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Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) including Aspergers affect one in 150 people. These are lifelong and complex neurological conditions that affect social development, interaction and communication, and can cause unusual behaviours and interests. The environment in which an adult with autism lives can have profound impact on their wellbeing, exacerbating behaviours that may inhibit progress and diminish motivation and confidence.
This project looks at how residential buildings can be made more autism-friendly. Autism is characterised by problems with social functioning that can seriously affect a person's ability to live independently. Adults with autism therefore often need support in managing everyday tasks.
Historically, this has been provided in residential institutions but the emphasis is now shifting to community-based models of support that take place in people's homes, whether they are owned, rented or shared. In the UK, accommodation and support is typically provided in residential homes or those of foster families or parents.
With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with autism and the parents of autistic adults getting older and less able to provide care, there is a need for alternative accommodation. Recognising the urgency to meet the housing and support needs of this population, the UK Government issued its Autism Strategy in March 2010, directing councils to take into account the needs of adults with autism in local housing planning, design and allocation.
This means that more housing opportunities will become available. However, there is a distinct lack of documented design guidance and therefore a risk of placing people in buildings that will not meet their needs. The consequences of not providing appropriate accommodation can be family dependence, stress, incidences of aggression and social isolation.
"There is a distinct lack of design guidance to help create appropriate housing for adults with autism... "
To better understand the housing needs of adults with autism, the research started by looking at how people are currently supported in homes, observing and participating in the daily activities of staff and residents. Seven homes for autistic adults were visited and residents were interviewed in situ. This led to the selection of four people, each on a different part of the autistic spectrum, to act as drivers for design ideas.
Workshops with people with autism were also set up to provide feedback on selected issues. To broaden the perspective, verify the project's output and ensure wider dissemination of its findings, an expert reference group drawn from the fields of design, architecture and autism was established.
The research led to four main design themes. Architects and designers should design residential buildings to:
These themes were used to generate design recommendations and concepts for the location, orientation, structure, layout and interior design of residential buildings created specifically for adults with autism. Key findings and design guidance have been published in a book that is aimed at planners, housing providers, architects and designers to promote the design of buildings that increase independence and improve quality of life of adults with autism. The project now enters a second year focusing on the detailed design of different spaces within these homes.
