Designing For Autism Research Booklet

Designing for Autism
[Research and Site Selection]
Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 The Triad of Impairments
3.0 Patterns of Behaviour Across the Spectrum
4.0 Sensory Issues in Autism
5.0 Neuroscience and Scientific Case Studies
6.0 Sensory Focussed Autism Therapy
7.0 How Therapy & Medication Change Behaviour
8.0 Housing Options for People with Autism
9.0 Employment and Activity Opportunities
10.0 Research Outcome
11.0 Site Selection Process
12.0 Eliminated Sites
13.0 Site Analysis
14.0 Conclusion
Appendix A - Case Studies & Precedents
05
06
07
10
17
19
20
22
26
32
34
39
45
104
Anna Davila
Bikem Korkuter
1.0 Introduction
Eliza Serban
Site
Precedent
Community
outreach
and social
enterprise
Social
clusters
groups and
individuality
Pasterns Social
of
Neuroscience
AffectsCommunity
of
outreach
behaviour
Precedent medication
clusters
and scientific
and social
across
groups and
case studies
on behaviour
enterprise spectrum
individuality
Neuroscience
Sensory
Precedent
and scientific
stimuli
case studies
Community
Community
Community
Pasterns
of Affects ofSensory
Pasterns
of Affects
Pasterns
of
Pasterns
of
Pasterns ofCommunity
Social
Social
Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Affects
of
of Sensory
Affects of
Sensory
Sensory SocialAffects ofSocial
outreach
outreach
outreach medication
outreach
behaviour
behaviour medication
behaviour
behaviour
Precedent
Precedent
clusters
clusters
clusters
and scientific
and scientific
and scientific
and medication
scientific
medicationstimuli
medicationPrecedent
stimuli behaviour
stimuli
stimuli clusters
and
social
and groups
social on
and
social
across
across on behaviour
across
across
across
groups
and and social
and
groups
andstudies
groups
case studies
case
caseand
studies
behaviour
on
behaviourcase
on studies
behaviour
on behaviour
enterprise
enterprise
spectrum
spectrum
spectrum
spectrum enterprise
individuality
individuality enterprise
individuality spectrum
individuality
Sensory
Elspeth Tayler
stimuli
Neighbourhood
Public transport
Retail/ Cafs
Health Services
Green space
Leisure
Pedestrian
friendly
Traffic
Noisy
Surroundings
Overlooked By
Total
Forthill Road
-2
-1
29
Dundee Collage
-3
-2
19
Old Mill Complex
-3
-3
-5
12
Eliza Street
3.5
-4
-3
-4
19.5
West Street
-1
-3
-1
16
Albert Road
4.5
-3
-1
-1
27.5
Maryfield Depot
-4
-3
-1
21
Salvation Army
-5
-5
-5
Brook Street
-3
-3
-2
17
Glams Road
-3
-2
-1
27
Southward Road
-2
-4
-5
15
Camperdown Park
-1
23
Gillian Brown
k 1 - 3 group
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 1 - 3 group
k 4Week 1
Week 1
Week 4
mapping
ing and urban
mapping and
urban and urban
mapping and urban
analysis
analysis
analysis
analysis
Group meeting
and tutorial
Week 4
8 Sites selected with criteria based on previous

research in to ASD and suitable environment
Site
Forthill Road
Neighbourhood
Public transport
Retail/ Cafs
Health Services
Green space
Leisure
Pedestrian
friendly
Traffic
-2
Noisy
Surroundings
-1
Overlooked By
SiteTotal
29
Forthill Road
Neighbourhood
Public transport
Retail/ Cafs
Health Services
Green space
Leisure
Site
Forthill
5 Road
Pedestrian
Neighbourhood
friendly
Traffic
Public transportSite Noisy
Retail/ Cafs
Surroundings
-2
Forthill Road
-1
Overlooked
Neighbourhood
HealthByServices
0 5 5
Public
Total
Green
transport
space
5
29
Retail/
Cafs
Site Leisure
Forthill
5
4 Road
Pedestrian
HealthNeighbourhood
Services
friendly
45
Green
Public
space
Traffic
transport
Leisure
Retail/
NoisyCafs
Surroundings
5 -14
-2
5
Pedestrian
Overlooked
Health Services
By
friendly
4 05
Traffic
Green
Tota
-2 2
4
Autism Spectrum Disorder is typically manifested in the struggle and perplexity of social
interactions, meaning that these individuals are often misunderstood and excluded by
society. A complex level of care is often necessary; at times demanding two-to-one care
from parents or carers. Living in a home that is not tailored to the needs and behaviour
of a person with autism can have a negative impact on their quality of life and long term
development. With half of the 425,000 adults with autism in the UK still living with their
parents, and only 3000 purposely designed housing units available, the need for specialist
accommodation
has never been greater.
8 Sites selected with criteria based on previous 8 Sites selected with criteria8 based
Sites selected
on previous
8 Sites
withselected
criteria
8 Sites
based
with criteria
selected
on previous
based
with co
19
Dundee
3 Collage
-3
Dundee Collage
-2
0 3 5
3
19
Dundee
3
4 Collage
23
-3
3
3 -24
2 05
-3 1
4
Old Mill Complex
12
Old3
Mill Complex
-3
Old Mill Complex

-3 4
-5 1 5
4
12
Old Mill
3
4 Complex
31
-3
4
3 -34
3 -55
-3 1
3
-4
Eliza Street
19.5
Eliza Street
3.5
-4
Eliza Street
-3
-4 5 5
5 5
19.5
Eliza Street
35
-4
5
3.5-34
3 -45
-4 19
5
-3
-1
West Street
16
West
2Street
-1
West Street
-3
-1 3 5
3
16
West2Street
2
43
-1
3
2 -32
4 -15
-3
-1
-1
Albert Road
27.5
Albert Road
4.5 5
-3
Albert Road
-1 5 5
5 4
27.5
Albert Road
4 5
4.5
5
-3
5
5 -14
4.5-15
-3 27
4
-4
-3
-1
Maryfield Depot
21
Maryfield
3 Depot
-4
Maryfield
-3Depot 3
-1 5 5
5
21
Maryfield
3 3Depot
35
-4
5
3 -33
3 -15
-4 2
5
-5
-5
-5
Salvation Army
Salvation Army
-5
Salvation Army
-5
-5 1 5
85
Salvation Army
5 4
21
-5
5
4 -55
2 -55
-5 8
1
-3
-3
-2
Brook Street
17
Brook
3 Street
-3
Brook Street
-3
-2 3 5
4
17
Brook
3
3 Street
33
-3
4
3 -33
3 -25
-3 1
4
-3
-2
-1
Glams Road
27
Glams
2 Road
-3
Glams Road
-2
-1 5 5
4
27
Glams Road
2
45
-3
4
2 -23
4 -15
-3 2
5
-2
-4
-5
Southward Road
15
Southward
Road
4
-2
Southward
-4Road 5
-5 2 5
5
15
Southward
5 4 Road
32
-2
5
4 -45
3 -55
-2 1
2
-1
Camperdown Park
23
Camperdown
Park
4
Camperdown
-1 Park2
0 1 5
2
23
Camperdown
2 4 Park
51
02
4 -12
5 05
Dundee Collage
-3
-2
Dundee Collage
Old Mill Complex
-3
-3
-5
Eliza Street
3.5
-4
-3
West Street
-1
Albert Road
4.5
Maryfield Depot
Salvation Army
Brook Street
Glams Road
Southward Road
Camperdown Park
-1
4 3.5
-1 16
2
25
research in to ASD and suitable

research
environment
in to
research
ASD and
in suitable
to research
ASD and
environment
in
suitable
to ASDen
a
We are an Architecture Design and Research unit from the University of Dundee, who
Week 4created Week
4
5
Week 5
Week 5 Groups of 3 peopleWeek
5
Week
5
Groups
to research
selected aspects of ASD Groups created to research selected aspects of Groups
ASD created to researchGroups
selected
created
aspects
Groups
to research
ofcreated
ASD Groups
selected
to research
created
aspects
selected
to research
of ASD
aspects
selected
of ASD
aspects Week
of ASD
3
separate
Groups of 3can
people
separate
of 3 people in
believe that the investigating
quality
of
life
of theWeek
ASD5 community
beinvestigating
improved3by
housingGroups
design
sites to insure objective analysis
sites to insure o
that
caters
for
their
needs
and
behaviour.
Our
aim
is
to
integrate
high-quality
bespoke
Group meeting
Group meetingGroup meeting Group meeting
Group meeting
Group meeting
Group meeting
Group meetingGroup meeting Group meeting
and tutorial
and tutorial
and tutorial
and tutorial
housing into a functioning residential community within Dundee. Whilst accommodating
specific needs, we also aim to create dwellings that can be sold on the open market,
Lisa Rubython
allowing for a mixture of autistic and neurotypical people to live side by side. We also
intend to create a commercial front which will engage with and attract the local
Production of research report showing group findings and
Production
conclusion
of research report showing group findings
Production
and conclusion
of research report
Production
showing of
group
Production
research
findings
report
of research
Production
andshowing
conclusion
report
ofgroup
research
showing
findings
report
group
and
showing
findings
conclusion
group
and conclusion
findings and conclusion
Group site visits to each possible site
community,
whilst
providing
work
opportunities
for the autistic
residents.
Kawther Al-Khairulla
Nicolas Shepherd
Individual Site selection based of availability / feasibility Individual

12 sites selected
Site selection based of availability / feasibility
Individual
12 Site
sitesselection
selectedbased
Individual
of availability
Site
Individual
selection
/ feasibility
Site
based
Individual
selection
12of
sites
availability
based
Site
selected
selection
of/ availability
feasibility
based12
/of
feasibility
sites
availability
selected
12 /sites
feasibility
selected
12 sites selected
Peter Munnoch
Rui Wang
Zhou Yi
[Designing for Autism] [Research + Site Selection]
We are aware that although these needs are present, there is little published research and
design guidance on the subject. This booklet contains our own research and design based
Analysis
and feasibility
carried
out on
conclusions, which we have applied to a variety of potential sites
across
Dundee;
allowing
each site
us to conduct in-depth analysis to test their suitability. This research and analysis will be
the basis of our individual design work.
When we began our research into the Triad of Impairments, we set out our triad of ideals
as a list of objectives. We aspire for our design to be a safe and sympathetic environment
which has an architectural quality, and avoids anything suggestive of the institutional.
Using these goals, we intend to create pioneering design and research, which will move
our society one step closer to understanding, accepting, and living alongside adults on
the autistic spectrum.
2.0 The Triad of Impairments
3.0 Patterns of Behaviour Across the Spectrum

General Characteristics
Autism is mostly a hidden disability. One cannot tell that someone

has the condition from their appearance. People with the Autism
generally have difficulties in three main areas:

1. social communication
2. social interaction
3. social imagination
Difficulty with social communication

