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Roof renders to show materiality and shapes of extrusions

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Roof renders to show materiality and shapes of extrusions

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Experimentation with perspective with trees and solitary on Rhino

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Experimentation with perspective with trees and solitary on Rhino

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Experimentation with perspective with trees and pavilions on Rhino

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Experimentation with perspective with trees and pavilions on Rhino

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Experimentation with color scheme for section 2

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Experimentation with color scheme for section 2

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Experimentation with color scheme for section 

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Experimentation with color scheme for section 

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Wax disposal system experimentation - melting wax to see how they fall on gutter/ wire frames

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Wax disposal system experimentation - melting wax to see how they fall on gutter/ wire frames

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Hive section with wax tubes - sensory isolation 

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Hive section with wax tubes - sensory isolation 

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Model of Bee Hive cups that collect water for bees and are covered in Florescent colors to attract bees

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Model of Bee Hive cups that collect water for bees and are covered in Florescent colors to attract bees

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Wax collage showing the time lapse of stimming using nails, fingers and other equipment to create shapes, forms and routes within the wax.

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Wax collage showing the time lapse of stimming using nails, fingers and other equipment to create shapes, forms and routes within the wax.

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This is a highly inclusive adaptable space particularly effective for neurodiversity including Autism, ADHD & Dyslexia. It provides a calming refuge for social & emotional challenges. It is a practical way to reduce exclusion in the workspace, classroom and in public.

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Sensory Nook Pod helps neurodiverse people cope with challenging environments, reduce anxiety levels and create more inclusion with a greater opportunity to access experiences.

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Honey bees: understanding autism & social behaviour | Embrace Autism

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I will explain the social behaviour of-and between-autistic people and neurotypicals, using honey bees as an analogy. It will make sense soon, I promise!

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Tomorrow is the start of World Autism Awareness Week (29 March - 4 April 2021).

We took an in-depth look in a post this time last year at what an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC or just Autism) is, how it can affect people, and how you might adapt the way that you interact with someone who may have autism. Autism affects people very differently and is often not visible. A lot of people with autism experience problems with communication, understanding social norms and making and maintaining friendships and other relationships. Since training as a Forest Bathing guide and supporting people with autism on our Social Croft, I have become particularly interested in whether Forest Therapy and other Nature-Connection practices would be suitable and beneficial activities for people with autism.

Benefits of Nature Connection for People with an Autistic Spectrum Condition

There has been comparatively little research into nature-connection and autism, especially compared to that undertaken into how exposure to nature can reduce symptoms of other neurodevelopmental problems such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Research has shown that children with ADHD who take walks or play in green spaces show more elevated attention and concentration spans that children with ADHD who take walks in built-up environments or predominantly play in indoor settings. There is quite a high co-existence of ADHD and autism and so it seems reasonable to conclude that increased nature connection will be beneficial at least in this scenario.

Many people with autism are also experience either hypersensitivity (over-sensitivity) or hyposensitivity (under-sensitivity) to sensory experiences such as hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and feeling and sights. Taking people with autism who are over-sensitive outside and inviting them to connect with nature through sight, sound and touch can enhance their ability to cope with a wider range of stimuli and reduce their experiences of sensory problems. For those who are under-sensitive, walks in nature with a focus on the sights, sounds and smells or nature can increase their sensory stimulation in these areas. Recent research has proposed that some of the associated sensory processing problems experienced can be attributed to inefficient neural pathways, but by experiencing a variety of different sensory inputs, such as hearing, touching and seeing in a natural environment, these neural pathways can be strengthened. It is worth noting that people with autism may be over-sensitive to some sensory experiences, for example sounds or sights and visual input, but under-sensitive to other sensory experiences, such a touch and feeling.

There is also a lot of research into the beneficial effects of nature-connection on anxiety and depression levels, and as this Mind report describes, over 70% of people with autism experience depression and severe anxiety in comparison to about 25% of the general population who would be likely to develop mental health issues during their lifetime.

Autistic Children and Nature Connection

One of the more in-depth studies of autism and nature connection showed that when children with autism were regularly engaged in outdoor activities, they experienced improvements in seven key areas: social interaction; communication; behaviour; emotion; cognition; sensory issues; and physical activity. The benefits most frequently encountered were improvements to a child's emotional state and increases in their cognitive ability.

