“ARTWORKS I LIKE”
Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 Background
1: 1 This report describes the methods, findings and implications of a
qualitative research study that explores the artwork preferences of
autistic people. It presents a number of insights into the qualities of
artworks and ways to use different types of visual art to create positive
engagement for people with autism.
1:2 The project was conducted by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at
the Royal College of Art, which has a special research focus on art and
design in relation to autism, in collaboration with Paintings in Hospitals,
over a six-month period from autumn 2013 to spring 2014. The research
was conducted by Dr Chris McGinley and Doctoral candidate Katie
Gaudion and supervised by Professor Jeremy Myerson, Director of the
Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design.
2 Methodology
2:1 The study adopted an inclusive design methodology to enable autistic
people across the spectrum to participate in the study, express opinions
on the subject and help to select artworks for the Chitra Sethia Autism
Centre in Cambridge. It also adopted a strength-based (as opposed to
deficit-based) approach, by exploring the sensory preferences, special
interests and different action capabilities of people with autism.
2:2 The study began by organising the extensive art collection held by
Paintings in Hospitals into relevant and meaningful categories for
research. A review of literature was conducted to assess different
perceptual theories in relation to how autistic people might visually
perceive artworks. Interviews with four experts in the autism field
enhanced the research team’s knowledge of how different artworks
might be experienced by those with autism.
2:3 The study then took a three-pronged approach to gathering research
data. An online survey targeted people with autism, their carers and
family members and academics and professionals in the field. A total
of 71 online surveys were completed. A specially designed booklet
covering the same subjects was distributed to four relevant centres to
be filled in by autistic people with their carers. Results from the booklets
were combined with the online survey. Finally, a postcard series of
artworks was shown to a small group at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre
in Cambridge, with preferences noted through the use of ‘like’ and
‘dislike’ boxes.
i
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
3 Findings and Principles
3:1
The study analysed responses to specific artworks covering 21 different
categories of work: animals; countryside; photograph/realism;
fragmented; buildings; optical; tactile; shapes; polychrome; technical/
detailed; sculpture; everyday life; flowers and plants; people; sea and
sky; abstract; cartoons/comics; impressionist; minimal; pattern/
repetition and monochrome.
3:2
This analysis generated a set of 17 artwork principles that were
qualified by a further round of expert interviews. These principles are
not intended to be prescriptive but instead aim to inform and guide
in choosing artworks with and for people with autism. The artwork
principles are as follows:
1. Special interests: Pairing the subject and/or style of an artwork
to a person’s special interests is a good way to engender positive
engagement.
2. Detailed: Detailed, technically drawn artworks proved popular with
some participants who became preoccupied with the level of detail.
3. Balance/Symmetry: Artworks that are balanced and symmetrical
are important to many people with autism who find uneven or
incomplete work frustrating.
4. Pattern/Repetition/Order: Artworks with repeating patterns,
shapes and details proved to be popular, appealing to a need for
predictability and order.
5. Counting/Systemising: Artworks with repeating elements that
viewers could count and systemise (eg leaves or bricks) were seen
as relaxing and calming.
6. Colour: While the study did not reveal any direct correlations
between specific colours and reactions to artworks, it did reveal the
general importance of choosing colours with special care for both
hyper- and/or hypo-sensitive people.
7. Narrative: Artworks that communicate stories and events in a single
image that is clear, simple and unambiguous can create a positive
experience and trigger dialogue.
8. Associations: Artworks that encourage reflection on positive past
experiences and associations (eg a scene of a seaside resort) are
useful to people with autism.
9. Realistic/Technical: Artworks with a realistic, precise and accurate
depiction of subjects were popular with participants, who were
quick to point out any inaccurate details.
ii
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
10. Distorted/Fragmented: Artworks that were neither realistic nor
abstract but adopted a distorted or fragmented approach to
subjects were widely criticised.
11. Sound: It is important to be mindful of responses to artworks that
evoke different sounds through colour, texture or pattern (eg the
buzzing of bees next to flowers).
12. Tactile: Satisfaction can be gained from touching tactile artworks
that use thick paint and/or other materials such as lace, wood,
ribbon or leather.
13. Foreground and Background: Some people with autism find it
difficult to distinguish between foreground and background, so
it is important for compositions to have a focal point and for
background detail to be treated with equal importance.
14. Context: Vague, incomplete or ambiguous information in an artwork
does not give the clear sense of context that many people with
autism require to enjoy it.
