Abstract

Museum outings can be stressful and uncomfortable for families, specifically for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder {ASD}. The essay examines what concerns families had while visiting a museum, starting with what is Autism Spectrum Disorder, how can museums bring change for people with special needs. The research study gathers current knowledge of musem interventions and ways to facilitate the preparation and encourage frequent participation by museum patrons with ASD. The analysis indicated that families require material to engage their children's attention on exciting moments and help children plan what they want to do during their experience. building communication between child and caregiver setting goals for a visit.

KEYWORDS + Autism Spectrum Disorder + Inclusive + Visitor Centered Museum; Preparation-in-advance; Family Visits.

Introduction

Prior to the 1800s, many people believed that people with disabilities were being punished for their wrongdoings; disabilities were seen as a form of the sin of divine retaliation. Early in the 1900s, 'awakened' western society began to view disability as a medical issue. Although Leo Kanner was the first to diagnose Autism as "early infantile autism," medical and scientific viewpoints moved dramatically after his discovery, widening the scope of additional conditions (Kanner, 1943}. By the mid-20th century, things were changing in the US. The government responded with varied arrangements of educational and rehabilitation initiatives, including creating "special education classrooms" and "least restrictive environments for special needs." Disability is considered natural in today's societal paradigm. The individual with a disability is not viewed as the one who needs to change, but society as a whole. This paradigm has a significant impact on the museum sector, and the museum community includes and engages the disabled group of people in building a learning experience for them.

This research paper is a collaborative study by practice with my project partners Shiwen Shen (Svaney} and Zhaolu Song. The purpose of the study is to help children with Autism Spectrum disorder, and their families prepare for their museum visit by concentrating on engaging their children's attention on exciting times and assisting them in planning what they want to do during their experience.

My contribution to this research is to look into how families require materials to help their children develop excitement and a sense of procedure to organise their visit to the Museum. This project gathers current knowledge of ASD and ways to facilitate the preparation and encourage frequent participation by museum patrons with ASD. Further, a literature review is done to understand the focus group and integrate methods in the result; it covers the Nature and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the rise of visitor centred museums, and the use of material for ASD children. The structure of these studies brings out directions to consider when using methodologies to define the design ideas. The essay aims to indicate how meaningful experiences can benefit both ASD child and their family to plan their visit to Museum successfully. Methods used for practice are in-depth - observations, directed storytelling, shadowing the classroom of special needs school for a week, and surveys. The creation of prepping bundle is befitted for social institutions like Science Museum in London to meet the needs of a diverse society and make museums exclusive and accessible for all. The objective is to provide information about the Museum's settings to the family of ASD individuals and their children to plan their visits around their comfort and convenience.

Literature Review

The purpose of the research is to integrate current related studies, synthesise them, and develop a structured and systematic integrated toolkit that will act as a method and strategy for visitors with ASD and their families planning to visit the Science Museum of London. To do so, information were gathered through a literature review in three key areas: the nature and characteristics of ASD, the impact of ASD on children. In addition, knowing more about autism-friendly museum interventions and the use of materials to prepare their visit, adaptations, tools, and activities.

Nature and Characteristics of ASD

Autism, also known as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a range of mental disorders of the neurodevelopmental type which causes social impairments, communication difficulties and restricted, repetitive behavioural patterns. With the increase in diagnoses, ASD has become the fastest-growing developmental disability globally. The centre for disease control (CDC, 2015) estimated that about 1 in 68 children had been identified with ASD; the figure has remained unchanged today. So what are the foremost characteristics of Autism? Unusual social interactions, impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication, and a restricted repertoire of interests and activities, all present from early childhood, are the significant indicator for autistic disorder, according to diagnostic handbooks such as ICD-10 (World Health Organization 1992) and DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994).

