Introduction to Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term used to describe a variety of multifaceted and complex neurodevelopmental disabilities or clusters of disorders that affect verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction (Ghazali et al., 2019). It is estimated that around 700,000 people in the UK have a diagnosis of autism. It affects one in every 100 children in the UK. (BMA, 2020). As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism is a developmental disability that can cause social, communication, and behavioural challenges. Although ASD manifest differently depending on an individual's age, language ability, and cognitive abilities (Hyman et al., 2020), the typical behavioural features include difficulties with social communication, along with a tendency to have narrow interests, behaviours, or routines (APA, 2013). Those who are on the autism spectrum range from having no or little language to having well-developed language skills, from having an intellectual disability to above-average IQ, and from needing only some support to needing substantial support to function in daily life (Lussenhop et al., 2016).
(Lisa, 2021)
Observe Families With Children With Autism
In order to better understand families with children with autism's daily communication, I observed their daily life on Tiktok for a mouth. Their mode of communication made me realise that children with autism are not special, they also go to school, do chores and some even show talent in art. The parenting approach is particularly important. Understanding is the first step to communication and these parents are often more patient and require more skill than parents of normal children.
Learnings From Documentaries
Watching documentaries about autism is a good way to understand their lives, the first one "The Reason I Jump" (2020 film) shows what life be like being a non-speaking autistic person, They are not being to express themselves and need to use a handmade alphabet grid to communicate. "Not being able to speak does not mean there is nothing to say," - Naoki Higashida. Another documentary, "Best Kept Secret," is told from the perspective of a Newark special needs schoolteacher. She trains her autistic students to thrive in the harsh world that awaits them after graduation.
These documentaries have given me a deeper understanding of autism. The world of an autistic child is wonderful compared to that of a "normal person", they have different sensory experiences and communicate cognition. We do not understand them as much as they do not understand us. So I don't think it's right to try to change them, they never want to change us either! Mutual understanding is always the best way to solve problems, and in this confusing communication process, we "normal" people, as the majority, should try to understand them and make our changes so that they can understand us!
Sensory Factor to Autism
Although individuals with ASD can manifest very differently, there are some universal symptoms among them: Hyper- or hyporeactivity; Verbal or nonverbal social and communication deficits; Repetitive behaviour; Attachment to the same routines. Those common symptoms give insights into how to provide a friendly experience special for autistic children. The senses are an important factor in the development of children with autism, there are also many projects about the sensory experience for children with autism:
Museum and Autism
As a result of our prior visits to museums in London, we've noticed that museums are improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities by paying attention to signage, spaces, and bespoke experiences. For example, some museums have early birds and night owls events which are can offer people a sensory-friendly and quiet environment; some museums offer online resources about sensory information which can be downloaded and previewed.
Apart from the desk research, we are taking steps to observe, analyse, synthesise, and gather information about how children actually behave. We established our scope of work for Science Museum London because we were equally interested in creating an experience for youngsters that would spark their imagination.
Lincoln is a science museum explainer with professional training as a caregiver for persons with various disabilities. His responsibilities in the museum include making the museum area accessible, guiding children with exhibit information, and providing any necessary help. Lincoln told us that the science museum is making an effort to make autistic people feel comfortable. However, they don't assign a separate section for neurodiverse audiences and think it's necessary to include everyone. They are welcoming our idea about design for neurodiverse audiences
Understanding the meaning of museums for children with autism help us find out user needs precisely. Kulik and Fletcher (2016) reported that, for families with children with autism, exposure to new experiences and the sense of community were more motivating for visitation than learning. However, families with autistic children have more challenges visiting museums. Thus, they have different strategies to solve problems. Pre-planning was an effective strategy, as parents used tools like the museum website to schedule activities. Social Stories is also a good way for parents to tell their children what a museum visit might entail. (Lussenhop et al., 2016).
Directed storytelling with Parent
Storytelling is used instead of a formal interview as it is a comfortable way for caregivers to share their experience special in this topic. Gabby is a mom of a three-year-old son with mild ASD. She showed us how she communicates with her son by using visual cues to make plans and explain new situations. Besides, her experience told us that autistic children don't know they are special and their "wired behaviours" are the way they express emotions. Her thoughts for the project were favourable, and she appreciated the idea of using a design system to help a youngster who is nonverbal explore the things in the environment.
Reframe Project Brief
The major conclusion from the research into the scope of developing a museum experience for neurodiverse children is understanding their point of freedom to feel comfortable in their surroundings, assisting them with their sensorial issues, and generating curiosity about the visit without setbacks.
References
Brod, K., 2018. The Senses: Design Beyond Vision, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Des. Cult. 10, 379–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/17547075.2018.1514898
Ghazali, R., Md Sakip, S.R., Samsuddin, I., 2019. Creating Positive Environment for Autism Using Sensory Design. Environ.-Behav. Proc. J. 4, 19. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v4i10.1618
Lussenhop, A., Mesiti, L.A., Cohn, E.S., Orsmond, G.I., Goss, J., Reich, C., Osipow, A., Pirri, K., Lindgren-Streicher, A., 2016. Social participation of families with children with autism spectrum disorder in a science museum. Mus. Soc. Issues 11, 122–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/15596893.2016.1214806