Overview of Autism
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills.
People with autism may be overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste; have unusual distress when routines are changed; perform repeated body movements; shows unusual attachments to objects.
Response to sensory information; does not startle at loud noises; has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste; may find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears; may withdraw from physical contact because it is over-stimulating or overwhelming; rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects; seems to have a heightened or low response to pain.
Green Building Design and Operation
The evidence is inconclusive on whether autism has genetic roots and is triggered by environmental effects. What seems to be a developing pattern is that the positive effects of sustainable building construction and maintenance practices have showed improved health benefits and improved quality of living from sustainability procedures. For the last 20 years, architects and interior designers have touted the benefits of light and color on the health of hospital and nursing home patients, now it seems that they are poised to create environments which will not lead to sensory overload that can aggravate negative effects in autistic children.
The inclusion of sustainable measures in schools appears to have a widespread impact benefiting the community, the school and its students. On the macro-scale, commercial and residential buildings are the second largest polluters in the world contributing to more than 38 percent of greenhouse gas pollution. Many designers feel that sustainable buildings create a healthier indoor environment from the start and operate more efficiently throughout their life cycle. Thus their contribution to the global pollution problems that created the proliferation of environmental toxins in the first place is reduced or even eliminated. The economic result of well designed, sustainable schools is that they have lower operating costs which means more money is reinvested in the school. On average, green schools reduce energy needs by more than 30 percent, investing $100,000 back into the school. This would be equal to hiring two new teachers, buying 200 new computers or 5,000 new textbooks.
(Data from www.buildgreenschools.org/gs101/)
An important component to green schools is that by instituting sustainable features benefits everyone. Some studies have shown that sustainable schools manage the off-gassing or furnishings and finishes by using low VOC, volatile organic compounds, chemical cleaners, acoustics, and mechanical systems appropriately. This limits compounds and toxins in the indoor environment that can improve the students’ ability to focus.
A recent report, “Greening America’s School Summary Report” found an average of 38.5 percent reduction in asthma incidents in sustainable schools as a result of the improved indoor air quality provided. (www.buildgreenschools.org/resources/research.html) Along with the healthier environment the new spaces control common distractions to children by shaping the entire sensory environment, allowing students to better concentrate on the task at hand. A study found students attending sustainable schools to have a 20 percent faster progression in math and 26 percent faster progression in reading. (http://h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/projects-PIER.htm) These schools boast not only better academic performance in students and higher test scores but also reduced absenteeism as a direct result of the built environment. The “Energy Performance of Daylit Schools in North Carolina” study found that students in sustainable schools were generally in better moods and healthier, attending school 3.2 to 3.8 more days per year. In fact, due to the increased vitamin D students in this study received as a result of their school, students had nine times less dental decay and grew in height an average of 2.1 centimeters more than students in less-sustainable schools. (www.buildgreenschools.org/resources/research.html) If these benefits are being seen in typical children, sustainable measures should have the same effect on atypical children. The benefits may not be as easily measured through test scores, but they may be seen in other ways; such as through increased concentration by eliminating visual and aural distractions or in helping to improve the child’s immune system by eliminating various building contaminants. Research has also indicated that sustainable schools aid in teacher retention, which supports the creation of a stable routine which is important in the education of children.
Normal maintenance practices in school systems may have an adverse affect on children. Mechanical systems that aren’t cleaned and balanced properly can re-circulate air and may also contribute to an above average noise levels within the building. Cheap air filters and inconsistent filter changes are not effective in removing outdoor pollutants and could trigger allergic reactions in children who are most susceptible. The overuse of harsh cleaners can introduce chemicals that may adversely affect the development of children. Pesticide- and insecticide-use policies often apply these products in excess and when not necessary, leaving residue where children play.
Intelligently selecting interior materials can eliminate the off-gassing of VOCs and improve the air quality of the indoor environment. The volatile organic compounds emitted from some of these materials are not only hazardous to a child’s brain but can also be in such high concentrations as to be distracting or cause allergic reactions.
When artificial lighting is used it should be held at a consistent level of diffuse lighting. Natural sunlight in rooms is desirable as it triggers the production of melatonin, which regulates sleep patterns, but the glare created must be controlled to avoid sensory overload.
Acoustics are another important element in the design of educational environments. An autistic person may endure physical pain from unhealthy noise levels and lose all focus in a classroom. Poor acoustics create an environment where it is difficult to maintain concentration. Unusual noises may also overload the senses of autistic children
All of these conditions contribute to unhealthy educational environments for our children, even though they can be avoided in conventional buildings as well as sustainable buildings.
Whether you have an autistic child, or just want to create a healthier learning environment, you should get involved with your school board to see what policies are in place to develop sustainable school settings. The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act is providing $20 billion over the next five years to implement sustainable measures into our nation’s schools. The LEED system is a useful tool for obtaining government funding and grants to incorporate sustainable practices into new and existing schools and the benefits obtained from LEED certified designs are also beneficial to children with autism.
