Site hosted for OMRDD by the Institute for Child Development

Part of Broome DDSO's Autism Initiative

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

While autism spans a wide range of symptom expression and severity, there are methods and principles for interior design that can inform decisions regarding support of individuals with autism. These do not result in a “recipe” for a specific home environment that will be right for every individual, as it is incorrect to make sweeping statements about characteristics and needs, such as “All people with autism need ...” or “People with autism can’t ...” However, these recommended design elements can help to shape the home environment in relation to individuals’ personal needs and preferences, which is a key component in planning a supportive home.

As part of the OMRDD’s initiative to develop four state-of-the-art model residences for young adults with autism, experts at Binghamton University’s Institute for Child Development (ICD) reviewed current research literature and reliable website resources concerning effective interior design supports. The recommendations made in this report are based upon this empirical literature review, as well as site visits to exisiting OMRDD-DDSO group homes and model programs in other states that occurred during the Fall of 2008. The recommendations that result are meant to complement and supplement New York State regulations and building and zoning requirements. The areas addressed in this report are the basic structure of the environment and layout, personal choice, visual boundaries, organizational features, interior paint and lighting, and furniture safety and hygiene. The reviewed literature also includes studies involving classroom supports, making the recommendations applicable to both residences and educational settings.

Literature Review

Basic Structure and Layout

For issues regarding interior design, a good starting point is well-planned architectural structure and exterior design. However, choice of exterior or building materials and structural components will not be addressed in this report. In terms of interior design, many of the aspects of design that produce general supportive environments are also applicable on an individual basis. Recent research regarding supportive environments has often focused on group homes or efficient classroom design for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (24). Research regarding supportive interior design for individuals with autism indicates that overall structure and layout can have an impact on an individual’s level of engagement with, and ease of navigation in, these surroundings (6). In fact, promoting engagement by managing environmental variables has been found to promote positive outcomes for individuals with autism (9). Although most studies have investigated these environmental variables in a classroom setting, research has shown that using a supportive design to capitalize on individual strengths and minimize identified difficulties provides the most desirable supportive environment (2,3,6,15). Examples are provided in following sections.

Visual Boundaries

Visually structured environments provide an advantage over less structured models when serving individuals with autism (12,13,18,28). This fact is not surprising as we know that some individuals with autism appear to benefit from visually oriented learning (7,18). Creating visually distinct areas dedicated to a specific activities is effective in typical education settings, and may be applicable to residence needs as well (17,18). To create areas that are visually distinct, clear visual boundaries need to be created between parts and functions of the room that may not be easily discernable to some individuals with autism (1,6,22). These boundaries can help to provide cues regarding the appropriate activity that should take place in different parts of the room (1,5,6,18,22). In residences, different colored carpeting or linoleum in each room can create visual boundaries that can help individuals determine the activities that should occur in those areas (26,27).

Organization and Elimination of Distractions

Some individuals with autism have difficulty processing environmental stimuli and are often easily distracted (4,21,25). Investigators have found that an environment with few distractors is preferable (6,14). This includes reducing visual clutter, like excessive decorations on the walls, and storing materials that are not being used out of sight in an organized, but easily accessible manner (6,14,18,23). It is also recommended to use carpeting and acoustic tiles to reduce auditory distractions and to select design materials and plan room layout to further reduce distracting sound (23).

Sound attenuation and control are universal concerns for all individuals. The goal is both keeping unwanted sound levels low and controlling desired sounds. It is well known that human beings can experience stress and discomfort from various forms of ‘noise pollution’, which is why there are many workplace rules concerning acceptable sound levels. These principles should be extended to general interior design for individuals with autism (20).

Lighting and Interior Paint Color

To promote comfort, light intensity should be adjustable and designed to reduce glare (8). Additionally, supplementing artificial light with natural light (windows) has been reported to increase student test completion rates and reduce energy cost in typical education settings (16). Blinds or curtains can be used to regulate light exposure. Also, paint colors and color intensity should be taken into consideration. Although empirical evidence is not currently available for specific paint color recommendations, muted colors appear to be preferred by educators and other service providers (10,19,23). Once again, these are considerations that affect all individuals and thus are part of good basic design.

