Inclusive educational environment for children with autism in Malaysia primary schools: addressing the issue of way finding
Inclusion of children with autism in the mainstream school falls under a regulation in Malaysia. However, existing school buildings still lack in providing enabling environment for children with autism. Moreover, current building standards and policies fail to address the wayfinding design requi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/68160/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/68160/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/68160/1/68160_Inclusive%20educational%20environment%20for%20children%20with%20autism%20in%20Malaysia%20primary%20schools.pdf |
| Summary: | Inclusion of children with autism in the mainstream school falls under a
regulation in Malaysia. However, existing school buildings still lack in
providing enabling environment for children with autism. Moreover, current
building standards and policies fail to address the wayfinding design
requirements of these children in mainstream educational settings. The
present research implies that wayfinding performance of children with autism
can be improved by providing an appropriate environment design. This
research employs both qualitative and quantitative research methods based on
environment and behavior studies. Objectives of this study are (1) to identify
different architectural elements that impact on the wayfinding of children with
autism and able bodied children, (2) to investigate the existing condition of the
primary school buildings in Malaysia in terms of inclusive wayfinding design
and finally (3) to suggest a model as a set of tools for design practice that
would ensure an appropriate and inclusive learning environment for children
with autism, in the context of Malaysia. This research is conducted in five
stages. First, through a rigorous literature review on autism and architecture
for autism, five design aspects for an enabling environment for autism are
identified. At the second stage, based on existing knowledge on wayfinding
and school design, twenty wayfinding design parameters are developed that
are directly related to these design aspects for an enabling environment for
autism. In the third stage, three evaluation tools; Wayfinding Design Parameter
Rating Scale (WDPRS), Environmental Assessment (EA) and Performance
measure for Children (PMC) are developed and methodology is designed. In
the fourth stage, previously identified twenty wayfinding design parameters
are further evaluated by the teachers and experts for their relevance using
WDPRS. Then an empirical study is carried out in both special and inclusive
schools to investigate the performance of children (PMC) in the presence of
the twenty wayfinding design parameters as environmental assessment (EA).
Finally, based on the findings, design model with a set off tools for wayfinding
in inclusive educational spaces is developed to aid the architects and designers |
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