“There has been a significant rise in autism cases in children over the past decade with a lack of initiative to include regulations in design codes and guidelines. The common characteristics of children with ASD include difficulty with social interaction and communication in different situations and with different people, limited interests, repetitive actions and behaviors, and difficulty functioning in the daily environment (Brillante 2017). The most effective interventions for children with autism, so far, are behavioral and educational, which is why it is important for designers to provide a supportive learning environment. Designers need to understand that everyone with autism has different symptoms, different levels of sensitivity, and different levels of functioning. Designers can provide for this diverse range of sensitivity levels through spatial organization, acoustics, lighting, furnishings, finishes, and escape space. Spaces should provide for well-being by being engaging and allowing for different levels of stimulation zones. Each child with autism needs different qualities in their surroundings but everyone can benefit from autism-friendly environments. The larger public can benefit from a more thought-out spatial organization, from escape space when feeling overwhelmed, warmer lighting with more daylight, more acoustical solutions, and supportive furniture and finishes. Universal Design should be inclusive of autism-aware design by making guidelines for sensory experiences and allowing control in each space by its users. Small changes to the built environment can make the space more inclusive to everyone who needs to use it. Children with autism should not have barriers to being included in schools. Autism-aware design should be integrated into the larger population of public schools rather than segregated into their own schools.”

- Blaze Parson