ALANNAH D’SOUZA
Sangama Interdisciplinary Lab
Diploma Project Proposal
“Like the lake, the boy's mind reflects things
A red ball here, a red ball reflected
The sky here, the sky reflected
The moon shining, the shining moon reflected
There were no thoughts in his mind,
no ripples on the surface of the lake
He did not know the red ball, but merely reflected it thoughtlessly
Like a camera, like a photocopy machine, he is a recording device
He sees, but does not know seeing”
-Poem by Autistic Eric Chen
The Design Brief
Autistic children have problems related to social interaction. I aim to develop a toy/ environment / activity to improve the level of the interaction of the autistic child.
Autism is a developmental disorder that inhibits and impairs social interaction and communication. Autistics experience the world very differently.
According to autistic, Eric Chen
• Autistics have difficulty coping with the world. They often spend their entire lives avoiding it.
• Autistics have difficulty participating socially. They can only pretend to be normal in order to fit in.
• They tend to feel lonely, angry and frustrated because they are constantly misunderstood by others.
• Deprived of social and sensory pleasures, they tend to find life full of pain and misery.
The Need
At home parents struggle to communicate with autistic children. Their interactions are focused on achieving various tasks that make up everyday activities- how to dress oneself, communicate basic needs.
At school too, the focus is on learning life skills, cognitive and motor development.
Through a few play sessions I have discovered that children learn through play and exploration. They are open to interaction when they are absorbed in the task and when the task requires the involvement of others.
Snoezelen
A Snoezelen or Multi-sensory Environments a Dutch concept is designed to offer individuals with special needs and challenging conditions the opportunity to exercise choice through action. These safe, non-threatening environments bridge cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, and physical impairments, as well as other limiting conditions to provide a sense of empowerment. These rooms are specially designed to deliver stimuli to various senses, using lighting effects, color, sounds, music, scents, etc. The combination of different materials on a wall may be explored using tactile senses, and the floor may be adjusted to stimulate the sense of balance.
My Proposal
To explore adding the dimension of interactivity to the concept of Snoezelen.
To observe whether adding this dimension will encourage a greater level of participation and communication in the autistic child.
Research Questions
What is play for an autistic child?
How does Snoezelen therapy effect an a child?
How do I add interaction to the concept of snoezelen?
How can I create opportunities for an autistic child to play with others?
What stimulation toys are available ? What are the pros and cons of these existing toys?
Approach/ Process
Research
Conduct research at various locations, that make up the child’s environment- Home, Clinic, School, Playground / Garden through observation and play.
Interview parents, teachers, family members, relatives and maids. Their input and point of view is as important in creating the interaction
Conduct research on how to create a multi-sensory experience- Materials and technology available
Design
Design iterations based on the research.
Noting down simple things (household items, regular objects) that children may enjoy.
Drawing ideas from existing concepts like Snoezelen and Floortime Therapy.
Noting characteristics that the toy should have.
Jugaad- Using existing objects (like walkie talkies, torches, cell phones), break them apart, combine for rough prototyping and quick testing
Validation
Refer the project’s progress at various stages of development to specialists- therapists, teachers for their input and feedback.
Read and learn as much as I can about autism and the variety of treatment and toys available through the course of the project.
Use quick prototypes or enactments of how the final product will work, to spot unforeseen glitches, possible misuse and areas that need improvement.
Documentation
I will maintain a blog to document the entire process. To share my discoveries, DIY possibilities and get feedback from a wider audience.
Materials/ Resources
Reading material
Dibs in search of self
Design for Autism- A Project by Stanford d.School
Temple Grandin mailing list
Online reading- Snoezelen, Floortime Therapy
Autism in India forum
Institutes
Spastics Society (Bangalore)
Comm DEALL (Bangalore)
Spastics Society (Mumbai)
Sadhna- A school for special needs in Mumbai
Ali Yavar Jung National Institute (Mumbai)
People
Dr. Shekhar Seshadri – Child Psychiatrist, NIMHANS
Dr. Maria Barretto – Cognitive Psychologist, Bombay Hospital
Learning Outcomes
I love working with children. I have been interested in working in the area of special needs for some time now. Through this project I hope to
Learn how to design for children who perceive the world differently and have specific needs
Design for a varied audience by finding a common interest. Autism is a varied disorder and each individual is unique.
Understand more about interactions. Create an interaction that is fun, yet simple and intuitive.
Find how a designer can play a role in a field that is very specialized.
How to write a research document in a way that is useful for others doing similar work.
The people I have mentioned under resources have agreed to guide me on this project.
Please read the other attached document ‘Play Session Documentation’. It contains play sessions I have had with Autistic children over the last few weeks.
Progress since 19th July, 2010
RESEARCH
Play Sessions
8 play Sessions with 2 autistic children
( i.e. 5 with a child with mild autism + 3 with a child with severe autism)
Institute Visits
Sadhna School near Sophia College, Mumbai
Spastics Society, Mumbai
Literature Review
I have begun Reading the following:
Sensory Integration and the Child - Jean Ayre
Love is not enough - Jenny Lexhed, Readers Digest , June 2010
Sensory Processing Disorder Website
Dibs in Search of Self – Virginia Axline