For people with Autism, understanding conversation can be like
trying to understand a foreign language and they sometimes find
it difficult to express themselves emotionally and socially. They may
have difficulty understanding gestures, facial expressions or tone of
voice; when to start or end a conversation; choosing topics to talk
about. The may use complex words and phrases but may not fully
understand what they mean and be very literal in what they say.
People can have difficulty understanding jokes, metaphors and
sarcasm. For example, a person with Autism may be confused by the
phrase Thats cool when people use it to say something is good.
Difficulty with social interaction
Many people with Autism want to be sociable but have difficulty
with initiating and sustaining social relationships, which can make
them very anxious. People with the condition may struggle to make
and maintain friendships. For example, they may stand too close to
another person, or start an inappropriate topic of conversation.
Difficulty with social imagination
Many people with Autism have trouble working out what other
people are thinking. Difficulties with social imagination should not
6
be confused with a lack of imagination. They also struggle to predict

what could happen next in a series of actions and do not cope well
with new or unexpected situations.
Social Communication
People diagnosed with autism find the world a strange and confusing
place, with social interactions proving daunting1. A routine is an
important part of daily life, which can be implemented with a job.
It can often be difficult to find work with a lack of social skills, and
consideration must be given to find work that is appropriate. The
companionship and structure that comes along with a job can be
invaluable.
It can help if daily tasks are outlined in a timetable, making the
order of events clear and therefore stressless. Even when the same
routine is repeated, it helps to be reminded of upcoming activities
in advance2. When routine and repetition are absent, life can quickly
become chaotic and daunting.
Social Interaction
Social imagination
1. The National Autistic Society. (2014). Anxiety in adults with an autism

spectrum disorder. Available: http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/
understanding-behaviour/anxiety-in-adults-with-an-autism-spectrumdisorder.aspx. Accessed 19 Oct 2014.
2. The National Autistic Society. (2014). Behaviour: common questions
answered. Available: http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/
understanding-behaviour/behaviour-common-questions-answered.aspx
Accessed 19 Oct 2014
3. The National Autistic Society. (2014). About autism spectrum disorder.
Available: http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/autism-and-aspergersyndrome-an-introduction/what-is-asperger-syndrome.aspx Accessed 19
Oct 2014
[Designing For Autism] [Research + Site Selection]
There can often be a division between love and acceptance,

manifesting itself in how people on the autistic spectrum are treated
by their families and by society. It is common for there to be a lack
of training and support, making it difficult for families to care for
and relate to specific family members. Even though parents may
unconditionally love their child, they can find it hard to accept their
differences. In one particular example, a young adult would fight
with his mother, because he longed to be treated like an adult, and
the only time she would use complicated words would be during an
argument.1 In this situation, living in specialist care is beneficial, as it
allows for freedom and personal space, leading to the development
of character.
It can often be a struggle to gauge feelings and emotions. The
unpredictability of character also leads to other considerations.
Sometimes the suitability of internal public spaces must be
considered, as having an area to relax and calm down in can be
crucial if anxiety surfaces3.

In one particular case, a young woman requires someone to be in the
next room when she is sleeping. She is more sociable and outgoing
when with people she knows and trusts, such as her mother or a
carer. When she is with a familiar person, she allows herself to be
introduced to other people she does not know2.
The Spectrum
The autism spectrum is widely varied, with symptoms falling under
five main sub-groups. Some disorders are milder than classic autism,
while others more severely low functioning.
Starting from high-functioning to low functioning respectively, the
five main groups are as follows:

Pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified.

(PDD-NOS)
Aspergers Syndrome (AS)
Autism
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
Rett Syndrome
1. Soldinger, M (2009). The Autistic Me. BBC three.

2. Finnie, C (2014).
3. Brand, A (2010). Living in the Community: Housing Design for Adults with
Autism. London: Helen Hamlyn Centre. 4-19.
Parts of the Spectrum

Pervasive Development Disorder
Also known as atypical autism, pervasive developmental disorder
does not fully meet the diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder.
Individuals with PDD-NOS experience pervasive and severe
impairments in only some areas, but will not meet several criteria at
once.
Studies suggest that persons with PDD-NOS belong to one of three
very different subgroups:
Autism
While it is the most common of the five autistic spectrum disorders,
classic autism in itself can present varying degrees of severity,
however all variants have the triad of impairments as their common
denominator. Autistic disorder also presents with it restricted
activities and atypical behaviours like avoiding eye contact, lack of
empathy or repetitive movements like rocking or whirling. While
these signs can be noticed as early as infancy in some cases, in others
the child will seem to develop normally at first before symptoms of
autism are detected.
HIGH-FUNCTIONING
PDD-NOS
0.37%
Aspergers
0.2%
The Autistic Spectrum
A high-functioning group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms

largely overlap with that of Asperger syndrome, but who differ in
terms of having a lag in language development and mild cognitive
impairment. (The criteria for Asperger syndrome excludes a speech
delay or a cognitive impairment.
Parts of the Spectrum
A group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms more closely resemble

those of autistic disorder, but do not fully meet all its diagnostic signs
and symptoms.
The biggest group (around 50 percent) consists of those who meet all
the diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder, but whose stereotypical
and repetitive behaviors are noticeably mild.
CDD
0.0017%
Aspergers syndrome
Asprgers Syndrome or AS, is often thought of as a mild form of
autistic disorder. Affected individuals experience challenges with
communication and repetitive interests and activities. Social
understanding impairments can range from mild to severe. Unlike
those with autistic disorder, individuals with Aspergers syndrome do
not experience delays in cognitive development and language.
Retts
0.005%
LOW-FUNCTIONING
Autism
0.67%
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Another member of autism spectrum disorders is Childhood
disintegrative disorder or CDD. It is considered a low-functioning
form of autism, and the rarest disorder of all five. Children with the
disorder appear to progress normally till around three years of age,
before experiencing significant regression in areas such as cognitive
ability, language, play, social behavior, and adaptive behavior. The
regression can be so severe that the child may be aware of it and may
on the onset vocally ask what is happening to them.
In her book, Thinking in Pictures, Temple Grandin claims that
comparing to Kanners classic autism and to Asperger syndrome,
CDD is characterized with more severe sensory processing disorder
but less severe cognitive problems. She also claims that comparing
to most persons with autism, persons with CDD have more severe
speech pathology and they usually do not respond well to stimulants.
Rett Syndrome
Like CDD, Rett syndrome is also a rare type of autistic disorder and
appears after the child seems to develop normally, but symptoms
appear earlier - at around six to eighteen months age. Rett syndrome
almost exclusively affects females, and is often misdiagnosed as
cerebral palsy.
Rett syndrome presents problems in emotional, sensory, motor,
cognitive, and autonomic functions. This disorder can also impact
movement, sensory perception, learning, communication, speech,
and psychomotor skills, and it can have symptoms of physical
distress as well, such as trouble with cardiac function, breathing, and
movement.
9
4.0 Sensory Issues in Autism

Causes:
Direct sunlight
Contrast and shadow
Primary colours
Any background noise
Uneven surfaces
Tight clothing
I am still perplexed by many people who do not acknowledge

sensory issues and the pain and discomfort they can cause Sensory
issues are very real, and they are more a matter of degree than being
either present or absent in people1
Sensory sensitivity effects many individuals with ASD. Difficulty with
sensory integration can strongly influence an individuals behaviour,
actions and responses to seemingly everyday stimuli and can affect
the way they live their lives. ASD is a spectrum disorder meaning
sensory sensitivity will affect every individual differently making it
hard to determine a pattern of triggers or causes. Through research
we have identified a number of factors which influence an individuals
behaviour when dealing with sensory integration issues.
When senses work too well (hypersensitive) or not well enough

(hyposensitive).
Tackling Sensitivity:
Compartmentalisation
Lighting: Indirect sunlight, non-fluorescent and non-flickering
lights, up lighting, recessed and task lighting, easy to adjust
blinds, day/night activated lighting, no motion activated lights
Colours: pink and purple: positive, grey: neutral, primary colours:
negative
Acoustics: sound absorbing panels, quiet HVAC ventilation and
appliances, sound absorbing finishes such as fabrics and carpets
Hypersensitive:
Hypersensitivity means the channel is too open; as a result too much
information gets in for brain to handle.
Hyposensitivity:
Hyposensitivity means the channel is not open enough; as a result
not enough information gets in and the brain becomes deprived.
Characteristics:
Challenging behaviour as a result of hypersensitivity to block out
senses that cannot be tolerated: rock, swing, hit eats, press eyes,
twist, flap, spin
Dislikes dark, bright lights
Resists touch
Avoid people & run away from stimuli
Difficulty walking on uneven surfaces
Characteristics:
Challenging behaviour as a result of hyposensitivity to get senses
working better: bang objects/doors seek out noises, prefer tight
clothing, self-injure.
Fascinated with reflections, bright coloured objects
Lack of awareness of body position in space
Bumps into objects and people
Enjoys rough and tumble play
01. Sensitivity
10
Causes:

Acoustically isolated spaces
Dull lighting
Lack of uneven surfaces
Tackling Hyposensitivity:
Snoezelen Rooms can be used to overcome hyposensitivity.
Rather than providing permanent sources of sensory stimuli,
it is more feasible to add or remove stimuli from the room.
Snoezelen or controlled multisensory environment (MSE) is
a therapy for people with autism and other developmental
disabilities, dementia or brain injury. It consists of placing
the person in a soothing and stimulating environment, called
the Snoezelen room. These rooms are specially designed to
deliver stimuli to various senses, using lighting effects, color,
sounds, music, scents, etc.
11
02. Sensory Overload
03. Delayed Processing
Sensory overload happens when too much information is coming

in at once. You are unable to filter out any background information
such as background noise, wallpaper, feel of clothes on skin, people
moving around. Someone vulnerable to sensory overload needs to
be in control of their environment and learn to recognise early signs
of oncoming sensory overload.
Delayed processing refers to an increase in the time it takes to

make sense of information.
When I am confronted with a hammer, I am initially not
confronted with a hammer at all but solely with a number
of unrelated parts: I notify a cubical piece of iron within its
neighbourhood a coincidental bar-like piece of wood. The
name hammer is not immediately within reach but appears
when the configuration has been sufficiently stabilised over
time.2
Characteristics:
Mono process (utilise only one sense at a time)
Avoid direct perception of stimuli
Withdraw or remove themselves from a situation
Engage in ritual or routine
Sudden outburst of self-injury or distress
Tires very easily, especially in bright spaces
This often occurs in response to sensory overload. When too

much information is presented at once it become impossible
to focus on one thing at a time, resulting in nothing being
fully processed.
Causes:
Aromas from kitchen and garden
Textures, colours and patterns
A combination of the causes of hypersensitivity
We can help to tackle delayed processing by introducing

familiarity and predictability in addition to avoiding sensory
overload.
Tackling Sensory Overload:

Neutral sensory environment: adding or removing sensory
stimuli to accommodate hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity.
Predictability: half walls, vision panels, vestibule/threshold, clear
visual access, visual coherence, order, clarity
Exit strategies: multiple access and exit points
12
13
03. Sensory Shutdown
05. Gestalt Perception
06. Fragmented Perception
When an individual is faced with sensory overload a common

reaction is to fall into a state of sensory shutdown. This allows them
to completely block one or more of their sensory channels causing
them to completely withdraw from their surroundings. They often
show no reaction to stimuli and fail to communicate.
Gestalt perception is the inability to filter foreground and background

information, so everything is perceived as a whole rather than a
combination of different items.
When too much information needs to be processed at the same time,

people with autism may not be able to break down the whole picture
into meaningful units. They might process some parts of a whole, for
example parts of a scene or a sentence.
Characteristics:
Inability to filter out visual stimuli
Inability to screen out background noise
Inability to distinguish between tactile stimuli of different
intensity
Inability to co-ordinate body position & movement of body parts
Inability to distinguish between inner and outer movements or
sensations
Auditory and tactile input often overwhelm me. Loud noises hurt
my ears. When noise and sensory stimulation became too intense, I
was able to shut off my hearing and retreat into my own world.3
By allowing individuals with autism to control their environment
we can encourage them to gradually reengage with their situation
through the stimulation of their senses. By allowing an individual
control over the light intensity, temperature, acoustics of a space
we can increase their confidence and make them feel comfortable
within the atmosphere which surrounds them.
Causes:
Background information: noise, visual
Clutter
Decoration
Change
Sensory stimuli
04. Compensation
When an individual is experiencing hyposensitivity to one or more
of their senses, they may try to compensate through the use of their
other senses. This can allow them to interpret their surroundings
without, for example, the ability to see them.
Characteristics:

Aromas from kitchen and garden
Challenging behaviour: focus on one object or sensation,

shut eyes, block ears
Resists any change
Gets lost easily
Hears a few words instead of whole sentence
Focuses on unimportant objects instead of a whole scene.
Causes:
There are no specific triggers or causes for fragmented perception.
Tackling Gestalt Perception:

Appropriate storage: uncluttered spaces
Avoidance of visual stimuli: wallpaper, pinboards, artwork,
radiators, windows/views
Compartmentalisation
Avoidance of auditory stimuli: background noise , appliance/
system/service noise,
Outside noise
To many autistic people, the senses of touch and smell are more
reliable. Many autistic children touch and smell things. Some
constantly tap everything to see the boundaries of their environment,
like a blind person tapping with a cane. 4
It would be an advantage to people with autism if the environment
which they inhabit allows for compensation to take place.
14
15
5.0 Neuroscience and Scientific Case Studies

08. Distorted Perception
Genetics
No one gene has been linked to autism 1, but it has long been
speculated that it might be an x-linked disorder because of a high
ratio of males 2. Only one out of five children with autism is female.
Most researchers today believe that autism may begin with a
combination of genetic vulnerabilities and environmental triggers.
Autism however is believed to be prenatal in its origin.
A distortion in an individuals perception causes them to sense

things differently to how they are in reality. It can occur in all sensory
channels.
I used to hate small shops because my eyesight used to make them
look as if they were even smaller than they actually were.5
Many have suggested that there is a genetic mutation (or mutations)

that underlie or cause autism. They believe there may be abnormalities
on many more genes. These findings have strongly supported that
autism is heterogeneous and that different symptoms, behaviours,
and levels of severity displayed by the children may be representative
of different types of autism.
Like many other sensory conditions, distorted perception is triggered

by sensory overload. It can thus be avoided by controlling the
number of sensory stimuli at present within the environment of an
autistic individual.
Neurological
It is clearly evident today, as substantiated by both Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) (including functional MRIs) and Positron
Emission Technology (PET) scan studies, that the brains of children
with autism are different. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) and
Magnetoencephalograpy (MEG) have also been used to measure
fluctuations in electrical and magnetic responses generated by
neural activity in the brain. The evidence suggests that there are
abnormalities in both the structure and the function of the brains of
individuals with autism.
1. Grandin, T. (1996) The way I see It: A Personal Look At Autism and Aspergers
Vintage Books. A division of Random House,
2. VanDalen, J. G. T. (1995) Autism from within: Looking through the eyes of a
mildly afflicted autistic person. Link
Recent studies have shown that the brains of children with autism
are larger3. This increase in size and growth becomes evident at
approximately 6 to 14 months of age. This may be due to an excessive
number of neurons. Rapid head growth has therefore been suggested
as one of the early warning signs. Abnormalities in structure, growth
3. Grandin T. PrimeTime Live

4. Grandin, T. (1996) Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with
Autism, Vintage Books. A Division of Random House,
5. Williams, D. (1999) Like Colour to the Blind Jessica Kingsley Publishers
16
17
6.0 Sensory Focussed Autism Therapy

Typical therapies for different senses
and function have been substantiated in many of the structures of
the brain in individuals with autism 3 and scientists have observed
differences in the way information is transmitted through the brains
structure for people with ASD and those without.
Summary of Neurological Research
Although there are many studies and theories on the neurological
causes of autism reported in scientific literature, some broad
conclusions can be made. It has been suggested that there is an
excess of axons in specific areas of the brain, which results in overconnection in these areas. However, their links to other areas of the
brain appear to be weak 4. There seems to be a lack of coordination
among brain regions. There is a lack of synchronization between the
various areas of the brain, which seem to impact function.
3. Brambilla P et al 2003. Brain anatomy and development in autism: Review of

structural MRI studies. Brain Research Bulletin 61(6):557-569.
4.Herbert MR. 2005. Large brains in autism: The challenge of pervasive
abnormality. Neuroscientist 11:417-440.
5. Prior M, Hoffman W. 1990. Brief report: Neuropsychological testing of autistic
children through an exploration with frontal lobe tests. Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders 20(4):581-590.
6. Cherkassky V et al, 2004. Cortical activation and synchronization
during sentence comprehension in high-functioning autism: Evidence of
underconnectivity. Brain 127(8):1811-1821.
Back and forth movement is typically less stimulating than sideto-side movement. The most stimulating movement tends to be
rotational (spinning) and should be used carefully by the therapist.
Ideally therapy will provide a variety of these movements. A rocking
motion will usually calm a child while vigorous motions like spinning
will stimulate them. Merry-go-rounds, being tossed on to cushions or
jumping trampolines can be favourite activities with some children.
A therapist will be aware of a childs response to the smell of

substances, and may experiment with putting different fragrances in
play dough or rice. If a child actively likes strong odours, specific toys
with this feature can be used in therapy.
Learning new skills involving movement

Skills such as tying shoelaces or riding a bike can be difficult as they
involve sequences of movements. Therapy to help in this area may
use swimming, mazes, obstacle courses, constructional toys and
building blocks.
Sound can be focused on by experimenting with talking toys, games

on computers, musical instruments, squeaky toys and all sorts of
music. Clapping together, rhymes, repeating phrases and tongue
twisters are useful activities. Some children on the autism spectrum
respond to music but not voices, in which case a melodic or singsong voice may be preferred. The therapist may try different tones of
voice, pitches, and gauge a childs reaction.
People with autism have difficulty bringing different cognitive

functions together in an integrated way. Individuals with autism have
problems in planning and organisation 5. Coordinating decisions
with movement and sensation can be difficult for some. Each area
of the brain seems to do its own thing 6 and therefore integration of
information does not occur as it should.
Vestibular system
The Vestibular system is located in the inner ear. It responds to
movement and gravity and is therefore involved with our sense of
balance, coordination and eye movements. [2] Therapy can include
hanging upside down, rocking chairs, swings, spinning, rolling,
somersaulting, cartwheels and dancing. All these activities involve
the head moving in different ways that stimulate the vestibular
system. The therapist will observe the child carefully to be sure the
movement is not over stimulating.
1. Vastag B. 2004. National autism summit charts a path through a scientific,

clinical wilderness. Journal of the American Medical Association 291(1):29.
2. Skuse DH. 2000. Imprinting, the X-chromosome, & the male brain: Explaining
sex differences in the liability to autism. Pediatric Research 47(1):9-16.
18
Children on the autism spectrum often enjoy a sense of firm overall

pressure. [1] This can be provided by weighted belts, weighted
blankets, or being squashed by pillows and firm hugs. These can form
a basis for play, interaction and showing affection. Experiences that
may be claustrophobic for neurotypical children may be enjoyed,
such as being squashed between mattresses, and making tunnels or
tents from blankets over furniture.
Difficulty with using both sides of the body together can occur
in some cases of Sensory processing disorder. A therapist may
encourage a child with crawling, hopscotch, skipping, playing musical
instruments, playing catch and bouncing balls with both hands to
help with bilateral integration. Hand and eye coordination can be
improved with activities such as hitting a ball with a bat, popping
bubbles, and throwing and catching balls, bean bags and balloons.
1. Military Press (2013) Miracle Belts Provide Relief for Military Families.
2. St George RJ, Fitzpatrick RC (February 2011). The sense of self-motion,
orientation and balance explored by vestibular stimulation J Physiol
19
7.0 How Therapy & Medication Changes Behaviour

There are many theories on how to improve the lives of people
with Autism. The following methods of therapy try to improve an
individuals communication skills and teach them to control their
responses to their environment.
Most of the methods involve practicing communicating with other
people or learning how to adapt to the changes in ones environment.
The following treatments can often improve quality of life for people
with Autism, most of them focus on children.
During Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) the therapist gives an
instruction related to the persons surroundings or a language skills.
If they respond correctly the child gets praised. During the breaks
in the training sessions the child can practice new skills in new
environment. This is an effective way to improve an Autistic childs
language skills.
Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) teaches children to be aware
of and monitor their own behaviour, including series of tasks to
ensure the child retains the skills they learn, rewarding attempts,
and using direct and natural reinforcement. Through playing and
communicating with others, people with autism can reduce the
frequency and instensity of their challenging behaviour.
Verbal Behaviour (VB) an extension of the communication aspects
covered in the ABA program. VB improves a childs language skills
and encourages them to connect a word to the physical object.
Parents are encouraged to join in because it usually takes more than
30 hours per week of VB training to be effective. It helps a child to use
words and express themselves which can then help them to attend
social activities in the future.
20
Floortime (DIR) lasts 3 to 5 hours per day and can be carried out by
parents and their child or by a therapist. The principal difference
between this method is that the child leads their parents to what
they are interested in rather than set activities organised by the
parents or therapist. Parents and therapists can reinforce the childs
positive aspects of behaviour and help them learn new things about
the world around them. Floortime training should be carried out in a
low stimulus environment.
There are also some more medical/nutritional treatments which are

believed to improve quality of life for children with Autism such as
the example below:
Step 1: Fix Gut and Reduce Inflammation
This step includes a number of different tactics:
Taking away gluten and other food allergens
Getting rid of yeast with anti-fungals
Killing off the toxic bacteria in small intestine with special
antibiotics
Replenishing healthy bacteria with probiotics
Helping digest food with enzymes
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) uses positive

reinforcement to try to modify a childs behaviour and help people
with Autism to gain self-awareness and social skills.
Step 2: Replace Any Missing Nutrients

This step aims to make genes function more efficiently.
Adding back zinc, magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, B6, B12,
and D
Supporting the brain with omega-3 fatty acids
In RDI, the parent or therapist uses a comprehensive set of stepby-step, developmentally appropriate objectives in everyday life
situations, based on different levels, or stages of ability.
There are 6 objectives in RDI, they are Emotional Referencing, Social
Coordination, Declarative Language, Flexible Thinking, Relational
Information Processing and Foresight and Hindsight.
Step 3: Detoxify and Reduce Oxidative Stress

Once the biochemistry aspect and nutritional levels are adjusted
we can help detoxify and reduce oxidative stress.
Improve nutrition, reduce inflammation, heal the gut, detoxify
Training and Education of Autistic and Related Communication

Handicapped Children (TEACCH) always happens in classrooms.
TEACCH is also called Culture of Autism. Every children has their
own individual plan for their development. TEACCH uses a very
structured environment and during the training, children can learn
more about daily activities and social behaviours in their own lives
and other peoples lives as well.
1. Autism Speaks (2014) Treatments and Therapies Available at: http://

www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit/treatmentstherapies Accessed: 27 October 2014
2. Mark Hyman (2012), Can Autism be cured?, MD July 30, 2012 Available at:
http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/12/can-autism-be-cured/ Accessed 27
October 2014
21
8.0 Housing Options for People With ASD

