Landmarks & Maps | Autism PDD

Very interesting Michelle...Wonder if Tammy has read this yet?

Karrie

that's pretty cool Michelle, I know Nicholas associates landmarks w/ going to Nana's when he sees the park before her house he starts to laugh and clap his hands then grins and almost anticipation of turning the corner and seeing her house LOL...also he see the big blue walkway near our house and knows that's the way to the beach and freaks out if I go by it w/out going to the beach, needless to say I take another route most days LOL

hugs,

Ali

My son knows the way to wal mart and if I take a different route into town where walmart is he freaks telling me "no this way !!!" pointing to the other direction, So now everytime we leave this house he freaks if I don't go that way because he knows that it leads to wal mart!!! I so hope he gets over this one he calls it the star store because it has a star on the sign!!! He also associates the bullseye for Target with Thomas the Tank!! But now you can get them at walmart shhh don't tell him he still doesn't know!! YET

Nita

Thought this might put some insight to obsessions with maps and landmarks...... read through the article; but specifically page 4

http://www.ratcliffarch.com/news/2005/articles/news_asid_ico n.pdf

Page 4
Helping Children Find Their Way

By REBECCA CLAY

Almost 25 years after graduating from my gigantic high school, I still have nightmares about wandering lost amid endless hallways of identical gray lockers. According to Janet R. Carpman, Ph.D., a partner at Carpman Grant Associates Way finding Consultants in Ann Arbor, Mich., I'm not the only one. You're not alone in being traumatized, says Carpman, who traces her interest in way finding back to her own experience of getting lost at age three. Problems with wayfinding which she defines as the ability to get from here to there and back again are a significant source of stress. And children are especially vulnerable.

While children usually aren't alone when they're trying to find their way around the largest, most confusing environments, such as hospitals, they do have to find their way alone through large spaces like schools, says Carpman. Time may be limited and the consequences of being late may be severe. Potential consequences include feeling ashamed, being embarrassed or missing things altogether. There may even be safety concerns, adds Carpman.

Even as wayfinding solutions help all ages, designers face special considerations when designing for children. Signs and maps may be above their level, both physically and cognitively. Children may simply be too short to see such aids. They may not even be able to read.

Carpman offers the following tips for helping children or adults find their way:

Signs and maps.
Signs and maps at the appropriate height and of the appropriate complexity can help children especially teenagers find their way around. But these are not enough. When designers think of the problem of disorientation, their solution is usually signs, Carpman explains. But wayfinding is not signs, it's behavior.

Uniqueness.
Making different areas look different is key. Institutions typically want things to look uniform, says Carpman. But one of the ways people use to find their way around is being able to see that one place differs from another. Designers should use color, wall and floor materials, lighting, artwork, plants or anything else they can think of to define unique spaces.

Landmarks.
Notable features can also help people recognize where they are and mark a trail to get back again. A memorable sculpture on the way to the library, for instance, can help tired students remember where they are when they emerge disoriented. Says Carpman, seeing that sculpture tells you you're on the right track.

Outside views.
Being able to see outside can help people keep track of where they are. When you're in a maze or an endless loop, its helpful to be able to look outside and get a point of reference, says Carpman.

Linear circulation.
Of course, designers should try to avoid creating endless loops in the first place. Circular pathways arent the only architectural no-no. Odd angles also confuse.

Consultation.
Designers should learn more about wayfinding, urges Carpman, author with her partner, Myron Grant, of Design That Cares: Planning Health Facilities for Patients and Visitors (Jossy-Bass, 2001) and the forthcoming Directional Sense: Everything You Need to Know to Find Your Way with Ease (M. Evans & Co.). Reviewing the wayfinding literature, going to conferences and teaming up with wayfinding experts can all help, she says.