Study overview
This study explores how indoor temperature and noise affect people with autism, aiming to create more inclusive and comfortable environments. While most indoor comfort research focuses on the general population, this study highlights that autistic individuals often experience their surroundings differently due to sensory sensitivities. These differences can make standard comfort assessments, like questionnaires, not always suitable for autistic people. This research was carried out in the context of a broader effort to promote inclusive indoor environments.
This work was co-funded by the European Union and Interreg Italy-Austria BeSENSHome project, ITAT-11-016 CUP: I53C23001720007.
Why this matters
Autistic individuals may be more sensitive (or less sensitive) to environmental factors like heat or noise. This can lead to discomfort or stress in everyday settings such as schools, offices, or care facilities. Understanding these reactions is essential for designing spaces that support their well-being.
Overview of scenarios investigated
How the Study Was Done
Researchers worked with 25 autistic individuals and 25 typically developing (TD) individuals in a care facility. They created six different indoor scenarios by changing temperature and noise levels. These included:
- A baseline (normal 25 °C) environment.
- A warmer room (like summer conditions 28 °C).
- Sudden loud noises at two different levels (55dB(A) & 60dB(A)).These sounds reflect those commonly reported in the literature as sources of distraction or sensory overload, such as objects falling to the ground, passing vehicles, or heavy footsteps.
- Constant background noise at two different levels (55dB(A) & 60dB(A)).These were composed of non-intelligible human-made sounds, typically resembling indistinct conversations or murmuring voices, as often found in busy indoor environments.
Participants were asked to complete two types of assessments:
- Comfort questionnaires about how they felt in each environment.
- Attention tests that measured how well they could focus and respond to tasks.
The therapy room used for the study is illustrated in Fig 3. below:
Key Findings:
- Questionnaires Didn’t Work Well for Autistic Participants
Many autistic individuals struggled to complete the comfort questionnaires, especially when the environment changed. Their answers were often inconsistent or required help from caregivers. This suggests that standard surveys may not accurately reflect how autistic people feel in different environments. - Attention Tests Were More Reliable
Unlike the questionnaires, all participants could complete the attention tests. These tests showed that autistic individuals’ performance dropped significantly when the room was warmer or when noise levels increased. In contrast, TD participants were mostly unaffected by these changes. - Noise and Temperature Are Stressful for Autistic People
Even small increases in temperature or noise caused noticeable declines in attention and focus among autistic participants. Background noise at 55–60 decibels (about the level of a busy office) and temperatures around 28°C (82°F) triggered significant reductions in performance. These levels were acceptable for TD individuals, while appeared to be disturbing for the autistic population. - Standard Comfort Models Don’t Apply
Tools like the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), which estimate how comfortable people feel based on temperature and clothing, didn’t match the experiences of autistic individuals. These models worked well for TD participants but appeared to underestimate the discomfort in the autistic group.
Conclusion:
This study shows that autistic individuals are more sensitive to changes in indoor temperature and noise:
- Standard tools like questionnaires and comfort models (e.g., PMV) worked well for typically developing (TD) participants but failed to reflect the discomfort experienced by autistic individuals.
- Attention tests, on the other hand, provided consistent and meaningful results across both groups, highlighting their value as a more inclusive method to assess environmental impact.
- Even mild thermal and acoustic variations led to noticeable declines in performance among autistic participants, suggesting the need for quieter environments and moderate temperatures.
- These findings emphasize the importance of using inclusive assessment methods that capture the real experiences of autistic individuals—rather than relying solely on tools designed for the general population.
In conclusion, the use of attention tests enriches the understanding of autistic users’ needs. These insights contribute significantly to the development of more inclusive and adaptable spaces, thereby enhancing overall user needs and well-being.
Acknowledgements
This work was co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg V-A Italy–Austria 2014–2020 programme, as part of the BeSENSHome project (ITAT-11-016, CUP: I53C23001720007).
Arianna Marzi (1), Marco Caniato (1,2), Andrea Gasparella (1)
- Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen – Bolzano, Bozen – Bolzano, Italy.
- Faculty of Civil Engineering, Building Physics and Business Management, University of Applied Science, Stuttgart, Germany.
Read the full study here. Contact Arianna Marzi here for further information.
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