A teacher interviewed in a Natural England Report stated:
What I have found working with autistic children is that they just are different when you take them into nature, to how they are in a classroom. When we are in school, it's very contrived, and they know they will have to do things that they may not be very comfortable about doing, but when they go into nature e.g. woods or fields I think they feel much more relaxed, they seem to understand the environment, they feel more comfortable - maybe because they are much freer to roam and explore, and to be involved in the sensory aspects of nature.
Most other interviewees in the study also considered personal well-being as one of the primary benefits for autistic children of engaging with the natural environment including: helping them to relax, feel more comfortable with their surroundings and have heightened sensory experiences; and the concluded that this was generally associated with the development of social skills.

Theoretical Frameworks Supporting Nature Connection Benefits

We discussed in a previous post the theories of nature connection, and there is a robust theoretical foundation that supports the benefits of nature-connection in the general public, but also in neurodiverse populations. Kaplan and Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory (ART) states that directed attention, the ability to focus on cognitively-demanding tasks, critical to high-level cognitive functioning and behavioural regulation, fatigues with use but can be restored through exposure to nature. For many children and adults with autism, difficulties in focusing on tasks, especially those outside of their specific interests, and emotional regulation can be problematic. Attention Restoration Theory proposes that exposure to nature can restore abilities around attention and focus and enhance cognitive functioning and behavioural performance. Likewise, Ulrich's Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) proposes that when people are psychologically or physically stressed, then exposure to unthreatening natural environments will reduce stress and have a restorative effect. As previously mentioned, people with autism are more prone to experiencing depression and anxiety, as well as emotion-related difficulties such as autistic meltdowns. It is therefore hypothesised that exposure to nature can have the same kind of beneficial effect on people with autism too.

Barriers to Nature Connection in People with Autistic Spectrum Conditions

As discussed earlier in this article, people with autism may experience different reactions to sensory stimuli than neurotypical (non-autistic) people and as such may not find natural environments beneficial. For example some people with autism find wooded areas with dense canopies harder to deal with.

Additionally, whilst some people with autism do not experience cognitive impairments, a significant number of people with an ASC experience co-existing learning disabilities or cognitive impairments that could make the more mindfulness-based nature-connection activities such as Forest Bathing or Silvotherapy harder to understand and engage with.

The Barefooted Autistic

Walking barefoot is a common invitation in Forest Bathing. Tyler is an autistic man who has run the Barefoot Autism Challenge on Facebook since April 2017. He runs the challenge in April each year for Autism Awareness Month in the USA.
As he describes on his Facebook page:
People with autism may experience different sensory experiences or have trouble with proprioception*. They may have a limited ability to connect with themselves because they cannot connect with the world around them when they are shod. For many people with autism, walking barefoot helps calm down their nerves and lessens their stress while the varying textures awaken their world. Those with autism appear to be more alert and in tune with their surroundings while they are barefoot.
*Proprioception is defined as 'the neurological ability of the body to sense movement and position'. For example, when you close your eyes and move your arm in the air, you have the ability to sense its location. You are able to feel your arm's location in space. It is also sometimes called your kinaesthetic sense.

And continues:
Whether you have autism or not, I want you to put yourself in the "shoes" of someone with autism - or rather take them off - and take part in the Barefoot Autism Challenge. Go to a location like a park, a trail, a sidewalk, the beach, etc., and take the challenge by removing your shoes and submersing yourself in your environment. Feel the earth. Connect with it, and connect with yourself. Then post a picture or video on social media and at the Barefoot Autism Challenge's Facebook page. Most importantly, share what advocating for someone with autism means to you.
We will certainly be taking part and posting on his Facebook Page.

Barefooting is one of the invitations in our 'Small Book of Forest Bathing Invitations':

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Autism and Nature-Connection - Darach Social Croft

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Since training as a Forest Bathing guide and supporting people with autism on our Social Croft, I have become particularly interested in whether Forest Therapy and other Nature-Connection practices would be suitable and beneficial activities for people with autism, as discussed here.

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Study Of Bees | What Is It Called & Why Is It Important?

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Entomology is the study of insects. Melittology is the subcategory of entomology that specifically focuses on the study of bees.

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Certain sounds are particularly annoying to us all collectively. For many people, the sound of someone scraping their nails down a blackboard or the high-pitched squeal of microphone feedback can be excruciating to hear. However, if you have autism, many of the everyday noises other people take for granted can be very painful and cause unwanted intrusions.

