Ideal classroom and workroom

Post Reply New Topic

What kind of classroom environment would be good for autistic children? I am thinking in terms of sensory issues and having an environment conducive to a full day of learning at school.

What about workplace environment, if you didn't have your own office and had to work in a big room with others? How would you arrange your workplace?

For me, I would like to have windows letting in natural light and have overhead lights off. I always loved it when the power went out at school, so we could have natural light.

I can't think if people are talking. I hate fluorescent lights.

I like no lights too, the softness is lovely.
But onesided glare (as in natural light from windows) is confronting/overloading for those who wear glasses.
Perhaps there is a compromise that can be created in a classroom situation, though I've never encountered such.

Unhelpful as it is, for me it would be home.

Other than that, yes, natural lighting — and not too crowded.
If listening to music is permitted as well, that would be great — scratching pens and coughs and whispers and such are distracting.

I can only speak from my own perspective, in my case:

Reduce unnecessary visual and auditory noise (e.g. not have every inch of wall covered with posters, lots of quiet working times, reduce or eliminate as much background noise such as computer fans, heating noise etc.). Lower light intensity.


I could not work in a big room with others. I am not good at filtering out background noise and visuals. I find 2 hours in an exam hall absolutely draining due to the amount of noise sources, movement, light etc. and that is nothing compared to a room of people with computers, phones, talking, moving about, coffee smells etc. I would need a small office, ideally in a room by myself while I worked with little or no background noise, low light intensity, low visual distractions etc.

Some things from my home country (school caused me so much stress in USA)

Group students into small sections by using tables.
For example, a classroom of 25 students could have 5 big tables with 5 chairs each.
This way:
- it would feel like you are in a smaller classroom because most of the time you see only 4 other people, even though the class itself is bigger.
- when doing group work you are already familiar with the 4 people's working style so you can all help each other, for example, you know one person needs things explained a certain way, or you know this person has more trouble with the class and needs help.
- when doing group projects, if the group is stuck, call the teacher and speak quietly, this doesn't distract other groups.
- because each group knows each other well, when working on the problems given by the teacher, people can work together or not depending on their preferences.

- I hate those little individual desks, all the moving around, people want to group with their friend across the classroom so they carry or drag the desks.... the desks get all messy... it's noisy, the teacher gets angry and starts yelling, it's more time setup up, less time learning. And by the time I actually go do the work, I am dizzy because of all the excitement around me.



Split students in each grade into separate groups
For example grade 10 class A, grade 10 class B, grade 10 class C, etc.
- Each group takes ALL classes together (they have the same schedule).
- That way you are always around familiar people. When you move to the next grade, your friends stay in your group (if they passed the exams, of-course).
(This is possible in other countries because they separate high-school programs into different areas (science, math, arts, humanities) depending on the university major people want to go for)

- Students don't move between classrooms, teachers do. When students go on break they keep their things in the classroom. Obviously if they have lab or gym then they will need to go a different place.

- Because there are groups of people per table, AND, each grade has different groups (ABC), you can trade help with each other in different subjects. If you're good at math you can help your friend who in turn helps you with French.

Things often overlooked in USA: All this will reduce stress hence reduce sensory problems.

- Make classes longer so there's actually enough time to LEARN. (This doesn't mean you'd be in school longer.)
Classes in USA are so short that by the time we get started it's almost time to go to the next class. Even worse is a lot of teachers spend time doing small talk, making even less time to learn. So students don't go deep in the material being taught, so they forget most everything.

- Make breaks longer so there's actually time to REST between learning.
Classes are so short, breaks are so short, move move move! You're always in a hurry so by the time you get to a class, you already forgot the lesson from the previous class. I can't "store" the information well if I'm so stressed!

But even if breaks were short, as long as students stay in the same classroom, at least it wouldn't be so stressful. And if you're tired, you can stay in the classroom and snooze for a bit during break.

- Hate very bright lights. A classroom is not a surgery room!

- Plain walls! No junk on the walls unless it's a temporary thing (for example, a map or diagram relevant to today's lesson).

- Teach one thing, then have students be quiet the rest of the lesson while they work on what they learned. I hate lessons where the teacher talks all the time, I just start drooling. Even if he's asking us questions.
So teach us the lesson, then let us do the work. Those who have questions walk up to the teacher's desk and speak quietly, then return to their desk. If they don't finish the work, let them finish at home. The next lesson, explain the solutions on the blackboard and take questions. No need to grade homework as long as you do your job to TEACH. Once every one understands and corrects their homework, then you can move on to the next lesson. Repeat.

I love school back home so much... it was amazing...!

I think my workplace is ideal. I work in a cubicle. I've decorated it with cats. There are cats on the walls, I have little kitty figurines on the desk, etc, and it's located in a great area. I like the people who sit just across the aisle from me. Though if I could make improvements, I would probably ask for more space to have more kitties, and perhaps windows. I like natural light. Although without the windows is fine, if we could only have the lights off. I love the lights off with only my computer giving its own light. Plus, that saves energy. Always important.

From my experience, as few people in the room as possible (I can tolerate some talking, though), lighting from the ceiling if necessary (I like when there's light so I can see well), no glare from the windows (I don't wear glasses), as little background noise as possible, so any source of music is not permitted, especially commercial radio stations. I can't tolerate harsh contrast for long, so I have to have some lights turned on while watching a computer screen.

Not many people (10 or so), with not a lot of extra talking (particularly of the type most teenagers seem interested in...), lights dimmed, and rather than moving between classes, have the teachers move, so the students would all have the same class. Larger desks also, but they would still be each students desk rather than clustered with other people. Also we would be allowed to work with other people if we want, but ABSOLUTELY NO forced group work if someone doesnt want to work with others. Also there should be computers or something to do when finished, to avoid boredom.

Thank you for your replies. There are many commonalities in them and good ideas that I had not thought of.

I am advising a local school district about creating good school environments for autistic students, eggspecially to manage sensory overloads, shutdowns, and meltdowns. If I eggsplain well about the problems and the needs of autistic students, then they may be willing to modify the special ed classroom or create a different one from the floor up.

Please reply if you have idears about this topic.

I started a nonprofit to open a daycare for Kidd on the spectrum. We are getting close! This information was really helpful. My son is 8 with high functioning autism and daycare is worse for him than school.