Introduction
People with ASD vary greatly in their housing needs depending on
numerous factors that directly affect their decision from the level of
support they need to financial aspects.
Some live independently while others may require support with
certain tasks or, in some cases, 24-hour specialist support.
HOUSING TYPE SUPPORT TYPE
A lack of variety of options for living is apparent and there are often
gaps for example for:
high support complex needs
low support services for more able people.
The predominant form of living is registered residential care. There is
a noticeable deficiency of:
self contained houses;
access to tenancies in ordinary housing with support;
information about housing out of the district.
For diversity, economy of management and flexibility, a single
management structure should provide a variety of options within a
locality: a joined up network of housing and services
Classification of types of housing
SUPPORT
LEVEL
MANAGEMENT
& FINANCES
TENURE
Selfcontained
independent
Individual service
package
High/intensive
long term
User managed
with payments
Mixed owned &

rented / owned
Locality / area
network
Visiting
designated team
/ worker
Low /medium
long term
Grant funded or
block purchasing
Rented - local
authority
Single site cluster
Adjacent / on-site
staff
High intensive
fluctuating
Service charge
/ tenant
contributions
Rented - housing
association
Small shared (2/3

people)
Integral staff
night / sleep in
Medium / high
increasing
Individual care
package
Mix rented
private / social
housing
Large shared (4+

people)
Integral staff day

/ office base
High / intensive
reducing
Placement /
Lodgings
Live in carer /
support worker
Low / medium
reducing
Voluntary /
Licence - state /
private residential voluntary/ private
home fees
care agency
Statutrory run &
financed service
For the last twenty years, there has been a growing diversity of
housing options for people with all types of disabilities. Past provision
was largely based on hospitals, large residential care homes and/or
living at home being looked after by family. There is now more choice
and a preference for less institutional settings.
M. Tarpey, in the Chartered Institute of Housing (1988) developed
a graph of the Continuum of care and housing (Fig.1), in which
22
Figure 1 - The continuum of care and housing

Figure 2 - Pick and Mix Housing diagram

Rented - private
landlord
they tried to emphasise the range of possibilities by reducing it to

2 variables: type of housing and nature of support. Movement from
bottom left to right tends to increase the individuals independence,
choice and personal control.
Applying the variables from the graph there are identified three main
categories of options for living:
independent living
semi-independent living
24-hour care
These divide into further sub-categories that, according to the Pick
and Mix (Fig.2) table that was provided by Lynn Watson, branch into
a number of different possibilities of housing types that provide selfcontained accommodation. 1
Main types of housing available 2
Self contained independent housing
Self contained accommodation usually unregistered, where various
forms of care and support are possible, including management
within a locality service.
Supervised Living ( Semi - independent Living )
Offers more direct and intensive structured support available
24 hours a day, if needed. The individual may live in a house or
apartment, either alone or with others. Functional life skills such
as banking, shopping, cooking and going to doctor appointments
can be taught or supported by staff. Staff on-site and some shared
facilities in the building such as laundrette, lounge, games room and/
or sleep-in facilities for the staff.
23
Housing Types
Group Home Living
This has been the traditional model for residential services for
individuals with developmental disabilities. In the group home,
several unrelated people (all of whom have a disability) live together
with onsite staff who are present 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Instruction focuses on independent living skills and community
activities. The house is owned and operated by a provider agency
that also employs and supervises the staff.
Nursing homes and Development Centres

Are large residential facilities clustered on a campus-like setting
where residents have intensive needs related to their developmental
disabilities. Most states no longer run large developmental centres.
Some of the states that are still operating these centres are looking to
shift people to more community-based settings and will only place a
person in a developmental centre on an emergency basis.
Supported Housing
where people have their own home and more individualised
support services
gives proper right of occupancy, more individual choice and
support arrangements
marginally higher costs than the ordinary housing and residential
homes
Costs and Quality 3
Group Living / Ownership ( Co-op )

Is similar to group home living, except that the house itself is owned
by a group of families or individuals who have formed a cooperative
agreement. Caregivers hired by the cooperative, and in some cases,
by an agency contracted by the cooperative, provide support
services. Characteristic is shared living and shared facilities. Although
there may be some private facilities e.g cooker, en-suite bathroom,
it is not fully self-contained accommodation. Staff may be visiting or
permanently onsite.
Large residential care homes

still common although those provided by authorities 20 years
ago of 15-25 places are now fewer in number;
serve less well than ordinary small scale housing in terms of:

users satisfaction
material and social environment
privacy and choice
participation in domestic activities
staff support
Independent living schemes

for relatively able people with learning disabilities
the positive aspects of independent living where often
accompanied by poverty or unemployment and victimisation by
people in local communities
Teaching family model / Foster Home Living

Offers family-style living with support services available 24/7
by professional teaching parents, usually a married couple. The
individual may be the only person with a disability living in the home,
or there maybe others with or without disabilities.
Small scale ordinary housing

has grown as a form of service and demonstrated better outcome
than long-stay hospitals
has been successfully used for people with severe or profound
learning disabilities, challenging behaviour and complex/
multiple disabilities
more expensive than larger scale alternatives
better but does not meet usual standards of living
choice over where to live and who to live with
meaningful friendship
avoidance of poverty
employment and healthy lifestyle
Assisted Living Facilities / Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF)

Provide assistance with personal care and activities of daily living
such as bathing, grooming, dressing and more. In some states, ICF
programs also provide medication assistance and/or reminders.
Assisted living communities differ from nursing homes in that they
dont offer complex medical services.
24
Sweetwater Spectrum Supported Housing, USA
Ultimately, it is the people in the life of an individual with ASD that create a real
home. However, the home itself, the physical environment, plays a critical role
in promoting independence and improving the quality of an individuals life. A
supportive and appropriate physical environment can shift the balance in favour
of the person living a life in their home with the ability to make meaningful
choices and experience greater control over their lives. 4
-George W. Braddock is the stepfather of a man with ASD living

independently, and the Founder of Creative Housing Solutions
1 Autism Speaks, Models for residential support, http://www.autismspeaks.
org/;
2 Bicknell A. (1999), Independent living for adults with autism and Asperger
syndrome, The National Autistic Society, London;
3 George Braddock, Creative Housing Solutions, http://gbcchs.com/;
4 Maurice H. and Nigel K. (2002), Designing for special needs, RIBA
Enterprise Ltd., London.
25
9.0 Employment & Activity Opportunities

Introduction
There is a fairly good provision of education facilities for people with
ASD, however after finishing education many autistic people struggle
to gain employment and are left with a gap in there lives which was
once filled by school or day centres.
...research has shown that only 15% of adults with autism have a
full-time job. The majority of the over 300,000 working age adults
with autism in the UK want to work but are being held back by a lack
of understanding of autism and a dearth of specialist employment
services 1
Accuracy, attention to detail and the ability to identify errors

Technical ability such as in IT
Detailed factual knowledge and an excellent memory 4
Specialist employment for people with ASD

Example SEE: Detail is a UK software testing company which
specifically recruits people with ASD 7.
There are several employment agencies which provide a service

tailored to those with ASD such as Remploy and Prospects. These
are primarily aimed at people with High Functioning Autism.
Outwith mainstream employment, there are several categories of
employment available to those with ASD.
Example: Harry Specters Chocolates is a chocolatier social

enterprise employing people with autism at all levels 8.
The benefits of employment are not limited to financial reasons.

A job is also an opportunity to integrate into society, gain skills,
socialise and gives anyone whether autistic or neurotypical a sense
of purpose, worth and structure 2.
Lack of understanding of ASD among employers and coworkers
is often the root of reasons why people with ASD struggle to find
employment. Problems understanding social situations makes the
interview process difficult. Employers fail to recognise how small
simple changes to the work environment can benefit some people
with ASD such as giving concise and simple instructions, sensitive
and regular feedback on performance and increasing awareness
among coworkers 3.
In addition to an individuals personal skills and experience some
people with Autism have the following skills which may make them
more effective employees than neurotypical workers.

26
High levels of concentration

Reliability, conscientiousness and persistence
Specialist employment for people with various disabilities

Example: Remploy ran several factories in Britain employing
people with disabilities to make chemical, biological,
radiological & nuclear protection suits for the police & armed
forces as well as nurses uniforms 5. The Dundee factory closed
in 2013 following the withdrawal of government funding 6.
Employment/training run by charities or social enterprises

Example: Dr Bs Kitchen, Belfast- A Barnardos project training
people with learning difficulties for a career in the catering
industry. Trainees are paid 40 a week plus travel expenses 9.
Training in mainstream Further Education or specialist
programmes
1 The National Autistic Society (no date) NAS and Remploy in partnership.
Available at http://www.autism.org.uk/working-with/employment-services/
jobseekers/nas-and-remploy-work-to-improve-job-opportunities-forpeople-with-autism.aspx (Accessed: 08 October 2014)
2 The National Autistic Society (no date) Finding Work or In Employment.
Available at: http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/finding-work-orin-employment.aspx (Accessed: 08 October 2014)
3 The National Autistic Society (no date) Factsheets for Employers. Available
at: http://www.autism.org.uk/working-with/employment-services/
employers/factsheets-for-employers.aspx (Accessed: 08 October 2014)
4 The National Autistic Society (no date) Untapped Talent: A guide to
employing people with Autism. Available at: http://www.autism.org.
uk/~/media/nas/documents/get-involved/campaign%20for%20change/
undiscovered%20workforce/untapped%20talent%20-%20english.ashx
(Accessed: 08 October 2014)
Harry Specters Chocolates
Volunteering
5 Remploy (no date) About Us. Available at: https://www.remploy.
co.uk/en/about-us/ (Accessed: 08 October 2014)
6 BBC News (2013) Nine Remploy Factory Closures Announced.
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotlandbusiness-23183211 (Accessed: 08 October 2014)
7 See:Detail (no date) Company. Available at: http://www.seedetail.
co.uk/company/ (Accessed: 08 October 2014)
8 Shah M (no date) Social Enterprise. Available at: http://www.
harryschocs.co.uk/pages/social-enterprise (Accessed: 08 October
2014)
9 Barnardos (no date) Dr Bs Kitchen Belfast Home. Available at:
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/drbsbelfast.htm (Accessed: 08
October 2014)
Cafe Kudos, Carluke staffed by people with ASD

27
9.0 Employment & Activity Opportunities
MeCycle
Bike repair and resale shop based in Merseyside. The enterprise is run
by Autism Initiatives and provides jobs for people with autism. Old
bikes are donated to the shop and. Under the supervision of a fully
trained mechanic, people across the autistic spectrum work on repair
the bikes or taking them apart for parts to be resold in the shop. The
business provide people with jobs, training and new experiences and
aims for find a job for everyone that works for them. Jobs include,
sales assistants, mechanics, accountants, orders and managers 4.
Social Enterprise & Charities

Autism Plus
AutismPlus was founded 25 years ago by parents of adults with
autism as a result of struggling to find support after their children left
school. They work with people across the spectrum to support them
through adult life and ensure they lead fulfilling and independent
lives.
They work throughout the North of England providing support and
accommodation. The organisation offers training, outreach services
and facilities, such as gyms and computers, as well as living and social
support. They work with adults on an individual basis to determine
the level of support they require and the opportunities available to
them.
The organisation does not use the Triad of Impairments to determine
the level of support, they try to understand the individual and tailor
the support to meet their needs and help them to continue to
develop in a positive direction.
The organisation relies heavily on volunteers and donations but also
uses social enterprise to provide jobs and training for people with
autism, as well as ensure they can independently support themselves
and hopefully, in the future, reduce the organisations reliance on
donations and grants 1. (Autism Plus, 2014)
Autism Initiatives
Autism Initiatives operates throughout the UK and aims to provide
support and opportunities for individuals with autism in adulthood
and childhood. The organisation focuses on the individual and
families in order to ensure the best support and services can be
provided to those in need. They work with people across the
28
spectrum and as a result hold an eclectic range of techniques in order

to help the person and their life.
The Hermitage
Organised by Autism Ventures Scotland, the 9-hole golf course,
based in the Braid Hills, Edinburgh, provides new opportunities for
people with autism. The golf course also has a caf, dance room and
therapy which can be used by individuals or groups. Anyone can use
the golf course but people with autism can also get involved in more
tailor made activities.
Autism Initiatives does not use the Triad of Impairment when working
with people with autism, they try to understand the individual and
their behaviour. The organisation provides support through various
means such as employment, education, training, accommodations
and outreach community services 2. (Autism Initiatives, 2013)
Social Enterprise: What is Social Enterprise?
Social Enterprise is a form of business that trades with social and/or
environmental targets rather than purely profit driven agendas. All
Social Enterprises have a social mission which allows the business to
focus energy on making a difference rather than just making money.
Working on signage for Hermitage Golf Course
The golf course provides people with opportunities to relax and

socialise in a comfortable environment surrounded by people who
understand and appreciate the challenges and difficulties they face
on an everyday basis 5.
the gallery on the corner
Based in Edinburgh, the gallery is a commercially operating gallery
that provides people the autism the opportunity to display and
convey their own art works as well as work in the gallery on a daily
basis. The gallery also allows people who are physically and/or
mentally disabled as well as those from disadvantaged backgrounds
to work on and display their artwork to the public with the potential
to sell their work as well.
Most Social Enterprises generate income through trade and most

profit will be reinvested in the business or community in order to
help the enterprise achieve their social aims. Social Enterprises
are not charities as they are far more flexible in their structure and
regulatory obligations which allows objectives and aims to be
changed according to the needs of those they are trying to help 3.
(Social Enterprise UK, 2013)
Autism and Social Enterprise
The gallery also offers training and apprenticeships to people on the

autistic spectrum in order to help them broaden their opportunities
and support them through adult life.
Many organisations such as Autism Initiatives and AutismPlus use