According to the Autism Society, there are more than 3.5 million people in the U.S. currently living with Autism. The condition makes you feel, see and hear the world differently than other people. Lifelong developmental disability affects each individual differently.

As an autistic person, your world can often feel overwhelming, which can be the source of a great deal of stress. It's generally more challenging for you to relate to and understand others - even everyday communications, surroundings, activities and tasks can sometimes prove problematic.

Fortunately, all children and adults can benefit from therapies, interventions, strategies and tools that aim to reduce autistic and sensory overload symptoms and increase functioning, abilities and skills. This guide provides background information on autism and sensory overload disorders - particularly how noise and sounds affect individuals with autism. It also provides strategies, tools and resources to help people with autism better cope and manage their symptoms.

Key Autism Statistics

When trying to understand autism, it's good to have the facts and figures in front of you. Some key autism spectrum disorder (ASD) statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include:

Prevalence

Between 2009 and 2017, around one in six U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 17 had a developmental disability such as autism. Approximately one in every 36 children in America is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Demographics

One in 23 boys has an autism spectrum disorder. In girls, the figure is one in 87, indicating that the condition is slightly less than four times more common in boys than girls. ASD can occur in anyone, regardless of where they're from, their background and socioeconomic group.

IQ Testing

44% of children with ASD have intellectual abilities that are considered to be above average.

Diagnosis

While an autism diagnosis in children as young as age two can be accurate, children are most often diagnosed at age four and above.

Social Impact

25% to 30% of those diagnosed with autism do not speak or use minimal verbal communication. Two in three children with ASD between 6 and 15 years old have been subjected to bullying.

Potential Factors

Older parents are more likely to have a child with ASD. Parents who already have one child diagnosed with autism run a 2 to 18% chance of having another child with the condition.

Twins

In identical twins, if one sibling has ASD, there's a 36 to 95% likelihood of the other twin being on the spectrum. In the case of non-identical twins, where one child has ASD, the other will be affected between zero and 31% of the time.

Cost of Care

From medical care to lost parental productivity, the average total costs per year for U.S. children on the autistic spectrum in 2015 amounted to $268 billion and is expected to reach the $461 billion mark by 2025.

Physical and Emotional Symptoms Autistic Individuals Experience

Arguably, the key to understanding autism is to know the ways that it affects you or your child on both a physical and emotional level. While there are three core autism symptom categories - namely social deficits, language impairment and repetitive behaviors - your child may face other overlapping issues, conditions and challenges.

One of the most particularly challenging yet manageable is sensory overload. A common telltale symptom among individuals with autism is reacting unusually to certain sounds, tastes, smells and textures.

When you're on the autistic spectrum, it's almost as though you have some of your senses turned up too high, whereas others seem to be too low. For example, you may over- or under-react to loud noises or pain. You may also be unable to touch certain fabrics, or they can feel very uncomfortable against your skin.

In addition to the sensory overload experiences described above, generally speaking, if you have ASD, you may also:

Not respond to your name by the time you're a year old.

Not point at objects to show your interest by the time you're 14 months old.

Not play "pretending" games by the time you're 18 months old.

Have distinct trouble discussing your feelings and understanding those of other people.

Want to be alone most of the time.

Have delayed language and speech skills.

Have interests you're obsessive about.

Be very upset by even the smallest of changes.

Repeat words over and over (echolalia).

Display fearlessness or fearfulness.

Only interact with others to achieve a desired goal for yourself.

Have no understanding of the concept of personal space boundaries.

Not be comforted by other people when you're distressed.

Not use hand gestures in the way others do, for example, waving goodbye.

Talk in a singsong or flat voice.

Have difficulty understanding teasing, sarcasm and jokes.

Act without thinking.

Follow set routines.

Demonstrate unusual emotional reactions and moods.

On a physical level, other symptoms are generally known to be related to the autistic spectrum. If you have ASD, you may:

Display hyperactivity.

Exhibit aggression.

Show a short attention span.

Spin in circles, flap your hands or rock your body backward and forwards.

Have self-injuring tendencies.

Have temper tantrums.

Avoid physical contact.

Avoid making eye contact.

Have inappropriate or flat facial expressions.

Be exceptionally organized.

Exhibit unusual sleeping and eating habits.

