideration should be given to the impact of a building and its interior design on the occupants, especially those who care for children who are neurodivergent.

For further insight into some of the design principles that can benefit those who are neurodivergent, download our guide, Designing for Neurodiversity.

THE SENSORY
ENVIRONMENT

PROCESSING SENSORY INFOMRATION

People who are neurodivergent may have difficulty processing sensory information from their environment, which means that their living or working environments can have a profound effect on how they feel and respond to others. Autism Spectrum Disorder, for example, is an extremely complex condition, and there is a well-known saying:

“If you’ve met one child with autism, you’ve met only one child with autism”

A person with autism may have senses that are under or overactive, or both, at different times. Such sensory differences can affect their behaviour and have a profound effect on their personal lives and how they react to their surroundings and other people.

Therefore, the key to successful design for those who are neurodivergent seems to revolve around the idea of the sensory environment and its relationship with autistic behaviour. However, as autism is a spectrum disorder, autism-friendly design requires a conceptual framework rather than a list of hard and fast rules.

To learn more about Designing for Neurodiversity, why not book a CPD session with one of our Area Representatives?

SENSITIVITIES

TYPES OF SENSITIVITIES

Sensitivities arise when someone struggles to deal with everyday sensory information. Too much information can cause stress, anxiety and even the feeling of physical pain, which can result in challenging behaviour and withdrawal. There are two classifications of sensitivity in those living with autism, hyper and hypo sensitive.

Download our Guide

PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT

ARCHITECT CHRIS BEAVER

Architect Chris Beaver states that “to know how a building is going to perform requires a profound knowledge of who will use it and how it will be used”. This can be a changing dynamic; those with and without autism may be using the space and occupants with very different needs and ways of responding to their environment may change over time.

DR MAGDA MOSTAFA

This is where the conceptual framework comes into play and forms the basis of Dr Magda Mostafa Autism ASPECTSS Design Index which explains the importance of; Acoustics, Spatial Sequencing, Escape, Compartmentalisation, Transition Spaces, Sensory Zoning and Safety, as a design development tool.

DOWNLOAD GUIDES

Designing for Neurodiversity

An insight into some of the design principles that can benefit those who are neurodivergent

LRV Guide

Find out the LRV's for many of our ranges

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THE SENSORY ENVIRONMENT

PROCESSING SENSORY INFOMRATION

SENSITIVITIES

TYPES OF SENSITIVITIES

PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT

ARCHITECT CHRIS BEAVER

DR MAGDA MOSTAFA

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DOWNLOAD GUIDES

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THE SENSORY
ENVIRONMENT

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