Social Enterprise as a means to secure income and provide jobs,
training and opportunities to people with autism.
The concept behind the gallery was to build on the model of art
as support with an art as sustainable business approach. The social
enterprise model helps to ensure sustainability of the project whilst
giving a number of people a positive first step into employment in a
The Gallery on the Corner, Edinburgh

29
supportive setting. 6
Pumpkin Pastures
Located in County Down, Northern Ireland, Pumpkin Pastures
provides adults with autism the opportunity to grow their own
produce and sell it within the small local community. The project
promotes community integration and encourages locals to come
and visit the farm as well as interact with the farmers (adults with
autism) in order to promote the work of the farm and break down
barriers between the local community and the enterprise.
Site
Precedent
Pumpkin Pastures is a multidisciplinary project aiming to give Service

Users the opportunity to develop skills in horticulture, encourage
healthy living and work together on a common goal 7
Week 1
1 Autism Plus. (2014). More about Autism Plus. Available: http://www.

autismplus.org/what-we-do/more-about-autism-plus. Last accessed 22nd
Oct 2014
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 1
Week 1
Week 4
mapping and urban mapping and urban

mapping and urban
analysis
analysis
2 Autism Initiatives. (2013).analysis
What we do. Available: http://www.
autisminitiatives.org/what-we-do/. Last accessed 22nd Oct 2014
Community
outreach
and social
enterprise
Social
Precedent
clusters
groups and
individuality
Community
Neuroscience
outreach
Precedent
and
scientific
and
social
case
studies
enterprise
Community
Pasterns
Social
Socialof
Neuroscience
Affects
of
outreach
behaviour
clusters
clusters
and scientific
medication
and
acrossand
groups
andsocial case groups
studies
on behaviour
enterprise
spectrum
individuality
individuality
CommunityPasterns ofSocial
Pasterns
of of
Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Affects
of
Affects
Sensory
Sensory
Sensory
behaviour
behaviourclusters
Precedent
Precedent
and
scientific
and
scientific
medication
medicationoutreach
stimuli
stimuli
stimuli
and social across
across
groups and
case studies
case studies
on behaviour
on behaviour
enterprise spectrum
spectrum
individuality
Community
Affects of
outreach
medication
and
social
on
behaviour
enterprise
Pasterns
Social of
behaviour
Precedent
clusters
across
groups
and
spectrum
individuality
Community
Neuroscience
Sensory
outreach
and scientific
stimuli
and
social
case
studies
enterprise
Social
Affects of
clusters
medication
groups
and
on behaviour
individuality
Pasterns of
Neuroscience
behaviour
and scientific
across
case studies
spectrum
Affects
of
Sensory
medication
stimuli
on behaviour
Pasterns of
behaviour
across
spectrum
Neighbourhood
Public transport
Retail/ Cafs
Health Services
Green space
WeekWeek
1
4
Week 4
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 1
mapping and urban
analysis
meeting
GreenhouseGroup
at Pumpkin
Pastures
and tutorial
Group meeting
and tutorial
Week 1 - 3 group
mapping and urban
analysis
Week
Week
1 4
Group meeting
and tutorial
Week 1 - 3 group
Week 4
4
Groups
Groupsaspects
createdWeek
of
toASD
research
Groups
selected
created to
aspects
research
of ASD
selected aspects of ASD
mapping
andcreated
urban to research selected
analysis
Group meeting
and tutorial
Group meeting
and tutorial
Group meeting
and tutorial
Week
5
Week
5
Groups created to research selected aspects of ASD
Groups created to research selected
Groupsaspects
created of
to ASD
research
selected aspects of
ASD
Group meeting
Pedestrian
friendly
Forthill Road 4
Dundee Collage
2
Old Mill Complex
Old Mill Complex

3
Eliza Street
3.5
Eliza Street
West Street
West Street
Albert Road
Albert Road
Maryfield Depot
Maryfield Depot
3
Salvation Army
Salvation Army
Brook Street
Brook Street 3
Glams Road
Glams Road 4
Southward Road
Southward Road
3
Camperdown Park
Camperdown5Park
Sensory
stimuli
4.5
Group meeting
Group meeting
Week 5
Group meeting
Production of research report showing

Production
group
of research
findings
Production
report
and conclusion
showing
of research
groupreport
findings
showing
and conclusion
group findings andProduction
conclusiono
4 Autism Initiatives. (2013). MeCycle. Available: http://www.

autisminitiatives.org/employment-autism/mecycle/. Last accessed 22nd
Oct 2014
Individual Site selection basedIndividual

of availability
Site /selection
feasibility
Individual
based
12 sites
Site
of availability
selected
selection /based
feasibility
of availability
12 sites selected
/ feasibility 12
Individual
sites select
Site
5 The Hermitage. (2011). Supporting people with autism. Available: http://

www.hermitagescotland.co.uk/about-the-hermitage. Last accessed 22nd
Oct 2014.
6 The gallery on the corner. (2011). About the Gallery. Available: http://
www.thegalleryonthecorner.org.uk/about-the-gallery.html. Last accessed
22nd Oct 2014
30
Site
Dundee Collage
8S
8 Sites selected with criteria base
re
research in to ASD and suitable
3 Social Enterprise UK. (2013). What are social enterprises. Available: http://
www.socialenterprise.org.uk/about/about-social-enterprise/FAQs#what are
ses. Last accessed 22nd Oct 2014
7 Autism Initiatives. (2013). Pumpkin Pastures. Available: http://www.

autisminitiatives.org/employment-autism/pumpkin-pastures/. Last
accessed 22nd Oct 2014.
Leisure
Forthill Road
People with ASD at Pumpkin Pastures
31
10.0 Research Outcome

The design of a building affects its users at all levels from macro
to micro level detailing and material choices. As designers it is our
responsibility to ensure that our design decisions result in proposals
which make the greatest possible positive impact on the end users.
Neighburhood
Public transport
Retail/ Cafes
Health Services
Green space
pedestrian
friendly
Leisure
Through researching Autistic Spectrum Disorder we have discovered

that our design decisions must be even more considered when
designing for children and adults on the spectrum because of their
additional needs and the different way in which spaces can be
perceived and used.
The first decision on a project is establishing a site. This decision
is rarely reversible and consequently it is paramount that the site
and location is appropriate for people with ASD, not just a building
designed in isolation.
Our research into Autism thus far has enabled us to draw up a list
of criteria which are important to consider when choosing a site for
housing for people with ASD.
Traffic
32
Noisy
Surroundings
Overlooked By
33
11.0 Site Selection Process

Having produced a set of conditions for an
optimum site for a housing development for
people with Autism, we individually researched
potential sites in and around Dundee.
34
Eliza Street
Dundee College
West Street
Eliza Street
Albert Road
Maryfield Depot
Salvation Army
Brook Street
Glamis Road
Albert Road
Maryfield Depot
Brook Street
Conclusions of groupwork
Due to the financial real estate aspect of the brief

we also discussed in what ways land values could
influence the development of the brief - eg the
capital cost of purchasing land in desirable areas
such as Broughty Ferry could force up the cost to
potential residents in comparison to brownfield
inner city sites, this was balanced by the potential
resale value of units on the open market and
resulted in discussion of possible finance
models because specialist housing would have
a higher cost per m2 than regular housebuilder
developments.
Old Mill Complex
Forthill Road
Feasibility study
All the sites selected are either currently on

the market or were identified in the councils
Development Plan.
Neighburhood
Public transport
Retail/
Cafs
Health Services
Green space
Leisure
Pedestrian
friendly
Traffic
Noisy
Surroundings
Overlooked By
Total
Forthill Road
-2
-1
29
Dundee Collage
-3
-2
19
Old Mill Complex
-3
-3
-5
12
Eliza Street
3.5
-4
-3
-4
19.5
West Street
-1
-3
-1
16
Albert Road
4.5
-3
-1
-1
27.5
Maryfield Depot
-4
-3
-1
21
Salvation Army
-5
-5
-5
Brook Street
-3
-3
-2
17
Glams Road
-3
-2
-1
27
Southward Road
-2
-4
-5
15
Camperdown Park
-1
23
Dundee College
Selection based
on Agreed Criteria
Comparison of the differences between sites acted

as a vehicle for discussion of brief development
and to generate ideas among the group.
Forthill Road
Individual selection of possible sites
There were no parameters set and consequently

the 11 sites varied in size from 960m2 to 110000m2.
There was also great variation in location from a
greenfield site at Camperdown Country Park to
tight city centre gap sites and development plots
in Broughty Ferry. There was also a mixture of sites
with and without existing buildings on them.
Site
Glamis Road
Camperdown Park
Individual Site
Selection
In this exercise, each site was given a rating of 1 to 5 or -1 to -5 for the

factors established as crucial to a site for housing for autistic adults.
Southward Road
The exercise demonstrated that not all criteria necessarily have an

equal weighting and that the suitability of a site is hard to determine
from such a narrow process.
Camperdown Park
Group selection
Refined Selection
However, the exercise and accompanying group discussions not

only helped to establish a shortlist of eight potential sites but also
acted as a vehicle for discussion on development of the brief and
around themes such as potential for community integration and the

differing site requirements for the stakeholders at different points on
the spectrum.
Other discussion points raised included that some current negative
aspects of a site could be mitigated through good design or by
simple proposals such as additional crossing points and general
discussions on examples of conditions of planning approval for
housing developments.
35
Potential Sites:
Dundee City Council Development Plan
camperdown park
glamis road
brook street
forthill road
west street
albert road
maryfield depot
eliza street
dundee college
Camperdown Park
south ward road
Glamis Road
Old Mill Complex

Brook Street
South Ward Road

Salvation Army
Eliza Street
Dundee College
Maryfield Depot
West Street
Albert Road
location plan 1/17500
Forthill Road
salvation army
old mill complex
36
37
12.0 Eliminated Sites
Comparative Land Costs
West Leys Farm, Errol, Perthshire

AREA: 810747 m2
PRICE: 1400000
West Leys is a productive farm with a six bedroom farmhouse located
in the centre of the site providing easy access to all points on the farm
and the farm buildings provide opportunities for development and
diversification.
The land has good access off either the public roads and a new
internal track has been created to the east of the farmhouse in order
to allow farm vehicles and machinery an alternative access which
avoids the main dwelling. West Leys is offered for sale as a whole or in
up to four lots as follows:

Average house prices were used as a method of comparing land values in different areas.
38
Low price
Lot 1: Farmhouse, garden, outbuildings, farm buildings and

about 18 acres
Lot 2: Land at West Leys extends to 113.26 Acres
Lot 3 is an arable field extending to about 23.2 acres.
Lot 4 extends to about 45.89 acres
West Leys lies at the edge of the sought after village of Errol within the
renowned Carse of Gowrie, located 13 miles from Perth and 14 miles
from Dundee. The village has a good range of local services including
a Post Office, two convenience stores, a butcher, a pharmacy and a
primary school. There are lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation
nearby: there are a number of golf courses all within easy driving
distance, fishing is available on the River Tay and there is horse racing
at Scone Palace. Perth is a gateway to the Highlands with hill walking
and skiing.
High price
39
Old Mill Complex, Brown Street
Salvation Army Site, West Marketgait

0.1 HA
Old Mil 2Complex, Brown Street, Dundee

AREA: 10243m
AREA: 960m2
Size: 10243 meter ssquare

Site Description
Sweetwater Spectrum Community Size: 11300 square meters
Situated within walking distance of the city centre this site forms
part of its rich industrial past. It currently comprises a single storey
ground floor unit (178m2) with onsite parking. The former mill has
been refurbished, now housing 26 office spaces. The site offers a
public frontage to Brown Street. Privacy may be compromised by
the proximity to surrounding industrial buildings and any design
proposal would have to address this issue.
Formerly occupied by The Salvation Army 137 Marketgait, was

recently cleared after a fire broke out within the church. The building
suffered severe damage and was left in a state of disrepair, later
becoming entirely unfit for purpose.
The site occupies a central location within the city of Dundee. Its
principle elevation has a western orientation facing the cities inner
ring road resulting in a busy and very public frontage. Despite
bordering a dual carriageway, the city centre is easily accessible on
foot along with a range of bus routes, creating a connection to the
wider city and beyond.
The site is surrounded by a mixture of commercial and residential

accommodation, much of which is situated in renovated mills which
characterise the area. It is within walking distance of the University of
Dundee, where a number of leisure facilities are available for use by
the wider community.
The surrounding area is mainly commercial with the site neighbouring

both a busy grocery store and multi storey car park. A residential
flatted development is situated opposite the site. The surrounding
area comprises an array of building styles ranging from post war
developments to statement pieces of modern architecture.
Despite the proximity to the town centre and Dundees inner ring road,
the site occupies a reasonably quiet spot within the city. However, due
to the mainly commercial typology of the neighbouring properties,
residents of an ASD community may feel slightly detached from an
established community and struggle with integration.
The proximity to both a busy road and the general hustle and bustle
of a thriving city centre may present unnecessary disturbance
to the residents of an ASD community. The site also feels slightly
disconnected from the established nearby residential communities
by the inner ring road.
1:2500
1:2500
40
41
South Ward Road, Dundee
West Street Dundee, DD3 6SB
Site Description
AREA: 4700m2
PRICE: 300000
AREA: 2086m2
Site Description
Former industrial site 1.5 miles north of the city centre in the Coldside
area of Dundee.
Located in close proximity to the city centre.

Accessible location
It is a mixed residential/commercial/light industrial area and in recent

years the location has improved significantly with the residential
development of surrounding properties and land.
Possible issues due to noise and overlooking

Site created by demolition of industrial buildings Most central site
considered. Unfortunately due to concerns of high levels of noise
pouliton, proximityof existing buildings and nightlife.
The site forms the north part of the city block and faces onto both
West Street and Milton Street. New build social housing was recently
completed directly opposite the site as part of a regeneration
programme . The area comprises a mix of new and old building types.
Sensitive refurbishment of the nearby Mill on Milton Street is a good
example and the area has retained much of the old cobbled streets.
Close proximity to existing autsim community facilities and city

centre which could enable high fucntioning residents a high degree
of social interaction and indepenced to visit shops, banks post office
leisure acilities.
The site is within easy walking distance of local shops on Strathmartine

Road. and there is also a frequent bus service to the city centre and
Ninewells.
Some of the neighbouring plots function as light industrial use
which could result in noise disturbance to some people with ASD
and any design would have to mitigate the overlooking from nearby
buildings.
42
43
Forthill Road
13.0 Site Analysis

Dundee College
Site Analysis Approach
site analysis groupings

(three sites per person)
Eliza Street
Each group member contributed to the analysis of 3 different sites

selected at random. Each site was initially analysed against an
agreed list of criteria. These criteria were a combination of our ideal
requirements for a site that we produced from our research and other
criteria that would be analysed for all building projects.
Albert Road
By working on three sites each, rather than individually focussing on

one site we had the following advantages:

Maryfield Depot
Brook Street
Glamis Road
Four pairs of eyes are better than one - Four people on a site visit
pick up a much wider variety of information.
Everyone gets to know a greater number of sites
Collaborative working encouraged group discussions of
additional factors to analyse and maximised the generation of
ideas.
By visiting and analysing a number of sites you have a more
developed understanding of possible site requirements and
restrictions.
Unbiased objective balanced information for each site because
each piece was the product of a group discussion of individual
findings.
Comparative Feasibility Exercise

As an explorative exercise we each took the footprint of a housing
unit for four residents at Sweetwater Spectrum Autistic Community,
USA (see Appendix) and imposed this footprint onto site plans of the
same scale.
Camperdown Park
44
This exercise and the group discussion which followed enabled us to

generate, explore and debate the following ideas and themes which
relate both to the brief, site strategy and to individual sites:

Scale of development
Appropriate density for context
Footprint to plot ratios
Shared and private green space
The delicate balance between creating enough units to sustain
successful communal facilities whilst avoiding institutionalisation
or the creation of an autism ghetto
The role of single storey and multiple storey buildings
Parking provision may be higher than local authority planning
requirements due to number of carers and visitors particularly
during shift changes
Can design strategies encourage car sharing, use of public
transport or sharing carers between residents
Relationship of housing units to the street
Integration within a neighbourhood
Opportunity for hybrid development comprising housing for
those with low functioning ASD, high functioning ASD and
neurotypical residents
how commercial housing development can be used as a tool to
generate funding for ASD specific designed homes which may
have a higher cost per m2 than regular developer builds.
All sites were analysed at the same scale, using the same footprint
from Sweetwater Spectrum to enable the most systematic and
objective analysis.
45
13.0 Site Analysis

Albert Road
SITE AREA: 4923m2
LOCATION: Albert Road, Broughty Ferry, DD5 1AY
Site introduction
The proposed site is situated in the grounds of Broomhall House
at 3 Albert Road, Broughty Ferry. Currently, the site consists of a
number of derelict greenhouses, a boiler house and a traditional
stone built cottage. The site currently holds planning permission for
the demolition of these buildings. It is proposed that 6nr. 4 bedroom
detached houses will be constructed on the plot.
Broomhall House, located to the immediate south of the proposed
site, is currently operated as a tea room/garden centre on the ground
floor with an apartment on the first floor. Although the site falls just
out with Broughty Ferrys conservation area Broomhall house is
Grade B Listed.
The surrounding area is residential consisting of a range of house
types, from large Victorian villas to post war bungalows. The average
property value in Broughty Ferry is 207, 080. The site is located just
half a mile from Broughty Ferrys centre.
The site has been operating as a garden centre since the late 1950s.
In recent years, growing plants at the garden centre has become
financially unviable. It is now hoped that the development of the
planting land into residences will allow for additional finances to be
put towards the upkeep of Broomhall House.
46
47
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODU
Robustness
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
The plan illustrates where Victoria and Albert Road meet. Victoria
Road is the main access to the site in terms of vehicle and pedestrian
movement with the closest bus stop. Although it is the main junction,
it does not have high levels of vehicular traffic. Green areas are
surrounding the streets and create pedestrian friendly movement.
There is no defined crossing points, however low levels of traffic
enables a safe crossing.
ODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

48
49
Historic Maps
Planning History
1860
A previous application has been submitted for the site which consists
of 6 detached houses on the land situated to the rear of Broomhall
House which currently runs as Turriffs Garden Centre and Farm Shop.
Various proposals for the site had been submitted prior to the current
application which outlined 8/7 detached houses occupying the site,
comments from the planning department asked for the number of
units to be reduced to respond better to the surrounding context
and density.
1900
The site does not sit within any conservation areas, but some of the
surrounding buildings are Grade B listed.
The site is not included in the Dundee City Development Plan.
Planning Application reference no:
13/00802/FULL 6 Houses
13/00209/FULL 7 Houses
1940
50
2014
51
09:00
12:00
15:00
09:00
march - equinox
september - equinox
june - solstice
december - solstice
52
12:00
15:00
53
13.0 Site Analysis

Brook Street
SITE AREA: 11000m2
LOCATION: West End - Brook Street, Dundee,
Site introduction
The site covers 1.5Ha at the west end of the Blackness Conservation
Area and is divided by Douglas Street. It was formerly the location
of the Queen Victoria Works and Regent Works. Some of the former
works buildings are still standing including one to Douglas Street
which is Grade B listed however the majority are in a very poor
condition.
The majority of the site is enclosed by listed walls . The area to the
north is mostly commercial car body workshops and to the south
lies student housing off Brook Street. Two former mills adjacent to
the site have been successfully converted to residential use however
they also substantially overlook the site.
Brook Street is a fairly busy thoroughfare which runs along the south
edge of the site.
The site is designated within the local Development Plan for housing,
however, in order to secure the reuse of listed buildings on the site,
a broader mix of housing and commercial workspace would also be
appropriate and would reflect the established uses in the wider area.
54
55
The plan illustrates where

Douglas Street and Lower
Pleasance meet. Douglas
Street is a narrow lane with
cobblestoned ground and
there is not a very high
level of traffic. Therefore the
crossing to the site is very
safe. The high walls on both
sides of the pavements with
the narrow lane create a very
contained feeling.
Robustness

56
57
Planning History
The site is currently occupied by the remains of the Queen Victoria
Works which is located within the Blackness Conservation area. The
area was once the heartland of industry in Dundee with mills and
tenements packed tightly alongside one another. Much of the area
has now been demolished but some mills and tenements remain
along with the narrow cobbled streets. The Queen Victoria Works was
the oldest operating flax mill in the world until its closure in the late
1980s and the complex quickly fell into a state of disrepair. The site is
surrounding by a mixture of Grade A and B listed buildings with part
of the complex also being Grade B listed. No planning applications for
the site have been submitted. The site is included in the Dundee City
Council Development Plan; Reference H09. A Planning Brief has also
been drafted for the site which outlines the main restrictions, such
as its location within a conservation area, the historical importance
of the site and the desire for the redevelopment to provide further
housing and commercial units to compliment and strengthen the
surrounding community.
Site History
2014
58
1940
1860
59
09:00
12:00
15:00
09:00
march - equinox
september - equinox
june - solstice
december - solstice
60
12:00
15:00
61
13.0 Site Analysis

Camperdown Park
SITE AREA: 110000m2
LOCATION: Camperdown Leisure Park, Dundee, DD2 4TF
PRICE: On application
Site introduction
The proposed site is formed by the boundaries of Camperdown
Country Park to the west and Camperdown Leisure Park to the
east. Currently unoccupied, this land could be utilised to form a link
between these popular public facilities.
Camperdown Leisure Park currently houses a large cinema, ice arena,
and a hotel along with a number of fast food restaurants. It is a
popular destination within Dundee with the free car parking facilities
often full to capacity. Camperdown Country Park offers a plethora of
outdoor attractions including a zoo, with over 3000 animals, a golf
course and a large childrens play park.
To the north and south the site is bound by both Dundees outer
ring road (The Kingsway) and the Cupar Angus road. Due to the
detachment from the city centre and neighbouring estates, these
main roads provide crucial links into Dundees city centre. Currently a
bus service runs from the leisure park into the city every hour.
Despite the array of activities within close proximity to this site, the
busy roads to both the southern and eastern boundaries mean the
site is exposed to an increased level of traffic noise which could be
overwhelming to an ASD patient. Despite the easy access to transport
links, the site remains unintegrated into an established community
due to the separation created by the surrounding road networks.
62
63
Robustness