Enjoy lining up objects and will like specific parts of said objects.

As you can see, an individual with autism can face many symptoms. As a spectrum disorder, these symptoms can vary in intensity, frequency and severity.

Understanding Noise Sensitivities in Individuals With Autism

There are links between autism and auditory sensitivity. If you have autism, you may overreact or completely ignore many ordinary sensations, smells, sights and sounds. It's thought that this is because you're processing information from your senses differently than others not on the spectrum.

For instance, you might not filter out irrelevant noises or find that certain sounds can be very uncomfortable and distracting.

If you're autistic, there are various types of noise sensitivities you may experience, including:

Misophonia

This is characterized by an emotional reaction to certain sounds, such as rage or anger. The trigger for this is usually a soft sound often related to breathing or eating and can be connected to people close to you. For example, you may be driven to distraction by the sound your significant other makes when they chew their food. However, a similar noise made by someone else may not even bother you in the slightest.

Phonophobia

Also called sonophobia or ligyrophobia, phonophobia is an unusual and persistent fear of either specific or general environmental sounds. If you have phonophobia, you may try to avoid ever exposing yourself to the sounds you're scared of and could, in time, end up being housebound due to your anxiety.

Hyperacusis

Often accompanied by tinnitus, hyperacusis is an intolerance of everyday generalized environmental noise.
Hypersensitive Hearing at Certain Frequencies
This issue often goes hand-in-hand with autism. When you're suffering from this, you can likely handle most sounds as long as they're at a regular level. However, this changes when the sounds change frequency, particularly when they rise above 70 decibels - say, when you hear a vacuum cleaner running.

Recruitment

This is a sudden, painful and shocking increase in the perception of sound directly related to dead or damaged hair cells within the inner ear.

As you'll likely realize, these noise sensitivities can be incredibly life-altering and upsetting to both the affected individual and their friends and family. That's why it's incredibly important to find ways to reduce sound sensitivity and implement sound solutions for home, work and play.

Challenges Families Face in Overcoming Autism Symptoms

Often, as a family member of someone with autism, you can feel helpless in terms of assisting your loved one to overcome the challenges they're facing.

When your loved one is on the autism spectrum, he'll likely face daily issues, challenges and problems. Issues that can regularly occur include:

Facing additional conditions, such as gastrointestinal problems or epilepsy

Finding it difficult to socialize with others

Issues relating to sound, feel, touch and taste

Having difficulties communicating with people

Feeling generally frustrated at having to deal with people's prejudice and ignorance about their condition

Feeling ignored as a result of their autism

If you're caring for someone who is autistic, you may also be facing your own issues and problems, such as:

Worry

Exhaustion

Caregiver burnout

Frustration in finding solutions

Inability to cope at times

Your own health issues

This is why it's so incredibly important that autistic people, their loved ones and caregivers find services, treatments and therapies that will assist.

Strategies to Help Individuals With ASD Respond to Severe Sensory Overload

Activities many take for granted, such as going to the grocery store, can be challenging for those with autism. Many people experience a heightened sensitivity to several stimuli experienced by the body's senses, including loud noises or sounds above 40 decibels. The result is often extreme discomfort and a desire to flee the environment, not to mention that these situations can often be emotionally and physically draining for someone with autism.

Developing suitable coping mechanisms to deal with potentially overstimulating spaces is essential. And there are several approaches you can consider to help your loved one suffering from noise sensitivity and other sensory overload difficulties. Various strategies work for different people, so think about how the stimuli affect your loved one and what you can do to minimize their exposure and discomfort.
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Sound Sensitivity

Hypersensitivity to loud noises is one of the most common sensory challenges individuals with autism experience. Loud and overwhelming noise is everywhere, including in public spaces, at school or work and even at home, where there's a degree of control. Noises that others can often tune out with little thought are not as easy for those with autism to ignore and can impede their ability to concentrate, communicate or function. Fortunately, you can find ways to overcome these situations, including the following effective strategies:

Pinpoint and take note of the sounds that cause your loved one discomfort.

Limit the use of headphones or earplugs when possible, but keep a set on hand for particularly stressful situations.

When exposed to noisy environments, ensure you set time aside for quiet time away from the noise. Creating a dedicated quiet space by soundproofing a room may offer relief.

Take note of quiet spaces where your loved one feels comfortable and safe.

