How do people with autism (like to) live?

Abstract

Research on inclusive design focuses on designing environments that account for the diversity in human abilities and conditions. People with autism, for instance, deal with their environment in a particular way because their different way of processing information influences their spatial experience. Literature offers a growing number of concepts to create autism-friendly living environments. These concepts start from putting people with autism centre stage, yet in their formulation the autistic person him/herself often risks to disappear from view. This raises the question what meaning and value these concepts have, and how designers can use them. The study reported here aims to reconsider these concepts by refocusing on autistic people themselves. Interviews were conducted with 11 adults with autism who are living more or less independently and were willing to share their stories about how they (like to) live. On the one hand, analysis of these interviews shows that concepts of autism-friendly architecture are not indisputable rules that can be applied straightforwardly, and that one concept may reinforce but also counteract another. In each particular situation thus a balance must be sought, which will likely be easier when designing an environment for a single known inhabitant than when designing for multiple known or potentially unknown inhabitants. On the other hand, visits to autistic peoples houses often gave a sobering impression: very common houses where only details suggest that someone with autism is living there. Often, however, reality often does not reflect the ideal situation they described. The latter starts not so much from how it should be, but from how they would like it most, which does not necessarily fit the traditional view of a good place to live. As a result, this study contributes not only to a more nuanced understanding of concepts of autism-friendly architecture found in literature, but also to a more colourful image of what an autism-friendly living environment could be.