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Purple Tayo
University of the Pacific
Subject Listing - Education
Advisor: Mr. Brett DeBoer
Friday, Oral Session 5, Presentation 5, Karpen Hall 113
IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR AUTISM
You are in a crowded room, the slightest whisper is deafening, the flickering fluorescent lights make you nauseous, and everything before you appears to be a chaotic mess of numbers and letters. This is the reality of autism. Although all autistic children require special education initially, integration into a "normal" classroom is appropriate for some, broadening their horizon. But teachers in regular classrooms are not typically trained to work with special needs children and cannot devote all their time to the new task since the majority of their students are non-autistic. Thus teachers must be educated about the challenges concerning autism through an accessible, easy-to-use reference kit. A graphically-oriented kit is the best way to achieve this. The kit will provide basic information on autism, propose helpful teaching methods, and provide solutions to the environmental distractions that often delay the learning process for autistic children. Images of problematic noises in the classroom such as air vents will be integrated as a quick reference to show teachers problems to anticipate. The educational video will also address these issues in a visual effort to communicate an autistic's mentality, something a standard reference guide (such as a reference book) cannot accomplish. For maximum accessibility, the kit is composed of a three-dimensional box with attached flaps holding the visual components, which include an educational video and reference manual. The reference manual is broken into sections with appropriate icons. The video addresses the manual but as an interactive vehicle. Incorporating this graphically-oriented kit into the classroom will reduce confusion and stress for teachers and present a reliable guide for addressing a crisis in the classroom. Thus, this project argues that graphic design is the best vehicle to communicate this material. To emphasize this, my oral presentation will be supported by PowerPoint and clips from the educational video to illustrate the power of graphic design in educating teachers about autism.
Advisor: Mr. Brett DeBoer, Associate Professor, University Art Department, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA