Towards a More Inclusive Educational Space: A Study About Wayfinding for an Autism-Friendly Learning Environment in South Australian Primary Schools

The inclusion of children with autism in mainstream education is now widely accepted. However, children with autism can be overwhelmed by school buildings, which are often complex structures with numerous corridors, classrooms, cafeterias, and spaces for various related activities. Without appropriate wayfinding design, schools can be labyrinths for these children, who can easily become disorientated. This study considers issues pertaining to wayfinding design in the learning environment in South Australian primary schools. In particular, the research examines detailed aspects of the wayfinding design of these schools from the disciplinary perspective of architecture which has previously attracted limited scholarly or professional attention. It further investigates how familiarity with a site influences the wayfinding of children with autism. The study aims to develop a set of wayfinding guidelines for the design or retrofit of an accessible school environment that is beneficial for all students. The study is conducted in five major stages. First, through an extensive literature review, the research establishes essential wayfinding design parameters for children with autism in primary school environments. Second, the identified wayfinding design parameters are further evaluated based on recommendations by autism experts through a questionnaire. Third, a group of 32 children with autism is selected from two South Australian special schools with appropriate permissions. These children take part in a wayfinding test, designed by the researcher, along a designated route in their current school (familiar site) and a designated route in an adjacent school (unfamiliar site). Four sites are tested. The wayfinding performance of the children is evaluated as well as their experience of the wayfinding journey. The teachers then assess the existing conditions of the identified wayfinding parameters at the four sites. Fourth, the collected data are analysed by the researcher to examine the correlation between wayfinding performance, overall experience, familiarity of the site and the existing environment of the routes. Fifth, a set of design recommendations is developed as the final contribution of this research. These recommendations will aid architects to incorporate wayfinding design into educational settings to enhance the learning experience of children with autism.

Author dc:creator

• Rahaman, Farjana

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Bartsch, Katharine
• Soebarto, Veronica
• Kirby, Neil

• Inclusive design; Architecture for Autism; Wayfinding; School design

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2440/138905

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.adelaide.edu.au:2440/138905