Principles and standards for designing open areas for autistic children Case study (Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, Maine)

With the state's current tendency to raise the efficiency of people with special needs, and with the increase in the percentage of autistic patients, as autism is one of the diseases that has spread recently, and according to the statistics of the World Health Organization, autism affects one child every 160 children around the world, so design theories such as behavioral theory and others were concerned with the extent of The effect of designing the internal and external environment on the user and mitigating the negative behaviors associated with some disabilities such as autism, with the aim of creating a suitable environment for these individuals, especially children, so that they can adapt to their environment and rely on themselves, and engage in society and relieve his family of the burden of full responsibility for it However, the interest of designers in applying these theories was limited, and that interest focused on designing internal environments and ignoring the external environment, so it was necessary to discuss the importance and main aspects of external design and open areas for people with autism.
The basic lines in the exterior design for people with autism are useful not only for those with autism, but for all groups of society, as they give the mind peace and relaxation to pay attention to the clear details that anyone needs, so you may want to consider integrating some of these basic lines with the general design of the site.
And the integration of children into the external environment can help children with autism to acquire the ability to self-care and develop social communication skills, and the external design of the surrounding environment may play an important role because thinking about details contributes to improving sensory perception and better developing skills to adapt to the environment. Where people with autism perceive the world in a unique perspective, as the excessive sensitivity to sounds, smells, colors, and the importance of tactile rather than visual contact, are the basic pillars corresponding to the nature of people with autism.
Therefore, the research paper aims to set standards for designing open areas to meet the needs of autistic patients, and at the same time benefit children in general, as children playing in these parks and practicing motor activity develop their coordination and balance capabilities and develop their skills, including children's play areas and exploration of the natural world. Those around them have an important benefit in stimulating their psychological, intellectual, emotional and physical growth with the presence of sensory-kinetic stimuli that increase their ability to focus and pay attention and help with the passage of time to improve their health.