When experiencing sensory overload, try introducing a distraction using something they enjoy, like a favorite toy or keepsake.

Allow your loved one to experience loud noises from a distance before introducing them to the noisy environment. This process can allow them to become familiar with the sound and reduce stress.

Offer the individual with autism an opportunity to control the offending sound where possible to encourage familiarity. This exercise could include honking the car's horn or switching noisy appliances on and off.

Make specific rooms of your home safe, quiet zones using soundproofing materials that act as a barrier to loud, uncomfortable noises.

Muffle sounds from communal spaces at home, work or other areas you have control over using various sound absorption solutions designed for different situations.

Decorate your home's corridors and common living areas with custom art acoustic panels to offer a degree of soundproofing with style.

Encourage restaurants, churches, stores and other places you regularly visit in your community to consider incorporating commercial soundproofing or sound absorption materials in particularly noisy areas for those with noise sensitivity.

Speak to your loved one about volunteering at a quiet place, such as the local library or bookstore.

Try muffling the noise of chair legs scraping on the floor by gluing cut pieces of carpeting to the bottom of the chair legs.

Install carpets to muffle sounds.

Encourage your loved one to get out and take a walk in nature on a daily basis.

Arrange your schedule to ensure you visit typically crowded areas during off-peak hours.

Visual Sensitivity

While sensitivity to visual stimuli is something many people deal with, it can be more challenging for people with autism. This sensitivity often relates to bright lights, specifically LED and fluorescent lights. However, the following tips could help your loved one deal with visual sensitivity when needed:

Limit the number of trips you take to the supermarket if your loved one is upset by the lights.

Replace fluorescent bulbs with the incandescent variety if they cause discomfort to your family member.

Encourage your loved one to wear sunglasses to reduce visual overload in challenging circumstances.

Add blinds or room-darkening curtains on windows to keep bright sunlight at bay.

Food Sensitivity

For those with autism, foods with a unique or strong taste or those with a specific type of texture can be off-putting, which often includes fruits and vegetables. To avoid conflict at mealtimes, you can take a different approach with these strategies:

Don't force your loved one to eat foods they're sensitive to. For example, avoid chips and jello if they have issues with crunchy and slimy foods.

Observe their reactions to different foods to see which cause sensory pain and which they don't care for.

Encourage your loved one to take a small bite of healthier foods they're unsure of to nurture familiarity and develop a balanced diet.

Touch Sensitivity

Touch sensitivity can relate to the feel of textured fabrics, such as knitwear, on the skin or the proximity of others in some situations. Here are a few pointers to follow when helping your loved one with autism:

Don't force anyone with ASD to wear or touch fabrics and materials that cause them stress.

Buy soft, comfortable clothing your loved one approves of in bulk.

Keep your distance if you're too close to your loved one and they show signs of discomfort.

Smell Sensitivity

Neurological studies have found that people with autism process scents differently from others, which explains their heightened sensitivity to strong and unusual smells. Consider these tips:

Observe and take note of the scents that cause your loved one discomfort.

Limit exposure to problematic fragrances or strong smells and get into the habit of buying unscented products.

When visiting public spaces, ensure you have a tissue or handkerchief handy for your loved one to cover their nose if faced with pungent odors.

Professional Therapies to Help Treat Sensory Overload

Thankfully, there are several studied and proven therapies to help with sensory overload relating to ASD.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy: For phobias, anxiety disorders, autism and other conditions, experts often recommend cognitive behavioral therapy as it teaches the person how to cope and self-manage their emotions.

Sensory Integration Therapy: As a known therapy to help people with ASD or sensory overload difficulties, sensory integration therapy helps children and adults with autism improve their daily functioning.

Additional Resources for Autism and Sensory Overload

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, along with other prominent organizations, provides resources to help autistic individuals and parents of children with autism or a sensory overload disorder, including the following:

Autism is a lifelong condition without a definitive "cure." As our society continues to learn more about autism, there are more and more ways to help support people who have it. Through early detection, structured support and strategies to minimize symptoms, you can successfully manage the condition so that you or your family member can live a fulfilling life.

