Developmental and educational psychology in the focus of architectural reflection : towards social inclusion of autistic children

Abstract EN

Our research focuses on the sensory impairments of autistic children and their perceptions of the spatial environment.

Our goal is to be able to offer adequate spaces to people with cognitive, mental or sensory disabilities to prepare them for an educational and social inclusion.

We had recourse to new technologies by measuring electrodermal activity to analyse and understand their emotional states, corelated to their behavioural models.

This work was carried out thanks to a very close collaboration between architects, engineers and child psychiatrists.

We noted similar electrodermal reactions in front of spaces with different architectural characteristics.

We presume that the integration of the autistic child in changing environments, even disturbed ones, can be beneficial for his therapy.

The proposed architecture goes beyond a classroom for all towards a classroom and a school for everyone.