At present the streetscape is designed around vehicular traffic with
very little consideration for pedestrians and the area is generally only
accessed by car or sometimes by local bus services.
mal
mai
son
64
Any development proposal may need to consider improving

pedestrian routes in the area although on the other hand there is few
destinations within walking distance other than the adjacent leisure
park.
mal
mai
1.3000
son
1.3000
he
t
at
ng
di
l
ui
65
Planning History
The site is located on the former leisure facilities for the NCR factory
which previously occupied the adjacent site. The NCR factory site is
now occupied by the Camperdown Leisure Park. Over the past 3 years
a planning application has been ongoing for the development of the
site into a mix of residential and commercial units, the application
was recently withdrawn for an unknown reason. The application
was also supported with numerous research documents assessing
various aspects of the site such as noise, work opportunities and
transport links. The site was designated for leisure/commercial use
on the Dundee City Council Development Plan; however, residential
use has not been excluded as an option. The site is not within a
conservation area but a Grade B listed building is located adjacent
to the site. Listed building demolition consent has been granted for
the structure.
Site History
Planning Application reference no:

10/00651/FULM
08/00408/LBC
66
67
13.0 Site Analysis

Dundee College
SITE AREA: 9200m2
LOCATION: Constitution Road, Dundee,
PRICE: 250000
Site introduction
The site comprises a former Dundee College building on
Constitution Road and grounds located just north of the city centre
in close proximity to Abertay University and Dudhope Park. The
predominantly residential area comprises a mixture of new and
refurbished historic residential buildings The site slopes south and is
surrounded by mature trees.
Site History & Planning Information
The site was originally home to the Dundee Wash House and
Bleaching Lawns. To-date no planning applications have been
made for the site and it is not included in the Dundee City Council
Development Plan. The site in not included in any conservation areas
although the Crescent Conservation area is adjacent to the site and
there are several Grade A and B listed buildings in the area.
68
69

70
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATION
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PROD
In order to access the park from the site, people can walk through
Simillie Court which is a more pedestrian friendly route than Barrack
Road. The plan illustrates the crossing route from Simillie Court to
Dudhope Park. There is not any defined crossing points and although
there is a low level of traffic, the vehicles are travelling fairly quickly
for a built up residential area at around 30mph.
UCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
The plan illustrates the adjacent junction to the site where Barrack
and Constitution Road meet. Even though Barrack Road appears to
be the main road, Constitution Road carries a higher volume of traffic
and the site lacks any adjacent crossing points. There are large semidetached houses to the west of the site and to east of the site there is
some public green space.
Robustness
DUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Robustness
71
Historic Maps
1860
1900
1940
2014
72
73
09:00
12:00
15:00
09:00
march - equinox
september - equinox
june - solstice
december - solstice
74
12:00
15:00
75
13.0 Site Analysis

Eliza Street
SITE AREA: 4716m2
LOCATION: Eliza Street, Dundee
Site introduction
Located in the heart of Stobswell, the site forms part of a city block
which is occupied to the North by 4 storey tenements and by retail
units with shops above to the South East onto Dura Street. Dura
Street carpark and the Grade A Listed Clepington Primary School lie
to the East/South East edges of the site.
It is adjacent to the high street which provides, shops, cafes, banks
and health centres in less than 5 minutes walk. It is in close proximity
to shops, supermarket, banks and cafes for individuals with HFA and
well connected to the suburbs and city centre by frequent buses. It is
also withing walking distance of DISC sports centre and Baxter Park.
Clepington Primary has 2 of 20 classes specifically for pupils with ASD.
Morgan Academy has a unit for pupils with ASD. There is an existing
social enterprise called Clean Close Company providing employment
and training opportunities to individuals with disabilities adjacent to
the site
76
77
Eliza Street is dominated by very high traffic levels and noise due
to the busy junction of Dura Street, Forfar Road and Pitkerro Road.
The wide pavements and the shopping district create a vivid
neighbourhood. The crossing points located very close to the site
create a safe pedestrian route to local amenities..
Robustness

78
79
Historic Maps
1860
1940
80
Planning History
1900
The land was originally bought by the council for North East Arterial
Road project which was later abandoned. The site is on the council list
of areas to be developed into brownfield housing and currently has
planning permission for 12 flats, 10 townhouses and a nursery school
for 50 .children. Development of the site is a good opportunity to
improve a what is an negative / under developed area of townscape
and to enhance the setting of the listed Clepington Primary School.
2014
81
09:00
12:00
15:00
09:00
march - equinox
september - equinox
june - solstice
december - solstice
82
[Project Title] [Document]
83
12:00
15:00
[Project Title] [Document]
83
13.0 Site Analysis

Forthill Road
SITE AREA: 8816m2
LOCATION: 5 Forthill Road, Broughty Ferry, DD5 2JT
PRICE:
Site introduction
Site is currently home to Anton House which belongs to Capability
Scotland. The centre provides training and activities for adults with
disabilities. The building no longer suits there needs and therefore
they hope to sell it. The site is bounded on all sides by a 6ft brown
stone wall and mature trees.
The original 19th Century mansion house sits to the North of the
site which slopes south towards Broughty Ferry town centre and the
water, providing views to the Tay and Fife. Modern extensions were
added in the late 20th century to the north and east and the current
floor area is approx 1292m2.
- Close proximity to Broughty Ferry town centre
- Enclosed site surrounded by mature trees
- Accessible location
84
85
Robustness
The plan illustrates the entrance junction to the site where Forthill
and Cedar Road meet. Even though there are not any defined
crossing points, the small scale of Cedar Road enables a safe crossing.
The surrounding houses have high garden walls with vegetation,
which creates a safe atmosphere when walking around the area..

86
87
Historic Maps
Planning History
The site is located within the Forthill Conservation Area and the site
also includes the historic Anton House. The area developed from
farming land with sites always being occupied by the farmhouse
to the surrounding farms, now the area is mainly residential. Many
of the surrounding buildings and boundary walls are listed. Todate no planning applications have been submitted for the house
and its grounds but any future applications will have to take into
consideration the sites location within a conservation area and
its proximity to many Grade B listed buildings. The site is also not
included in the Dundee City Council Development Plan.
1860
1900
1940
2014
88
89
13.0 Site Analysis

Glamis Road
SITE AREA: 7044m2
LOCATION: Glamis Road, Dundee, DD2 2EU
PRICE: POA
Site introduction
The proposed site was formerly occupied by housing association
properties and is bound to the east and west by residential
developments. Immediately to the north of the site is the busy Glamis
Road which provides excellent transport links to Dundee City Centre.
In contrast to the busy public frontage to the north, the site is bound
to the south by Balgay Park, offering a vast amount of public green
space within close proximity.
The site has a slightly sloping topography, falling from east to west.
There are a number of mature trees within the site which could be
maintained and incorporated into a landscape design. The site has
been identified in the Dundee Development Plan as having the
capacity to hold around eighteen houses.
The site forms part of an established residential community therefore
any issues regarding integration should pose no problem. With
the exception of a small grocery store, commercial there are no
commercial shops or cafes within the immediate surroundings.
Planning History
The site was previously occupied by the Margaret Blackwood Housing
Association but all buildings have been cleared. The site does not sit
within any conservation areas and none of the surrounding buildings
are listed or protected. The site is included on the Dundee City
Council Development Plan; reference no. H59. The site is designated
for approximately 18 units.
90
91
The plan illustrates the crossing point adjacent to the site. This
increases the safety aspect of the site as Glamis Road has high levels
of traffic. The surrounding houses are set back and their front gardens
act create a degree of privacy and separation from the road.
ODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Robustness

92
93
Historic Maps
1860
1900
1940
2014
94
95
13.0 Site Analysis

Maryfield Tram Depot
SITE AREA: 16473m2
LOCATION: Maryfield, - Forfar Road, Dundee,
Site introduction
The site comprises the former Maryfield Tram Depot in red and blue
engineering bricks with a forty bay south elevation providing a
boundary to Walrond Street and the land immediately to the North
and South East of it, bounded to the North East by the covered
Stobsmuir Reservoir. The eastern portion of the site faces onto
Stobsmuir Park known locally as the swannie ponds and Baxter Park
lies to the south within easy walking distance. The eastern portion of
the site faces onto Forfar Road which is served by frequent buses to
the city centre and suburbs.
Planning History
The site is situated within the Maryfield Conservation Area and is
adjacent to the Baxter Conservation Area. The site also contains two
Grade B listed structures and the surrounding area is home to a large
mixture of Grade A-C listed buildings. The Grade B Listed tram depot
was built in 1901 as the main tram depot in Dundee, the rest of the
site was partially industrial and party green, housing a tennis court
and bowling green to compliment the adjacent swannie ponds.
No planning applications have been submitted for the site but it is
part of the Dundee City Council Development Plan; reference no.
H20. The site has capacity for roughly residential units plus the re-use
of the tram depot. A planning brief as also compiled by the council
outlining their desire to ensure the character of the area is retained
and that the site is used mainly for residential use. A desire was
also expressed to see the tram depot saved and re-used in a way to
benefit the wider community.
96
97
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL
D BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Robustness
The plan illustrates the main junction adjacent to the site where Forfar
Road and Walrond Street. Although this is one of the main junctions
around the site, there is not a high level of traffic and the lack of a
defined crossing point does not create any problems. t is a quiet
neighbourhood, with plenty of green areas and good transportation.

98
99
09:00
12:00
15:00
09:00
march - equinox
september - equinox
june - solstice
december - solstice
100
12:00
15:00
101
Historic Maps
Site
Site
Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
Public
Publictransport
transport
Retail/
Retail/Cafs
Cafs
Health
HealthServices
Services
Green
Greenspace
space
Pedestrian
Pedestrian
friendly
friendly
Leisure
Leisure
Traffic
Traffic
Noisy
Noisy
Surroundings
Surroundings
OverlookedBy
By
SiteOverlooked
Neighbourhood
Total
Total
Public transport
Retail/ Cafs
Health Services
Green space
Leisure
Pedestrian
friendly
Traffic
Noisy
Surroundings
Overlooked By
Site
Total
Neighbourhood
Public transport
Retail/ Cafs
Health Services
Green space
Leisure
Pedestrian
friendly
Traffic
Noisy
Surroundings
Overlooked By
Site
Total
Neighbourhood
Site
Traffic
Overlooked
Green spaceBy
Noisy Leisure
Total
Surroundings
Pedestrian
Overlooked By
friendly
Total
Traffic
Noisy
Surroundings
Overlooked By
Total
44
55
44
55
44
-2-2
-1-1
Forthill Road00
529
29
-2
-1
29
Forthill Road
-2
-1
29
Forthill Road
Forthill Road
Forthill
4 Road 4
54
4 -2
5-1
-2
40
-1
5 29
29
-2
-1
33
44
55
44
33
22
-3-3
-2-2
Dundee Collage
00
319
19
-3
-2
19
Dundee Collage
-3
-2
19
Dundee Collage
Dundee Collage
Dundee
4
4 Collage
32
4 -3
5-2
-3
40
-2
3 19
19
-3
-2
Old
Old
Mill
Mill
Complex
Complex
11
44
44
55
33
33
33
-3-3
-3-3
Old Mill Complex

