A Customized Smart Home and Interior Design Concept Co-Designed with and for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses increased over the last decades, as reviews show comparing prevalence rates reported from different studies. Due to different effects of the disorder, personal support is required and provided by formal and/or informal caregivers in various activities of daily living. With the help of a customized smart home and interior design concept the aim is to enable people with ASD to live a more independent and self-reliant life. Following a participatory research approach, the end users are involved in the context of use and requirements definition, concept development, and later also in the implementation, and evaluation process. The solution shall assist end users in performing activities of daily living. The outcome of the work at hand is a set of modular functionalities (sensors, actuators, interior design solutions) to be integrated in a living environment specifically designed for people with ASD.