Furniture , Safety, and Hygiene

Furniture should be sturdy, safe (rounded edges), and easy to clean and maintain (11,29). The primary issue in furniture selection is safety. After safety, maintenance ease and durability should be balanced by aesthetics, in which the desired appearance is that of a typical home environment. The goal is to have a pleasant environment, not a low maintenance environment. The arrangement of furniture should be efficient, open, and obstruction free to ease traffic flow between and around the furniture in each room (11). To reduce obstructions and potential safety hazards, it is recommended that storage spaces are primarily in secured closets with shelving built into the walls and doors that can be closed when stored items are not in use (11). Also, larger furniture, such as dressers, should be of low height, sturdy, and should be positioned in closets whenever possible. Placing larger furniture items such as dressers in closets where they can be secured to walls helps to avoid tipping hazards and injury.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The implementation of the recommendations in this report will result in minimal additional cost and will increase the safety and quality of activities for both staff (or family members) and individuals with autism, while allowing for personalization of both private and common areas. Such personalization can provide opportunities for individual and family involvement. For instance, organization of the interior furniture and décor will require staff to arrange selected items prior to the occupancy of the homes. However, these efforts are a starting point and must be balanced by the needs and preferences of residents who ultimately use the rooms. The recommendations do not require specialized equipment and allow individuals to personalize their surroundings. Making choices regarding optional items in the home and decorations in common areas should be encouraged as a group resident process or a family process. This kind of group decision-making is important in the development of daily living skills, relationships, and personal responsibility.

Recommendations

According to the literature reviewed on interior design and the information obtained through site visits, the Broome DDSO project team recommends the following:

• Residents should be encouraged and provided assistance if necessary to personalize bedrooms and common areas in ways that reflect individual and group preferences in the context of daily living skills, relationship-building, and personal responsibility.
• Residences should provide a visually structured environment that designates specific areas for specific activities.
• Durable furniture with rounded edges designated for specific rooms/areas should be used.
• Large furniture, such as dressers, should be low in height, sturdy, and secured to walls in closets.
• General living areas and bedrooms should be carpeted using different colors for different rooms.
• Linoleum should be used in kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, and other spill-prone areas with different colors for different rooms.
• Interior paint should be muted hues.
• Curtains or blinds should be available to control lighting.
• Mobile room partitions should be available to provide additional options for separating space as activities dictate and to attenuate noise.
• Each room should be equipped with ample storage through the addition of extra closets with shelving and doors that can be closed (and locked for safety if necessary).

Pictures of materials that could be used to fulfill these recommendations can be found in the Appendix

Appendix

Visually Structured Environment

–Visual boundaries should be created with flooring colors and types varied by room throughout the home. (Recreation room and social activities, etc.)

Additional Separation of Designated Areas (e.g., Language Development Area)

–Additional separation in selected areas should be accomplished with mobile room partitions that can be easily used or stored depending upon need. It is recommended that a wall recess be built into the structural design of the home in order to store the partitions when not in use. Also, sliding partitions are recommended to improve the ease of divider use.

These room dividers can be either full-wall (as pictured) or half-wall dividers depending on the room. For example, a kitchen with a pass-through window to another common room may benefit from a half-wall partition that can at certain times close the view to the other room and reduce distractions.

-Furniture should be selected for durability with rounded edges. Also, surfaces should be easy to clean and maintain with little effort.

Blinds and Interior Paint Hues

Between-glass blinds are recommended for safety of residents and staff. Also, as indicated in the literature, muted interior paint hues should be chosen for walls, trim, and doors.

http://www.alphadoorandrail.com/blinds.html	http://www.behr.com/colorsmart4/colorsmart/main.jsp
	Paint Color Samples

-Storage spaces must be present in each room to keep materials out of sight when not in use. To meet this need, closets should be installed in both personal and common areas, such as bedrooms and living rooms. As seen below, dressers and storage furniture should be installed in these closets by securing the items to the wall.

http://www.interiordoorandcloset.com/closet-doors.html

References

1. Anderson, S. R., Campbell, S. & Cannon, B. O. (1994). The may center for early childhood education. In S. L Harris & J.S. Handleman (Eds.), Preschool education programs for children for children with autism (pp. 15-36) Austin, TX. PRO-ED.

2. Earles, T., Carlson, J., & Bock, S. J. (1998). Instructional strategies to facilitate successful learning outcomes for students with autism. In R Simpson & B.S. Myles (Eds). Educating children and youth with autism (pp. 55-112) Autism, TX PRO-ED.

3. Educational Approaches (2006). The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Division TEACCH, Retrieved 8/27/2008, http:www.teacch.com/structureteach.html.