Through this guide, we hope that you've increased your understanding of the world of an ASD person, particularly in the areas of noise sensitivities and other sensory overload challenges. We hope that you find the tips, advice and noise solutions for autism presented above to stop sensory overload helpful in managing the condition for yourself or your loved one.
Call 1-866-949-9269 today to speak to a Soundproof Cow team member to learn more about soundproofing a home for individuals with autism.
Learn More About Soundproofing for Disabilities

How to Reduce Auditory Sensitivity

Soundproofing Solutions for Misophonia

Soundproofing Solutions for Tinnitus

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How Noise Affects Individuals with Autism | Soundproof Cow

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Noise can have a very big impact on individuals who have Autism. Learn why sensory overload occurs, and ways to help reduce the frequency of those events.

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Sounds from Inside the Bee Hive, Healthy Honey Bee Sounds

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Sounds from Inside the Bee Hive, Healthy Honey Bee Sounds

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uring this project, I was given the opportunity to learn more about the space I was brought up in. Hounslow Heath and its biodiversity have been a big part of my thesis, but I was not able to research further into its surrounding. By visiting the library and having access to the archives, I was exposed to the history and context of Hounslow, allowing me to study the space in depth

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maps showings insects, planst, bees, wasps copy-01

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The process of making the technical drawing was experimentative and  allowed me to explore and be innovative. However, as more details were added, the file for rendering on Illustrator and the axonometric using Rhino became heavier. Making it harder to build on to the design and slowing the procedure

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3D and 2D Modelling
Once these drawings were simplified, they were then converted into abstract models through 3D modelling. Rhino and AutoCAD were mediums used throughout this project as it was a simple way to continuously change and record the evolvement of my design. It was also a way to show the realistic side of my proposal to distinguish how components fit together.

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Where Solitary focuses on teaching hard skills, the private pavilions seen in figure 5, carry activities that use the idea of nurture through nature, improving soft skills (Asher, 2021). It allows children to enhance abilities that develop naturally and enables independence. These activities exist within Hounslow heath but are currently dormant; encouraging its use would help the progression of the park and its surrounding

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Solitary was featured in my presentations towards the UCA Creative Enterprise Competition. This concept focuses on how we can encourage architectural firm or consultation provider that focuses on inclusive design. What methods and studies can take place to help with various disability proposals that collaborate with ecology? If this idea goes forward I would like the opportunity to develop its attributes and systems, as I believe it has the potential to be tested in the real world. Working on this project exposed me to various investigative and experimental sides of design. I hope to take this process further as an interior designer in the real world to tackle societal issues through innovative and modern lense.

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sound projections from Hounslow heath surroundings 

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sound projections from Hounslow heath surroundings 

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Noise projections around hounslow heath_A1

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This diagram shows how the biological, social and physical aspects between antisocial bees and autism spectrum disorder intersect to have the potential to be investigated furthe

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Each furniture piece is shaped using the bee tracking and interviews from the autistic community. As autistic individuals have weak spatial memories an important element within the building is the ceiling. Each ceiling extrusion is shaped differently and plays the role of containing indirect light whilst characterising each space for easy identification.

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Model with overlapping spectogram structures 

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Model with overlapping spectogram structures 

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drawing activity with autistic students on Autism week   

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drawing activity with autistic students on Autism week   

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Autism Accepetancewk_ Canterbury  art therapy group outcome

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Spectrogram and Bee Videos
The bee trackings were taken from YouTube. Cameras were installed in different corners of the hive capturing an hour of bee movements, that was traced from a screen. The audio for the spectrogram was taken from the same video and was processed on various websites to analyse the frequency; displaying a visual representation of the spectrum. This was refined by experimentation with other visual outcomes.

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Hounslow heath park and surrounding sound projects

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Hounslow heath park and surrounding sound projects

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Noise projections around hounslow heath_A1

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maps showings insects, planst, bees, wasps copy-01

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Interview -- key points for building regulations

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Interview -- key points for building regulations

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“Shaded places”

“Sunny places”

“Away from doors”

“Noises Issues”

Everybody has different sensory issues

brightness issues

quiet, dark room

big screen with no screen

cubicles headphones

control the brightness in the cubicle

I do not like, Bright lights

I like soft things to touch

main problem is with fluorescent lights

I do not like loud noises

uplighters and then a direct flight on something

it cannot be standardized light in it has to be controlled by the users

slightly warm colour light as well

I do not like different noises all at once

It is very disorientating. And just being in a room with a lot of people

meltdowns

organize all my toys

specific

like odds are evil

memory issue

soft furnishings and bean bags

I like to fidget in the chair

I was always swinging on my chair

I concentrate better if I am moving rather than if I am not

comfortable sofas and chairs, make them sort of fabric

pastel colours

I do not really like white because I find it a bit too clinical

Emotions are because, like you. Feel like anger and stuff and so nothing too bright. And I would not say to put the furniture so close together

stimming is the most calming thing for me

everything needs to be subtle

something that is movable

bean bag or a chair with wheels or an exercise ball

difficulty in memorizing certain spaces, so she looks for hints

intensity of the light within one space to another and that is what she would differentiate