The current estimate shows that 700,000 people in the UK have a diagnosis of Autism. The National Health Service (NHS) in Great Britain defines that 'Autism is not an illness, and being autistic does not have to stop you from having a good life. People with ASD learn and think differently from most people, and they are addressed on the spectrum as they vary widely in abilities, intelligence, and behaviours. Indeed, we cannot ignore the special abilities when trying to understand Autism; a recent study suggested that more than 70% of autistic children and adults had a special isolated skill in memory (52% of the sample), visuospatial abilities (32%), calculation, drawing or music (about 17% for each area) (Meilleur, Jelenic and Mottron, 2014). For outstanding abilities of Autistic individuals, Linda Pring, in her research, talks about the savant skill defined by Miller (1998). (Pring, 2008)

Savants are people with low general intelligence who excel in a specific and often limited domain, such as musical ability (e.g. Miller, 1989), linguistic ability (Smith & Tsimpli, 1991; Dowker, Hermelin & Pring, 1996), calendar calculation (giving the correct day of the week that corresponds to a specific date), the arithmetical calculation (Hea (e.g. Selfe, 1977; Pring & Hermelin, 1997). The majority of savants have been diagnosed with Autism or Asperger syndrome or have autistic-like characteristics, known as autism spectrum diseases (ASDs).

Furthermore, to research, we cannot overlook the standard reports of sensory abnormalities, including poor registration, tactile challenges, delicate motor/perceptual problems, sensitivity to minute differences between stimuli, be they in sound, sight, taste or touch. (Myles et al., 2004; Kanner, 1943; Asperger 1944; Ermer & Dunn, 1998). These occurrences provide insight into the autistic person's peculiar psyche. For one thing, they suggest that Autism has both cognitive strengths and limitations.

Autism and Museums

Visiting a museum can be stressful for families, including those who do not have an ASD child. Generally, museums are complex environments having a large population visiting the extensive exhibits. The teachers of special education state that museums are often too anxiety-provoking for their students (Maxwell and Killeen, 2002). A family with an ASD child may encounter difficulty navigating, getting lost, and becoming sensory overloaded in unfamiliar surroundings. In the end, the child and his or her family have an unfavourable museum experience. Lango found in her research how peak hours are challenging. In her study, the research with parents/ caregivers reveals how children's unpredictable behaviour emerges to exit and move aside due to loud noises, bright lights, crowds and long lines (Lango et al., 2013). These factors are triggers that create adverse reactions, although they could be managed. According to parents, they look for information beforehand on web resources to make children more familiar with the environment at the Museum and organise their visit with their children (Lango et al., 2013). A website search for autism-friendly museums in the UK reveals remarkable museums in London, especially those catering to a youth audience, that have programs organised explicitly for children with ASD. Miro from Cairo. (2020), notably, not all museums in the UK have websites; therefore, their services tailored to ASD visitors aren't included in this study.

The rise of visitor-focused museums benefits people with learning and thinking challenges, impacting our economy, culture, communities, and all of our lives. The distinction is in how we shape the world. Because the world benefits when the 1 in 5 people who learn and think differently feel less alone and more understood. (Understood I For Learning and Thinking Differences, n.d.)

According to United Nations Chief, focusing on utilising technology for the correct type of adaptation can help students study inside the Museum while also removing a barrier to participation. (UN News, 2019)

Research has shown that the level of sensitivity could be managed by changing or adjusting the physical environment, for example, dimming lights, reducing volume, or noise cancellation, which can lead to a reduced overload of stimuli (Leekam et al., 2007)

"Freedom is the room to breathe and grow", said keynote speaker David Savarese using his assistive technology. The Emmy award-nominated documentary filmmaker is himself a person living with Autism.

It is clear that new possibilities can provide special needs populations with an inclusive experience, and it might welcome and support people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities (Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit, n.d.)

Use of Pre-Visit Material

Autistic individuals have a wide range of needs, and no single solution can meet them all. However, various interventions have been made today to create a positive museum visit, such as early openings for a less busy setting and having particular areas to relax and sit to moderate their sensory overload meltdown. The majority of consideration is to assist ASD children and their families in preparation for the visit, as museums can provide information in advance.

