Submitted by: Seo5 Consultings

Autism Architect, Cathy Purple Cherry, is the founding principal of Purple Cherry Architects. More importantly perhaps is the fact that she is the mother of an 18-year-old son on the autism spectrum and the sister of a Down Syndrome brother. It is obvious that through her lifelong interactions and observations of her brother and son and her educational advocacy for her son, she has an acute awareness of relevant triggers and environmental issues that impact individuals with disabilities.

She strongly believes that there are several design strategies that can be implemented into the school and home setting that aid children with special needs to be more successful during their learning years. While there are design guidelines required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) such as ramps, handicapped-accessible bathrooms, and stair railing extensions, there are other non-regulated improvements that greatly increase the ability for children with special needs to learn more successfully.

When designing an Autism architectural plan there are many aspects about special needs children that Cathy Purple Cherry considers. The most important aspects to consider are those that cause special needs children stress or impede their ability to learn. The design strategies that she employs take into account personal and social space; distraction inhibitors; durability of materials; time-out rooms; acoustics and other auditory issues; colors, patterns, and tactile issues; outdoor spaces, security, and independence issues; and technology and multimedia applications.

Cathy knows that children with special needs often have difficulty with a clear understanding of the personal space requirements between themselves and others. This misunderstanding can lead to intense conflict. As children, we learned how to take turns and to understand the distance we should stand away from people depending upon our familiarity with them. We also learned how to appropriately react when others enter our personal space. Many children with special needs are not aware of this social dance. They frequently come too close to others, causing an invasion of privacy and discomfort and leading to a feeling of disrespect or an explosive event. Cathy and her team at Purposeful Architecture know that the way the space is designed, and objects are places, can greatly reduce the potential for path-crossing.

Cathy Purple Cherry s life experiences and expertise have allowed her to recognize that children with learning disabilities also struggle with attention issues. This issue can be addressed by placing doorways of adjacent rooms in a way so that they do not directly align with each other. This eliminates a visual connection between the rooms and also helps reduce the noise transfer.

These are only a couple of Purposeful Architecture s strategies that allow children with special needs to cope more effectively with their surroundings and improve their ability to learn. It is clear that Cathy Purple Cherry is the Autism Architect to choose if compassion, experience, and expertise are high on the list of demands.

For more information regarding Purposeful Architecture and their Autism architectural designs please visit www.purposefularchitecture.com.

About the Author: The firm is passionate about serving special needs communities across the country. To learn more about the firm and these facilities please visit,

autismarchitecture.com

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Source:

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