Special Kid Spaces: Color Selection for Children with Autism

     I want to start this article by saying, I'm in no way pretending to be a expert on the information I'm sharing here. I'm simply going to share what I've learned in the past twenty-four hours on the subject. I'd also like to say that I'm not making any recommendation about the education, therapy nor care of children with Autism.

Yesterday I was contacted by a friend  who has two children with Autism. The non-profit school, which they attend, is relocating to a new facility and they were seeking advice on colors for the twelve classrooms and the reception area. I was thrilled that they had contacted me, so I started digging to learn all I could about the special concerns, if any, for the precious little ones.

While choosing colors and understanding the effect of color on our senses in not new to me, what is new is the way it affects people with autism. I found a plethora of information about how colors, patterns, shapes and light affect those who fall on the spectrum of Autism. Let me say, that I learned that there is a very broad spectrum and that not all of the information will be applicable to all children. While my purpose for this project is just to suggest the group of colors (they requested that each space be different), I'll share some of the other findings.

Most of us are aware that color can affect us in various ways. Bright colors are used to elicit a stronger reaction, that's why they are used on logos and for sports teams. Softer or pastel colors tend to be calming and soothing, we associate them with nurseries, hospitals and spas. These are very general rules, so I wondered what else is there to know... if we want these kids calm, then we just paint every room in a pastel color, right?

Add caption

Well, what I learned is this, children with autism actually "sense" colors differently, and that bright and stimulating colors can actually "feel" painful for them. I read that the color red can actually seem fluorescent for a child with autism and even tend to glow or "move". Can you imagine how distracting that would be if you were in a room with a large "glowing, moving" wall?

While I wasn't particularly surprised that red was not the best color to use, I was surprised to read that yellows can cause some children with autism to have feelings of anger. I did not find out why it is thought to do so, nor does it seem that all shades of yellow cause the same feelings. You'll see that in my collections of colors, I have included yellows, but it very light tones. I've also included lots of shades of pink and lavender, not what you'd expect for a school that only has three girl students, but I read that in a study, most kids with autism gravitated toward objects that were baby pink. The purple shades, I chose because purple is thought to stimulate creativity and learning.

Pattern can also be very distracting for these kids. Stripes, even pastel stripes, can cause them to fixate. They tend to have a need for order and symmetry, so an uneven number of stripes or those of varying widths can go against that "need". Even pattern created by the sun shining through the slats of a window blind can be a distraction, so to eliminate that problem it is suggested to use solid colored walls and roman or roll shades.

A few of other short points and I'll move on to the scope of my job...
     * tables and shelves should be at a level comfortable for the children (this is only common sense in a space for kids) and book shelves should be at the same height or in equal increments to the tables. In other words, if the table is 24" tall, then book shelves in 48" or 72" heights will "balance" the space for the child.
     * toys, books and other "manipulatives" should be stored away from view. If they can't be put in closets, then they should be in solid colored bins so that the items inside can't be a distraction.
     * floors should not have patterned tiles, and should have soft finishes that are comfortable for sitting or lying on.
     * furniture should be heavy and made of natural materials because children with autism are very tactile, so metals and plastics can be very cold and lack texture, which they crave.
     * natural lighting or LED lighting is preferable for their spaces because florescent lighting is not only harsh, but even the sound that they make can be uncomfortable.

Boy! I could go on and on, but I will, instead, list the resources I used at the end of this article in case you'd like to read more on your own.

Now, on to my opinion of color selection. In any design, regardless of the person or persons occupying the space, I recommend that rooms in a single home or office have flow from one to another. That can be achieved through colors that are similar in shade or in tone. For example, we've all seen a color deck in a paint store. The colors on the same tab are similar shades of the same hue, but the ones in the same band of each tab are of similar tone. The farther down the tab, the more saturated the color, the top of the tab, the colors are very pale.

In most cases, I would suggest that colors from room to room be along the same band. It just "feels" better to me. Not everyone shares that opinion, and that's OK, if it works for you! In this case, I'm  recommending that all of the spaces be close in saturation, but that in rooms where the children will be playing that there be a slightly deeper tone. The idea behind this is that in spaces where you want them to exert energy, the colors will be darker, thus encouraging them to release it in the appropriate place so that when they return to a learning environment, they will be settled down for learning.

more "natural" colors

more pinks and lavenders

the softest palette

For children who are higher functioning and have the ability to distinguish color and/or give an opinion, it was suggested that they be given options of colors to chose from, however, in a school, that's not feasible with so many different children to consider. But, if you're reading this and you are considering color for your own child, it might be worth a try. I have put together five different color collections, they are very similar, but with slight variations. In a couple I've included a few brighter tones. I hope that the school will see a group that is pleasing to them.

full spectrum of colors,
including darker tones

a mixture of pastels and natural
with some darker tones

I've certainly enjoyed learning about the special design needs and considerations that go in to making well-fit spaces for all types of situations. For children with Autism, as well as, in educational environments. I'd like to thank the writers of the articles I consulted, as well as my daughter who is an educator and who has a love and passion for teaching all children, but who has a very big spot in her heart for her students with Autism.  I am, also, very grateful for the opportunity to put this together for my dear friend and her beautiful children.



*** The articles I pulled information from are following:

* Designing for autism, by Ginger McGuire
* Autism Facility Designed to Calm the Mind
*How to Design a Calming Room for Autistic Kids, by Chris Chagaris
*Reactions to Colors, by www.YourTherapySource.com