What role does Architecture play in the education of people who place on the autistic spectrum and what factors must be taken into considerations when designing education spaces for those with ASD?
INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER FACEY
What is your relationship to the person with autism?
My son is autistic
What is the age of the person with autism?
Seventeen, nearly eighteen
Do you take him out into public spaces?
Sometimes, only when necessary
How does he react to going out in public spaces?
Depends on his mood for the day, if it is somewhere he enjoys going such as the park or on some train journeys as long as there are no disturbances or delays, he is usually quite happy to go out
How do other people react?
When he is behaving badly, people give you a look of lame or as if I cant control him and attitude because most people don’t realise that it is his autism that is causing bad behaviour.
How does he feel in different public spaces?
If it is strange to them, when we take him to visit family, he looks for control that or areas to escape to or somewhere quiet, that would be his priority. In public, he cant do that because we don’t know who will be walking through the door and what colours they might have on and if they will be noisy or quiet, it is difficult to predict.
What colours irritate him?
He dislikes black but there aren’t any specific colours, but he doesn’t like bright colours.
What triggers them when in a public?
Unexpected and sudden noises if it is not expect and shrill noises. So he would get upset if a child would start crying and it gets noisy and he can’t get away. He is sensitive to certain moods, when someone is unhappy, he is also unhappy.
What do you do if he has an episode in public?
If he is having an episode, he will want to leave, so you just have to go with him Due to his age and height, he will drag you with him, so you have no choice but to follow and keep him safe
What is your relationship to the person with autism?
My son Devon is autistic
What is the age of the person with autism?
Seventeen, nearly eighteen
Do you take him out into public spaces?
Sometimes, only when necessary
How does he react to going out in public spaces?
Depends on his mood for the day, if it is somewhere he enjoys going such as the park or on some train journeys as long as there are no disturbances or delays, he is usually quite happy to go out
How do other people react?
When he is behaving badly, people give you a look of lame or as if I cant control him and attitude because most people don’t realise that it is his autism that is causing bad behaviour.
How does he feel in different public spaces?
If it is strange to them, when we take him to visit family, he looks for control that or areas to escape to or somewhere quiet, that would be his priority. In public, he cant do that because we don’t know who will be walking through the door and what colours they might have on and if they will be noisy or quiet, it is difficult to predict.
What colours irritate him?
He dislikes black but there aren’t any specific colours, but he doesn’t like bright colours.
What triggers him when in a public?
Unexpected and sudden noises if it is not expect and shrill noises. So he would get upset if a child would start crying and it gets noisy and he can’t get away. He is sensitive to certain moods, when someone is unhappy, he is also unhappy.
What do you do if he has an episode in public?
If he is having an episode, he will want to leave, so you just have to go with him Due to his age and height, he will drag you with him, so you have no choice but to follow and keep him safe.
He is a creature of habit and he likes his food, so treats or his favourite toy will help to calm him down. Distractions of any kind will help to calm him down. Quiet spaces will calm him down. When he is at the park, he likes the peace and being amongst trees. He also enjoys the rain or the snow, as long as he is outside.
At the moment, he is enjoying sleeping under the bed, which is very tight and narrow. He likes feeling confined as well as it being a quiet area even though his room is already quiet. It is also an area that he is able to control, which he likes.
What types of spaces calm him down?
He is a creature of habit and he likes his food, so treats or his favourite toy will help to calm him down. Distractions of any kind will help to calm him down. Quiet spaces will calm him down. When he is at the park, he likes the peace and being amongst trees. He also enjoys the rain or the snow, as long as he is outside.
At the moment, he is enjoying sleeping under the bed, which is very tight and narrow. He likes feeling confined as well as it being a quiet area even though his room is already quiet. It is also an area that he is able to control, which he likes.
Does he currently do any type of therapy?
Not at the moment, but I am hoping that when he leaves school, he can take part in bounce therapy, because he enjoys bounce therapy