Gillian R. Hayes, in his article, talks about his research on how visual aids communication in grasping natural cues in the environment (Hodgdon, 2007) and how it can be used to help those who have trouble understanding and communicating information in everyday life. Visual schedules help neurodiverse individuals better understand time, events, and locations; therefore, planning a visit with visual material beforehand can aid in a comfortable visit. According to studies, in past research, visual cues have been demonstrated to improve the symptoms linked with ASD (Hodgdon, 2007). Visual strategies for improving visual communication: vol I: practical support for school and home. Quirk Roberts Publishing. Simon (2010; 2016) proposed that allowing visitors to express their thoughts and contribute to the development of museum experiences will result in more valued and captivating museums for all visitors. (Simon, 2017)

"When you give someone a special tool, you express that you value them and that you care about what you ask them to accomplish, which transforms into what they do in return

- Nina Simon."

Furthermore, ethnographic research reveals that prior awareness of the event, interaction with the event, resonance for the children, and rehearsing of the material influence children's event memory (Wolins, Jensen and Ulzheimer, 1992). The findings show that engaging ASD children's ability to recognise through perceptual and cognitive ability to retain knowledge and integrating more of their involvement to understand the characteristics of spaces within the Museum may make their visit more meaningful.

Methodology

The literature evaluation covered a wide range of topics related to how ASD individuals and their families potentially impact and enrich their museum visits. However, I would like to focus my research on making visit preparation more meaningful. The research approach I endorsed was to spend more time with the audience who have been challenged with it in their everyday lives; as a result, we opted to locate our research and design conclusion for the Science Museum, London, in order to build our ideas for creating a pre-visit experience. Examining museum spaces, evaluating how the target audience interacts with museums, witnessing neurodiverse children's activities and sensory perceptions, and talking to parents about their child's difficulties and wants in the museum environment were all part of the research.

Methods to make it happen, un-structured in-depth storytelling sessions were scheduled, as well as more museum visits and on-site observations, interactions with ground staff explainers at the science museum, and a ten-day observation of special needs children in a classroom environment.

IN-DEPTH DIRECTED STORYTELLING+ ON-SITE FINDINGS + OBSERVATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM+ SURVEYS

Observations

The idea is to monitor individuals' natural behaviour without interfering with or influencing them. In Science Museum, London, in-depth discoveries were centred on a range of perspectives, such as science museum experiences, dedicated maker spaces, and tactile and sensory interactions within the Museum.

• An analysis of the appropriate technology adaptations that are being used to assist youngsters in learning inside the Museum (a}.

• Understanding learning through creative exploration and sensory engagement with artefacts such as touching, hearing, and seeing them (b}.

• Observing the supported areas for children to sit and relax, as well as the pain points for children who are unable to reach their practical purpose due to distractions such as noise, strong light, and crowdedness (c}.

Naturalistic observation and shadowing at Gateway School of Mumbai

Through a partnership with a School, Gateway, a learning lab for special needs, we joined hands to observe their cohort of age 7 -16 years of children. Importantly gateway schools emphasise the parent-school partnership and work closely with each family to help students.

Indira Bodani, the school founder, mentions that "at Gateway-Mumbai, teaching begins with observation". So the purpose of our ten days of shadowing in a classroom 'simply observe, without interacting' was to observe children's natural activities daily.

Table for understanding key attributes of Behaviour

In-depth storytelling

With Parents/Caretakers

In order to explore the concerns parents of children with ASD had when visiting the Museum and gain more in-depth insights, we conducted a directed storytelling talk session. Parents were asked the following questions:

1. Have you ever taken your child to a museum, and if yes, where?

2. What concerns do you have when taking your child to a museum?

3. When taken to public spaces, are there any challenges faced with behaviour and communication concerns specific to your child?

4. Does your child like to play with materials, tactile objects?

5. What do you need to prepare or take care of before or while you take your son to a visit public spaces?

With Special Needs Tutors

From the teachers' point of view, we interacted with the communication coordinator of gateway school, Miss Nikisha Kotwal. Our main objective was to understand their thought process towards creating a learning experience for neurodiverse children.

With Programme Managers

Understanding programmes organised for ASD children can give us an outlook on what interventions are helpful to a meaningful experience. Hence, Emma Tutton from the British library gave us some critical insights on how is a programme scheduled according to their needs. What are the challenges necessary to keep in mind while planning for a considered audience?

Survey

Thanks to mobile devices, people can do online surveys from almost anywhere.

