BSI (2022)

This is an extensive guide for building with Neurodivergence in mind. Whilst this guide takes the form of guidance and recommendations and should not be quoted as if it were a specification or a code of practice, it remains a detailed guidance on the sensory needs of Neurodivergent people wen working with buildings and shared spaces. Working with the widest definition of Neurodivergence, this guide explores inside and outside environments and a range of building types and sizes. Each aspect of a building is taken into account from lighting to walls and floors to ceilings, as well as soft furnishings and area layouts (such as open plan offices).

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Dance and Ballestero (2022)

Educational environments can be difficult for those with sensory sensitivities. This article, aimed at both adults and children, focuses on sound in classrooms. It provides an introduction to the way sound is measured. It explains, in an accessible, clear and concise way, how building design can improve the acoustic quality in classrooms and other typically echoey and noisy spaces.

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NICE: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2019)

Content Warning: The term challenging behaviour is used throughout. Discussions of restraint

This webpage details the preliminary research into the Safe Home Environment Assessment Tool (SHEA) and planning process. The tool was developed by a group of Occupational Therapists as a response the NHS England’s 2015 Transforming Care agenda. Both the agenda and the SHEA were developed to support Autistic people and people with a learning disability to move from inpatient hospitals to community accommodation. The SHEA is a process that includes: A referral-screening tool and The Safe Home Environment Assessment tool. The aim of the SHEA tool is to help identify common risks that may need to be considered in planning accommodation options. This can include hygiene issues, absconding risks and sensory issues which need to be addressed to ensure dignity and independence whilst minimising distress. Through identifying risks early it can enable the design of resilient personalised homes within communities. This in turn may reduce placement breakdown and potential readmission to inpatient support.

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Autism Understanding Scotland

Here is a selection of resources and templates created by Autism Understanding Scotland, such as: Autism Passport, Autism Information Card, Sensory Profile.

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Black, McGarry, Churchill, D-Arcy, Dalgleish, Nash, Jones, Yan Yse, Gibson, Bölte and Girdler (2022)

A literature review focusing on the way the built environment is designed with the neurotypical in mind. The authors describe the impact of these design decisions on neurodivergent people and discuss how important it is to use this knowledge in design decisions.

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The British Standards Institution (BSI) (2023)

PAS 6463:2022 is a new standard to give guidance on designing the built environment. May aspects of the built environment can be uncomfortable or stressful for neurodivergent people. This new standard works to eliminate, reduce or adjust these potential negative impacts. The standard covers buildings and external spaces for public and commercial use as well as residential accommodation for independent or supported living. Guidance is given on a range of aspects including acoustics, décor, lighting, flooring, layout wayfinding, familiarity, clarity, thermal comfort and odour. The new standards reflect a commitment to ensure a neurodivergent affirming world and is the only guidance of its type with input from world-leading experts in both built environment and neurodivergence. The guidance can support organisations to meet legal and social requirements, including the Equality Act 2010, the Autism Act 2009, dementia-friendly charters and Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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Steve Maslin (2021)

Written by an architect, this book provides insights and guidance for project commissioners, architects and designers to create and build 'mind-friendly' environments.

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Rosas-Perez and Galburn (2022)

The researchers focus on the way sound is perceived and the diverse experiences people can have of the same sound. They suggest that acoustic environments need to be designed with a variety of acoustic needs taken into account.

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MacLennan, Woolley, @21andsensory, Heasman, Starns, George and Manning (2022)

An article discussing the outcome of a study looking at autistic adults experience of public spaces from a sensory perspective.

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