Al-Tuaif

A total of 42,500 cases of autism are estimated to exist in Saudi Arabia. Many children displaying signs of autism spectrum disorder are concealed by their parents, resulting in an undiagnosed condition due to parental concealment. Many parents are concerned that their child will be stigmatized if others discover he or she has autism. Saudi Arabian culture does not display any signs of autism. Children who are displaying signs of autism spectrum disorder are often hidden by their parents, leading to undiagnosed cases of autism spectrum disorder. In Saudi Arabia, specifically in Riyadh, you will not find any autistic children or adults. Parents are concerned about the negative social consequences of others learning that their child has autism. They typically hide autistic children in separate rooms even when visiting other people's homes. In a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, 37.7% of families report being embarrassed by their autistic child. Further, 63.9% report experiencing difficulties because of society's treatment of autistic people. According to the study, 31.1% of areas do not have autism centers. A number of parks, schools, and malls are currently being constructed in the Al-Hamra neighborhood in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. This facility will provide neighborhood residents with a safe, supportive, and socially aware environment. It will provide a portion of land near Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Park. It is crucial to establish a place where neurodivergent people can study, relax, and interact in a social setting. This will break down the stigma associated with neurodivergent people. This will create an open and accepting atmosphere, which will allow neurodivergent people to develop their skills and engage in meaningful activities while feeling safe and secure. This will be beneficial to not only the neurodivergent people but also to the whole community that will benefit from their inclusion.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Alnajidi, Danah Hamad

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Emmons, Paul F.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.
• Boroyevich, Milia

• Autism
• sensory
• workshops
• diversity
• awareness

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:36716

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115257