Belonging in the Making: Investigating Inclusive Makerspace Design for Youth with Autism

Paper Title

Belonging in the Making: Investigating Inclusive Makerspace Design for Youth with Autism

Publication Info

• Topic area: Inclusive makerspace design for neurodiverse youth, focusing on autism.
• Keywords: Inclusive education, makerspaces, autism, assistive technologies, multimodal engagement, accessibility, community design, cultural resonance, STEM education, participatory design.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Makerspaces often fail to address the specific sensory, communicative, and social needs of youth with autism. Existing research on inclusive education and assistive technologies does not fully explore how these supports can be integrated into informal, community-based makerspaces.
• Significance: Inclusive makerspaces can empower youth with autism by fostering technical skills, creativity, and belonging. Addressing their unique needs in these spaces can enhance participation and equity in STEM and STEAM education.
• Motivation and related work: Prior studies have highlighted the potential of assistive technologies and multimodal engagement but have focused on therapeutic or clinical contexts rather than informal learning environments. Research on equity in makerspaces often overlooks autism-specific needs, leaving a gap in understanding how to design spaces that are both accessible and culturally responsive.

Solution

• Proposed approach: The study identifies strategies for designing inclusive makerspaces by synthesizing insights from educators, architects, and accessibility specialists. It emphasizes predictability, multimodal engagement, cultural resonance, and belonging.
• Novelty:
  1. Focus on autism-specific needs in informal, community-based makerspaces.
  2. Integration of spatial, pedagogical, and cultural strategies for inclusion.
  3. Emphasis on participatory design involving diverse stakeholders.
  4. Framework for makerspaces as "living infrastructures" that evolve with user needs.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Conducted semi-structured interviews with special education staff.
  • Facilitated focus groups with architects and educators.
  • Organized a public panel with disability advocates and accessibility specialists.
  • Thematic analysis of qualitative data to identify six themes and four overarching strategies.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Six themes emerged: visual/environmental cues, multimodal engagement, assistive technologies, personalized regulation, equitable belonging, and community/cultural sustainability.
  • Four overarching strategies: predictability, multimodal engagement, fostering belonging, and sustaining learning through cultural and community relevance.
• Advantage over baselines: The study moves beyond general disability accommodations by addressing autism-specific needs and integrating cultural and sensory considerations into makerspace design.
• Experiments / evaluation: Data collected from 12 participants (educators, architects, accessibility specialists) through interviews, focus groups, and a public panel. Analysis focused on practical strategies and stakeholder perspectives.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Lack of direct input from youth with autism; future work will include co-design sessions with youth and families.
  • Findings need to be applied and evaluated in real-world makerspaces.

Summary

This study explores how to design inclusive makerspaces for youth with autism by synthesizing insights from educators, architects, and accessibility specialists. It identifies six themes and four overarching strategies—predictability, multimodal engagement, cultural resonance, and belonging—that address autism-specific needs while fostering equity and participation. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating spatial, pedagogical, and cultural strategies and treating makerspaces as evolving infrastructures shaped by community input. Future work will involve co-designing and implementing accessible makerspaces to validate and refine these strategies.