Project Synopsis

The Sensory World of the Autistic Spectrum

The sensory systems can be broken down into six areas. These can be divided into two main areas: hyper (high) and hypo (low) sensitivity. However, it is important to remember that the difficulties/differences may for some individuals fall into both areas.
Balance (vestibular) system
Body awareness (proprioception) system
Smell (olfactory) system
Sight (visual) system
Hearing (auditory) system
Touch (tactile) system
Taste (gustatory) system

A greater understanding of the sensory world of individuals on the spectrum allows you to help them develop in a more comfortable environment. 

MSE (Multi Sensory Experience) is designed to help creating a comfortable environment for an individual on the spectrum to avoid their senses being overloaded.”
Quoted from: http://www.nas.org.uk

The quote in bold is where I would need to do some field research. My limited experience so far include a visit to the NAS organised Day for Autism and the opportunity to visit a newly built Sensory Room (MSE) at the JFK school in Stratford, which I was told was built at great cost. Although the room’s design seem to follow a rather dated design and technology. The other issue is that according to NAS the

“benefits of MSE at present rely mainly upon personal experiences and observations, as there is only a limited amount of research.”

So in short it seems that there is a demand on further research. Not only to update the MSE experience but there is a scope for new conceptual ideas as well
This is the main area of my present interest, although, it is likely to change during the year as my degree project progresses. This project will be a valuable part of my learning experience and likely to be a major contributor to the final outcome. Additionally, I am planning on a PGCE course the following year as I am particularly interested in helping children with learning disabilities. It seems that there aren’t many designers who specialise in this area despite the obvious and evident need and demand.