Creative design activities to support the complex learning enviroment of the classroom for children with autism specturm disorder (ASD)

Creating inclusive and effective learning environments for all children can be extremely challenging. How do teachers recognize the needs of their different children, the dynamics between them and adapt in response? This paper presents work from a doctoral study and aims to investigate the integration of multidisciplinary fields (design, art therapy, and education) to create a design thinking-based framework and toolkit, which can be applied in the classroom setting to enhance teaching and learning experiences for autistic children (children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)).This paper reports on initial fieldwork (case study) that investigates the design thinking of teachers applying arts practices to support the learning of autistic children, aged 5-6 years old. The case study has been carried out at Marine Park Primary School in the Northeast of England. This paper presents an initial cycle of the case study, which is researcher-driven. Further in the doctoral study ownership transitions from the researcher to the teacher and autistic children. This initial cycle resulted in the development of an arts therapy informed toolkit applied to create immersive learning experiences to address inattention and engagement with instructions and story-based tasks. The toolkit breaks down the lesson plans into more readily comprehensible components and translates tasks and worksheets into an immersive 3D learning experience. Reflections from teacher-research dialogues are presented that indicate an initial framework for day-to-day design thinking for more inclusive learning.