-5-5
112
12
-3
-3
-5
12
Old Mill Complex
-3
-3
-5
12
Old Mill Complex
Old Mill Complex
Old
3
4 Mill Complex
31
43
4 -3
5-3
-3
3-5
-3
3 12
-5
12
-3
-3
-5
12
Eliza
Eliza
Street
Street
55
55
44
55
55
3.5
3.5
33
-4-4
-3-3
Eliza Street
-4-4
5
19.5
19.5
3.5
-4
-3
-4
19.5
Eliza Street
3.5
-4
-3
-4
19.5
Eliza Street
Eliza Street
Eliza Street
3.5
5
53
3.5
4 -4
5-3
-4
5-4
-3
3.5
19.5
-4
19.5
-4
-3
-4
19.5
West
West
Street
Street
33
33
22
55
22
22
44
-1-1
-3-3
West Street
-1-1
316
16
-1
-3
-1
16
West Street
-1
-3
-1
16
West Street
West Street
West
2 Street
23
34
2 -1
5-3
-1
2-1
-3
216
-1
16
-1
-3
-1
16
Sensory
stimuli
29
19
Albert
Albert
Road
Road
55
55
44
55
44
55
4.5
4.5
-3-3
-1-1
Albert Road
5
27.5
27.5
4.5
-3
-1
-1
27.5
Albert Road
4.5
-3
-1
-1
27.5
Albert Road
Albert Road
Albert Road
54.5
4 -3
4.5
5-1
-3
4-1
-1
527.5
-1
4.5
27.5
-3
-1
-1
27.5
Maryfield
Maryfield
Depot
Depot
55
55
33
55
55
33
33
-4-4
-3-3
Maryfield Depot
-1-1
521
21
-4
-3
-1
21
Maryfield Depot
-4
-3
-1
21
Maryfield Depot
Maryfield Depot
Maryfield
Depot
5
3
35
53
3 -4
5-3
-4
5-1
-3
3 21
-1
21
-4
-3
-1
21
Salvation
Salvation
Army
Army
11
55
55
55
11
44
22
-5-5
-5-5
Salvation Army
188
-5
-5
-5
Salvation Army
-5
-5
-5
Salvation Army
Salvation Army
Salvation Army
41
52
5 -5
5-5
-5
1-5
-5
48
-5
-5
-5
-5
Brook
Brook
Street
Street
33
44
33
55
44
33
33
-3-3
-3-3
Brook Street-2
-2
317
17
-3
-3
-2
17
Brook Street
-3
-3
-2
17
Brook Street
Brook Street
Brook
3 Street 4
43
3 -3
5-3
-3
4-2
-3
3 17
-2
17
-3
-3
-2
17
Glams
Glams
Road
Road
55
44
33
55
55
22
44
-3-3
-2-2
Glams Road-1
-1
527
27
-3
-2
-1
27
Glams Road
-3
-2
-1
27
Glams Road
Glams Road
Glams Road 5
25
44
3 -3
5-2
-3
5-1
-2
2 27
-1
27
-3
-2
-1
27
Southward
Southward
Road
Road
22
55
55
55
22
44
33
-2-2
-4-4
Southward Road
-5-5
215
15
-2
-4
-5
15
Southward Road
-2
-4
-5
15
Southward Road
Southward Road
Southward
Road
2
5
42
53
5 -2
5-4
-2
2-5
-4
4 15
-5
15
-2
-4
-5
15
Camperdown
Camperdown
Park
Park
11
22
22
55
55
44
55
00
-1-1
Camperdown
00Park
123
23
-1
23
Camperdown Park
-1
23
Camperdown Park
Camperdown Park
Camperdown
5Park
2
41
25
20
5-1
50
-1
4 23
23
-1
23
-1-1
-5-5
88 Sites
Sites selected
selected with
with criteria
criteria based
based on
on previous
previous
research
research in
in to
to ASD
ASD and
and suitable
suitable environment
environment
5
created
roups
ple investigating
created
to research
Groups
to Week
research
3 separate
selected
created
selected
aspects
to research
aspects
of ASD
selected
of ASDaspects of ASD
sure objective analysis
Group meeting
1860
and
of
nd
visits
research
conclusion
conclusion
to each
report
possible
showing
site group findings and conclusion
Group meeting
Group
1900meeting
Week 5 Week 5
Group meeting
Week
Week56
Group meeting
and tutorial
Analysis
Analysis of
of Current
Current Models
Models and
and
precedents
precedents to
to compare
compare density
density
and
and feasibility
feasibility of
of Dundee
Dundee sites
sites
Analysis of Current Models and

precedents to compare density
and feasibility of Dundee sites
8 Sites
selected
with
criteria
based on previous
8 Sites 8selected
Sites selected
with criteria
with criteria
based
on
based
previous
on
previous
research
inenvironment
to ASDenvironment
and suitable environment
research
research
in to ASD
in to
and
ASD
suitable
and suitable

Week
5
Week
6
Groups
Groups of
of 33 people
people investigating
investigating 33 separate
separate
Groups
of 3 people
investigating
3 separate
sites
sites to
to insure
insure objective
objective analysis
analysis

Groups of 3 people investigating 3 separate

Group site visits to each possible site Production of research report showing group findings and conclusion
Group
Group
Production
site
site Production
visits
visitsofto
toresearch
each
each
of possible
research
possible
Production
report site
showing
site
report
of research
showing
group
Groupreport
findings
group
site visits
showing
findings
and
to each
conclusion
group
andpossible
conclusion
findings
siteand conclusion
12
e12selection
sites
sites selected
selected
based of availability / feasibility 12 sites selected
102
Pedestrian
Health
Noisy
Services
friendly
Surroundings
55
33

1940
Leisure
Retail/
Traffic
Cafs
55
Dundee
Dundee
Collage
Collage
munity Neuroscience
Pasterns
of of of Sensory
Pasterns
of
Social
Social
Neuroscience
Neuroscience
Affects
ofAffects of Pasterns
Affects
Sensory
each
behaviour
behaviour
usters and scientific
clusters
and scientificmedication
andmedication
scientific behaviour
medication
stimuli
stimuli
social
across
across
across
ups andcase studies
groups
case and
studies
case
studies
on behaviour
on behaviour
on behaviour
rprise
spectrumspectrum
spectrum
viduality
individuality
and feasibility carried out on

each site
Pedestrian
Public transport
Neighbourhood
Retail/ CafsPublic transport
Health Services Retail/
Green space Health Services
Neighbourhood
Leisure
Green Public
space transport
SiteCafs
friendly
Forthill
Forthill
Road
Road
Group meeting
and tutorial
Week
6
GroupsGroups
of 3 Week
people
of 663 people
investigating
Groups
investigating
of 33people
separate
3investigating
separate
Creating
3Week
separate
report
to cover findings of feasibility
sites tosites
insure
to objective
insure objective
sites
analysis
to insure
analysis
objective analysis studys for each site
Group
Group meeting
meeting
and
and tutorial
tutorial
Group site visits to each possible site
Creating report to cover findings of feasibility Week 6

studys for each site
Week 7
Group meeting
and tutorial
Group site
Group
visits
sitetovisits
each
Group
topossible
each
sitepossible
visits
site to each
site possible site
Individual Site selection based of availability / feasibility 12 sites selected

Individual
Individual
Site selection
Site Individual
selection
based of
based
Site
availability
selection
of availability
/ based
feasibility
/ of
feasibility
availability
12 sites12
selected
sites
/ feasibility
selected
12 sites selected
Analysis and feasibility carried out on
each site
Analysis
Analysis and
and feasibility
feasibility carried
carried out
out on
on
each
each site
site

each site

each site
Analysis
Analysis
and feasibility
and feasibility
Analysis
carriedcarried
and
out on
feasibility
out on carried out on
each site
each site
each site
2014
103
14.0 Conclusion
individual
unit
Outcomes
As a result of our group research it has been established that in most
cases a hybrid development would be the most appropriate model;
combining housing specifically for those with varying degrees of
Autism with housing for neurotypical residents for sale or rent on the
open market. The following factors have particularly influenced our
findings:

Scale - Due to the potential requirements of residents with ASD

such as increased parking provision one would need to achieve
an appropriate ratio of ASD housing, neurotypical housing and
green space to create a balanced development.
For example, if there are 16 individuals with ASD who each

have 1 full time carer living in 8 2 bedroom flats which also have
parking for 2 guests or family members and provide parking for
changeover of carers shifts, the 8 flats would require 48 parking
spaces.
Hybrid development model can prevent institutionalised feeling

and prevent ghettoisation.
Hybrid model encourages greater integration with the

community
collective
unit
cluster of
units
community
neighbourhood
Low density Sweetwater

Spectrum precedent
High density feasibility

exercise
Hybrid model
104
105
Forthill Road
Design Development
Dundee College
Each group member has selected two sites from the group of eight as
shown in the diagram opposite.
Eliza Street
site choice groupings

(two sites per person)
The next stage is to develop proposals for both sites to be presented

in Week 13 at which point we will choose one site develop it to a
detailed design level during Weeks 14-26.
Throughout the research process every exercise carried out has not
only produced valuable written information but also led to invaluable
discussions. Each step began with a discussion of what we hoped to
achieve, followed by individual or small investigative tasks, the results
of which were presented to the group and consequently discussed.
The impact of this daily group discourse cannot be fully grasped at
this stage. However, as we move into individual work the impact of
the depth and breadth of our group discussions will be evident in our
brief development and design proposals.
Albert Road
Maryfield Depot
Brook Street
Powerpoint
and wall
presentation
Glamis Road
Week 12
Week 8
Christmas
Research
presented to
year group for
feedback
106
Each member
of group
selects two
sites
Two site
strategy and
schemes
developed
Detail Design
Camperdown Park
107

Designing For Autism Research Booklet

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Designing For Autism Research Booklet

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Designing for Autism

[Research and Site Selection]

Old Mill Complex

8 Sites selected with criteria based on previous

Old Mill Complex

Old Mill Complex

Old Mill Complex

research in to ASD and suitable environment

research in to ASD and suitable

Individual Site selection based of availability / feasibility Individual

[Designing for Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

2.0 The Triad of Impairments

3.0 Patterns of Behaviour Across the Spectrum

Autism is mostly a hidden disability. One cannot tell that someone

Difficulty with social communication

be confused with a lack of imagination. They also struggle to predict

1. The National Autistic Society. (2014). Anxiety in adults with an autism

[Designing For Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

There can often be a division between love and acceptance,

crucial if anxiety surfaces3.

Pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified.

Aspergers Syndrome (AS)

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

1. Soldinger, M (2009). The Autistic Me. BBC three.

Parts of the Spectrum

A high-functioning group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms

Parts of the Spectrum

A group (around 25 percent) whose symptoms more closely resemble

[Designing For Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

[Designing for Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

4.0 Sensory Issues in Autism

I am still perplexed by many people who do not acknowledge

When senses work too well (hypersensitive) or not well enough

[Designing For Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

[Designing for Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

Acoustically isolated spaces

Lack of uneven surfaces

02. Sensory Overload

03. Delayed Processing

Sensory overload happens when too much information is coming

Delayed processing refers to an increase in the time it takes to

This often occurs in response to sensory overload. When too

We can help to tackle delayed processing by introducing

Tackling Sensory Overload:

[Designing For Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

[Designing for Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

03. Sensory Shutdown

05. Gestalt Perception

06. Fragmented Perception

When an individual is faced with sensory overload a common

Gestalt perception is the inability to filter foreground and background

When too much information needs to be processed at the same time,

Aromas from kitchen and garden

Challenging behaviour: focus on one object or sensation,

Resists any change

Gets lost easily

Hears a few words instead of whole sentence

Focuses on unimportant objects instead of a whole scene.

Tackling Gestalt Perception:

[Designing For Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

[Designing for Autism] [Research + Site Selection]

5.0 Neuroscience and Scientific Case Studies