How I recognize a room is I remember the furniture /object in the room

but I also memorize whereabouts in the room it is, so if something is moved. That is moved because I remember it being there specifically

label on your chair

everybody likes to sit in the same place with the same people around them

Closed toilets there is the loud hand dryer

Do not put hand dryers in your building

here might be different themes associated with each room

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Building regulation for autism design

PowerPoint Presentation (thespaces.org.uk)

Design for Autism | Scottish Autism

Site location Be a good neighbour Seek:

• Established and stable neighbourhoods.

• Access to transport and amenities;

• Pedestrian and cycle friendly routes. Avoid:

• Roadways with high volumes of traffic, railways, airport or busy commercial sites;

• Other buildings that allow pupils & local residents to be constantly overlooked or overlooking.

site layout & massing

• Domestic scale or long low non intimidating form

• Green roof

• Building orientation

• Large ‘meeting’ space near main door to enable separate groups

Internal

Carpet colour has been used to enable transition from the ‘street’ into the classrooms.

Colour schemes have been planned to promote a sense of calm throughout the building, utilising colours that are considered to have a positive impact on the mood of autistic people.

External spaces:

Key Features:

• Site boundaries: security, low sun glare, noise, overlooking

• Separation of activity areas

• Solar shaded areas

• Screening to changes in level

• Semi enclosed areas and shelters

External activities:

• Wander loops

• Swings, bouncing

• Gardening

• Sensory garden

• Care with plant selection

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Narrative

A world where senses are heightened, shows the beauty of everything mundane. from the ignored flickering of the traffic lights to the noise of the rushing city with natures songs slowing faded in the background. Where every touch of the banister can make you count the scratches and the untold story of the scrapped paint that once sat smoothly. Everything is awake. But when this sensitive world exposes itself and then refuses to ever quieten down, what do you do? How do you explain each sense and the feelings surrounding it.

‘Uncomfortable’ is the word may use that suffer from Autism. Currently 1/100 children in the world suffer from autism. A figure that will only increase over time. When being diagnosed you are not only being finalised with autism but other health issues that were/are overlooked. Autism is a spectrum, where each individual is different in the various symptoms they carry.

A specific concern that peoples with autism face is memory issues. They have weak working memory especially with spatial information as well as weak autobiographical episodic memory. Which is the bank of experiences we have stored in our memory to determine our actions and behaviour to be accepted in society as well as keep ourselves safe.

These problems with long term memory and complex information causes anxiety for this community leaving them alienated as well as more prone to diseases like dementia when they get older.

Where Autism in humans leave them feeling isolated other communities within nature work differently. An example of this is the society of bees. Bees are known to be one of the hardest working insects. Recent studies have shown that antisocial bees share genetic profile with people with autism. When focusing on their behaviours and the response of other bees they found that these bees carried on with their activities and let the antisocial bees do what they wanted.  Another profile that fits

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Bees’ information

·        Antisocial bees share genetic profile with people with autism

·        ell it started when we were doing observations related to two separate studies. We were studying the response of bees to a social challenge. The challenge involves an unrelated intruder that's placed in a small sort of micro-hive with 10 bees in a plastic petri dish in the laboratory to simulate conditions in the hive. My post doctoral student noticed some bees were not responding to the intruder while others showed the normal response of attacking the intruder.

·        We when we shifted gears to study social opportunity, which in this case for bees, is an opportunity to rear a larva as a queen - since worker bees don't reproduce themselves, that's the job of the queen, the opportunity to rear a baby sister to let her become a queen is a really big deal a great opportunity - and as soon as bees are presented with a queen larva, they will go to it, feed it, and take care of it. And again some bees did not respond.

·        t's not clear why these asocial bees are tolerated by the rest of the hive. Rittschof thinks these individuals are considered part of the group despite their unusual behavior. Both human and bee societies "contain and accommodate a range of different personality types, strengths, and weaknesses," she suggests.

