Design For People with Intellectual Disabilities

Ellis, N. & Yi, Y.
Submitted in Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD)

Objectives

The presented systematic review explores the empirical studies regarding environmental design strategies that promote adaptive behaviors while improving problem behaviors of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Background

People with IDD perceive and interact with their environment differently from people without disabilities. Design research has not always considered these differences.

Methods

This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocols. The study reports findings from selected 32 studies.

Results

The review identified 26 design strategies. Five themes qualitatively organized these environmental attributes: coherence, affordance, control, stimulation, and restoration.

Conclusion

The evidence indicates that adequately designed physical environments can support the adaptive behaviors of people with IDD while alleviating behavioral problems. Design features not supported by strong evidence should be further addressed.

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