4. Fischer, K., Bullock, D., Rotenberg, E., & Raya, P. (1993). The dynamics of competence: How context contributes directly to skill. In R.H. Woznak & K. Fischer (Eds), Development in context: Acting and thinking in specific environments (pp. 93-117) Hillsdale, NJ Erlbaum.

5. Heflin, L. J., & Alaimo, D. F. (2007). Students with autism spectrum disorders: Effective instructional practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

6. Heflin, L. J., & Alberto, P. A. (2001). Establishing a behavioral context for learning for students with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 93-101.

7. Ganz, B. J. (2007). Classroom structuring methods and strategies for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptionality. Special Issue: Effective Practices for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders, 15(4), 249-260.

8. Kennedy, M. (2008). Lighten the load. American School & University. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://asumag.com/daylighting/lighten_load_daylighting/

9. Logan, K. R., Bakeman, R., & Keef. E. G. (1997). Effects of instruction variables of engaged behavior of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Exceptional Children, 63, 481-497.

10. Myler, P. A., Fantacone, T. A., & Merritt, E. T. (2003). Eliminating distractions. American School & University. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://asumag.com/mag/university_eliminating_distractions/

11. Oregon.gov (n. d.). Design for safety: A technical assistance manual. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://public.oregon.gov/DHS/spd/provtools/dd/safety_design/toc.shtml

12. Ozonoff, S., & Cathcart, K. (1998). Effectiveness of a home program intervention for young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 35, 326-335.

13. Panerai, S., Ferrante, L., & Zingale, M. (2002). Benefits of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) programme as compared with a non-specific approach. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 46, 318-327.

14. Rogers, S. J., & DiLalla, D. L. (1991). A comparative study of the effects of a developmentally based instructional model of young children with autism and young children with other disorders of behavior and development. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 11(2), 29-47.

15. Sasso, G. M., Peck, J., & Garrisson-Harrell, L. (1998). Social interaction setting events: Experimental analysis of contextual variables. Behavioral Disorders, 24, 34-43.

16. Save the Bulb (n. d.) Daylighting and schools. What can you do to save the bulb? Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://www.savethebulbs.org/schools.html

17. Scheuermann, B., & Webber, J. (2002). Autism: Teaching does make a difference. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Group.

18. Schopler, E., Mesibov, G. B., & Hearsey, K. (1995). Structured teaching in the TEACCH system. In E. Schopler & G.B. Mesibov (Eds.), Learning and cognition in autism (pp. 243-268). New York Plenum.

19. Sergent, E. V., Dewsbury, G. & Johnston, S. (n. d.). Supporting people with complex behavioral difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder in a community setting- An inclusive approach. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://www.smartthinking.ukideas.com/Designs%20for%20Autism.htm

20. Siebein G. W, Gold M. A., Siebein G. W., Ermann M. G. (2002). Ten ways to provide a high quality acoustical environment in schools. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 4, 376-384, 394-401.

21. Siegel, B. (1999). Autistic learning disabilities and individualized treatment for autistic spectrum disorder. Infants and Young Children, 12(2), 27-36.

22. Stainback, W., Stainback, S., & Foryen, L. (1987). Structuring the classroom to prevent disruptive behavior. Teaching Exceptional Children, 16, 12-16.

23. Stokes, S. Structured teaching: Strategies for supporting students with autism. Written by Susan Stokes under a contract with CESA 7 and funded by a discretionary grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Retrieved 8/27/2008, from http://www.specialed.us/autism/structure/str10.htm.

24. Tanner, K. C. & Langford, A. (2003). The importance of interior design elements as they relate to student outcomes. United States Department of Education, Educational Resources Information Center, 1-50.

25. Taylor, J. C., & Carr, E. G., (1993).Reciprocal social influences in the analysis and intervention of severe challenging behavior. In J. Reichle & D. Wacker (Eds.), Communicative approaches to the management of challenging behavior (pp. 63-81). Baltimore Brookes.

26. The Carpet and Rug Institute (n. d.) Commercial customers: The benefits of carpets and rugs. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/commerical-benefits-of-ca...

27. The National Autistic Society (n. d.) Neath service: Neath services and support. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 from http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=139&a=2282

28. Van Bourgondien, M. E., Reichle, N. C. & Schopler, E. (2003). Effects of a model treatment approaches on adults with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33, 131-140.

29. Waltz, M. (2002). Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Diagnosis and Getting Help (2nd ed.). California: Patient Centered Guides.