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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that impacts one’s social interaction, communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal), and cognitive function. Autism affects 1 in 60 children. Individuals with autism have trouble understanding facial expressions or social cues, and often see the world around them differently than a neurotypical individual (mainly increased sensitivity to sounds, motion, or lighting). As the name implies, autism is a spectrum, and no two individuals are alike. As the saying goes, “When you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Movies such as Rain Man (1988) or The Accountant (2016) showcase autistic individuals who are higher-functioning; they are able to verbally communicate and live somewhat independently. Other autistic individuals, such as my brother, Tyler, are lower-functioning. Tyler is non-verbal and unable to be independent, and our day-to-day life is greatly shaped by this.<br/><br/>One thought that haunts the parents of autistic individuals is, “What happens when they’re older?” Even more scary is the question “What will happen when I’m gone?” My brother is on the autism spectrum, and my mother describes these thoughts as ones that “keep [her] up at night.” She explains, “I think it’s important for him to be completely engaged and productive, and we have that right now because we’re in our little safety bubble...that’s going to end...and it’s kind of scary.” Around 50,000 children with autism turn 18 every year in the United States, and nearly 90% of autistic individuals lose access to the services they have relied on throughout their entire lives. My hope is that architecture can help to answer this question by providing a place for adults on the autism spectrum to learn how to eventually live and work independently in the future. By implementing certain design features and design criteria to minimize the sensory overload issues commonly experienced by individuals with autism, we can create a safe space for learning for young adults on the autism spectrum.
Nowadays, the development of undergraduate design education and practice varies significantly among countries as a result of the varying curriculum and pedagogical evolution. For instance, Chinese education in interior design has only thirty years of development while the United States has over one hundred years of experience in the field. Even though both educational goals expect students to be able to manage developing design concepts and design projects, the differences between the two are numerous. This thesis studies a comparative analysis between the two systems and aims to identify students’ real needs and their perception of studio-based learning at Nankai University in China and Arizona State University in the United States as a means to recognize possibilities to improve students’ learning experience. The study includes students, their studio spaces, and their interior design undergraduate programs in both universities. The study utilizes qualitative methods including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations. The study also includes an analysis of both undergraduate interior design programs in these two universities as case studies. The findings are analyzed and translated into physical and pedagogical recommendations. The findings should be of value for students and faculty in interior design programs in both countries.