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Spaces in autism center

·        Classrooms with kitchens

·        Restrooms

·        Offices

·        Observation rooms

·        Multipurpose room

·        Gymnasium

·        Weight room

·        Occupational/physical therapy sensory room

·        Vocational and educational centers

·        School store

·        Butterfly-shaped roof

·        FITNESS SPACE

commercial kitchen where students learn how to prepare meals.

At a model convenience store, in operation every day, the children learn retail skills — stocking shelves, making coffee and selling snacks.

Older students learn office skills such as laminating and using copy machines and other equipment, preparing them for employment when they graduate.

There will be a playground for younger students to play, as well as a full-size gym where they’ll hold an adaptive physical education program, where three teachers will work with students in small groups. The activities will be fine motor work and sports skills. Additional activities involve field trips to local farms, where students will learn to ride and care for horses. A fitness trail and soccer field will also be available for students’ outdoor activities.

becomes a learning tool, with every space performing at least double duty. For example, the nurse's office is both a place to receive care and a 'mini classroom,' where fearful students practice the experience of a medical visit. The bathrooms serve as teaching sites for everyday skills like tooth brushing, urinal etiquette, or toilet use. A laundry room, a kitchen, and vocational-training spaces like REED's model hotel suite are functional and instructional area.

Here he is most concerned about the soundscape ‘the echoes and reverberation. 'For people with autism, sensory stimulation like bad acoustics is pure torture,

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Issues and skills people with autism need to improve with

-Patience

-Communication

-Executive functioning skills- organisation skills

-Practical living skill – finding information

-        Money skill

-        Daily routine

-Personal care- exercise nutrition stress

-Relax and routine.

-Life skills

-Job skill

-Personal safety

-People skills – communication

-Self-advocacy- ask question

Memory

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The wax argument/ the ball of wax example is a thought experiment by  René Descartes

He devised it to analyze what properties are essential for bodies, show how uncertain our knowledge of the world is compared to our knowledge of our minds, and argue for rationalism.[1][2]

Descartes first considers all the sensible properties of a ball of wax such as its shape, texture, size, color, and smell. He then points out that all these properties change as the wax is moved closer to a fire. The only properties that necessarily remain are extension, changeability and movability:

Let us begin by considering the commonest matters, those which we believe to be the most distinctly comprehended, to wit, the bodies which we touch and see; not indeed bodies in general, for these general ideas are usually a little more confused but let us consider one body in particular. Let us take, for example, this piece of wax: it has been taken quite freshly from the hive, and it has not yet lost the sweetness of the honey which it contains; it still retains somewhat of the odour of the flowers from which it has been culled; its colour, its figure, its size are apparent; it is hard, cold, easily handled, and if you strike it with the finger, it will emit a sound. Finally all the things which are necessary to cause us distinctly to recognise a body, are met with in it. But notice that while I speak and approach the fire what remained of the taste is exhaled, the smell evaporates, the colour alters, the figure is destroyed, the size increases, it becomes liquid, it heats, scarcely can one handle it, and when one strikes it, no sound is emitted. Does the same wax remain after this change? We must confess that it remains; none would judge otherwise. What then did I know so distinctly in this piece of wax? It could certainly be nothing of all that the senses brought to my notice, since all these things which fall under taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing, are found to be changed, and yet the same wax remains.

Perhaps it was what I now think, viz. that this wax was not that sweetness of honey, nor that agreeable scent of flowers, nor that particular whiteness, nor that figure, nor that sound, but simply a body which a little while before appeared to me as perceptible under these forms, and which is now perceptible under others. But what, precisely, is it that I imagine when I form such conceptions? Let us attentively consider this, and, abstracting from all that does not belong to the wax, let us see what remains. Certainly nothing remains excepting a certain extended thing which is flexible and movable.

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Hounslow community programs

Winter walks

Bird watching

fishing

conservation task

cleaning up volunteering birds feeders

Plant printing

Bird feeders

Planting flowers

Wildlife explores

Bug hunting

Scavenger hunts

Creating habitats

Survival skills

Shelter building

First aid

Fire

Fruit picking

Cleaning invasive species

Nature walks

Nature activities for autism

Hide and seek

Obstacle course

Water therapy

Treasure hunts

Arts and craft

Nature sounds