U.S. researchers said they are developing a schoolyard that can become a therapeutic landscape for children with autism
"My main goal was to provide different opportunities for children with autism to be able to interact in their environment without being segregated from the rest of the school," King said. "I didn't want that separation to occur."The schoolyard could be an inviting place for children with autism, if it provides: Clear boundaries, a variety of activities and activity level spaces, places where the child can go when overstimulated, opportunities for a variety of sensory input without being overwhelming and a variety of ways to foster communication between peers, King said.
Chelsey King, a master's student in landscape architecture, and Katie Kingery-Page, assistant professor of landscape architecture at Kansas State University
Sources: Chelsey King, chelseyk@k-state.edu;
and Katie Kingery-Page, 785-532-5371, kkp@k-state.eduNews tip/hometown interest: St. Peters, Mo.
News release prepared by: Jennifer Tidball, 785-532-0847, jtorline@k-state.edu
Monday, May 7, 2012
A place to play: Researcher designs schoolyard for children with autism
http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/may12/autism50712.html
NOTE: playground picture is not a model of the schoolyards designed by Landscape Architecture Master's Student Chelsey King and Landscape Architecture Asst. Professor Katie Kingery-Page.]
