TOWARDS INCLUSIVE MULTISENSORY LEARNING SPACES: A CRITERIA-DRIVEN DESIGN FRAMEWORK

Abstract

This article examines the issue of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in childhood, with particular attention to children aged five to ten who attend primary school, a context in which substantial challenges to inclusion and active participation in school life persist. This condition requires a significant paradigm shift in design, orienting it toward negotiable spaces capable of mediating meanings and fostering relationships among diverse forms of cognition. The research question guiding this article is: which design criteria support the development of a multisensory learning environment that is fully accessible to children with ASD and their neurotypical peers? The purpose of this study is to articulate a coherent framework of design criteria capable of guiding the development of a multisensory classroom accessible to both neurodivergent and neurotypical children, together with strategies required to translate these criteria into effective design practice. The research methodology was based on the collection of qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews and a structured validation questionnaire distributed to experts across the therapeutic, educational and design domains. The results revealed overwhelming positive feedback concerning the proposed design criteria. These findings contribute to the fulfilment of the initial research objective, demonstrating how a multisensory approach can provide both a theoretical foundation and a practical framework for designing educational environments that embrace neurodiversity.