The goal of the survey with parents was to learn more about what senses their children are sensitive to and to obtain a broad idea of how willing they are to take their children to museums. Through social media and eager volunteers, the survey form was sent to the audience.

Survey Response

Usability Testing

Parents of children on the autism spectrum

The first test of the design result was conducted with parents of ASD children in order to study the experience through the relationship between parents and their children; the conversation centred around memories of happy and unpleasant outings with family.

Children with ASD at home

Our prototype was handed to young players aged 3-7 years on the spectrum to play with under the supervision of their parents. We were astounded by the enthusiasm with which the action to use was taken. The goal was to pinpoint issues with item holding, motor skills, materials, and visual support.

In the Science Museum, with neurodiverse and mainstream children.

The finished version was shown in a museum under the supervision of parents, and both neurodiverse and mainstream children freely interacted with it.

The goal was to see if the design modifications based on input were assisting the youngster in comfortably engaging in the experience.

Findings and Results

The key findings through research studies and methodologies showed that knowing ASD individuals' common challenges can help museums learn to support them. Many organisations are making small changes that could make a vast difference for people with spectrum conditions, such as downloading a map at home and a relaxed morning opening for the least busy time in the Museum. However, research study has given us more clarity of validating our thoughts of designing a meaningful system for the neurodiverse audience through a tool that can help them feel free, breathe and grow.

The study's main goal was to shed light on the motivations and needs of families when visiting museums. Parents often decide to exclude their families from museum visits to avoid the stress or sensory overload associated with the visit. A consistent finding concerning ASD children's ability to recall and understand experiences is more dependent on visual descriptions and personal involvement. In considering the needs of the child and parents, the focus for results became towards creating a systemised museum experience to encourage the child's independence in exploring and experiencing, along the same line also to plan a journey to meet the need of safety manageable environment and conversations with parents. After research, the three key focus points were to have an experience inculcating -Preparation to visit museums; Know before you go! , Elevating play with a purpose for a child, Building curiosity and engagement.

A further conclusion is that the findings that are positive in making an inclusive and visitor-centred museum experience are that it can bring several benefits to Museum, like quality learning experiences and enhanced opportunities for reflection.

Design outcome Results

Prompted by the questionnaire results and conversation with parents, the researchers discovered the beneficial effects of preparing for the visit and familiarising the child with the museum environment to help navigate the experience and set expectations. Findings from the user study indicated that families appreciated a dedicated website that provided pre-visit materials. However, their approach was different; some wanted to find information in advance for themselves like a map, some reviewed information available on the same morning they wanted to visit. These findings planted the deed for further developing our research into a design outcome with inclusive technologies and pre? visit material which can aid families to manage their museum visits.

Through our several site visits to the Science Museum, findings and learnings, user testings and stages of interactions

We implemented the idea to build a pre-visit system to support the child and their family to feel free.

FlexiKit-a prepping bundle is to help, arrange and plan a visit to the Museum has functions of reminding the critical importance of safety, sociality, and public space. The Designed outcome consists of a Sensory-stimulation based map, visual cue cards, tangible sensory evoking cards and a Virtual Reality experience of spaces shown in the map. Development of the project has been tested, overlooked, filled in gaps required from the point of view of materiality, motor skills, visual language and hierarchy for ease of understanding.

Designing the Pre-visit Experience Serves as a tool of engagement, capturing the imagination, building communication between child and caregiver setting goals for a visit.

Conclusion and future work

I began working on this project unexpectedly as I had never given much thought to neurodiverse children and their challenges to visit educational institutes like a museum. Nonetheless, when I started observing the parents of children with special needs. I started reading about it, a new scope of aim was built towards finding direction for moulding experiences for people who think and learn differently. As studies describe and my belief on new possibilities about how changing of context usage, looking at users motivation and development of resources inclusive of technologies can help museum experience for people with cognitive and learning disabilities. Ongoing present conversation with the Science Museum and British Museum London team, the possibility of making changes in current museum scenario to understand all is on thrive. For the future, our continued efforts to recognise and adopt innovative inclusion tools and adaptive strategies are vital if people with ASD benefit from visiting museums.

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