15. People: Individuals with autism can find social interaction and eye
contact a challenge, so caution should be exercised in the use of
portraits that gaze out directly.
16. Motion: Care should be taken in selecting artworks that elicit
different movements, rhythms and vibrations, especially threedimensional objects that require people with poor depth perception
to navigate and manoeuvre around them.
17. Abstract: Some autistic people are literal thinkers and find it
difficult to understand abstract concepts and metaphors. Concrete
representational artworks tend to create more positive engagement
than abstract work.
3:3
The report concludes with some general advice on the location,
context and positioning of artworks in the environment, and on
installing artworks (the use of temporary posters is advised to manage
the transition for the person with autism before the real artwork is
permanently installed). In an environment such as a diagnostic centre
for autism where it is impossible to personalise artworks for every
individual visitor, an approach is recommended whereby artworks are
arranged into themes and styles that complement a person’s hyperand/or hypo-sensitivities.
The project will conclude with an evaluation of selected artworks on
display at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, Cambridge, to evaluate
possible benefits to those with autism using the facility.
iii
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
CONTENTS
Executive Summary i
1. Introduction
1
2. Methodology
12
3. Selection Summary 19
4. Artwork Principles 41
1
5. Conclusion
59
6. References
64
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
1. INTRODUCTION
We all see and interpret things differently; this is particularly true with
artworks. Individual lives, outlooks and experiences determine visual
preferences and unique individual response to visual cues. For example
our response may be motivated by personal associations; a painting
of the seaside may be enjoyed as it evokes recollection of a holiday,
or portraiture may be generally disliked as we are made to feel uneasy
with the sense of being looked at. Cognitively we may prefer a realistic
style of painting over a more abstract representation, because we can
clearly recognise the subject without ambiguity, or we could prefer
subdued minimalist paintings over more colourful expressive paintings
as the former makes us feel relaxed. There is no right or wrong in
artwork choices, it is subjective and a reflection of the individual.
In collaboration with Paintings in Hospitals, this research project
invited autistic people across the spectrum, together with caregivers
and experts in the field to express opinions on the subject and to take
part in the selection of artworks for the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre in
Cambridge. The design team facilitated an inclusive process through a
range of design methods that invited the participants to explore a wide
collection of artworks, and express what they liked and/or disliked and
to qualify (where possible) the reasons for their responses, in order
to develop some understanding of how autistic people might perceive
and experience art. The research engaged a broad group of people with
autism, online; trialled methods with those using an assessment centre
and engaged face-to-face in a shared housing setting with adults with
autism with minimal speech and additional learning disabilities.
The aim of the research was to create a rich collection of qualitative
insights in order to assist in identifying the types of artwork or qualities
within artworks that provide the most interest and positive engagement
for people with autism. The design team drew upon any patterns and
correlations of response, to develop themes that were further developed
to inform a collection of artwork principles. The artwork principles are
not intended to be prescriptive but instead are suggested as a helpful
starting point for consideration when selecting artworks for and with
autistic people.
The project will conclude with an evaluation of selected artworks on
display at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, Cambridge, to evaluate
possible benefits to those with autism using the facility.
2
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
• Consent has been
granted for all
photographs used within this paper.
• The real names of the
participants have been
removed or replaced with
pseudonyms to preserve
anonymity.
• Throughout the paper,
the term ‘neurotypical’ is
used to describe people
who are not autistic – a
term widely used by the
autism community.
• The term ‘autistic’ person
is the preferred language
of many people with
autism (see Sinclair,
1999). In this paper, we
use this term as well as
person-first language
(such as ‘adults with
autism’) to respect the
wishes of individuals on
the autistic spectrum.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong complex neurodevelopmental condition, which affects the way a person interacts
with and experiences the world around them (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013). It is a spectrum condition, therefore it can affect
people in vastly different ways. Someone with autism might be very
sociable, while others find social relations difficult. Some have learning
disabilities while others possess high levels of intellectual ability. It is
also no longer considered rare: it is estimated that 1 in 100 people are
diagnosed with autism (Baird et al, 2006; Brugha et al, 2009).
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Art
“
There is a far better
relationship with pictures
of people than with people
themselves. Pictures,
after all, cannot interfere.
Charles was affectionately
interested in the picture
of a child in a magazine
advertisement. He remarked
repeatedly about the child’s
sweetness and beauty.
Elaine was fascinated by
pictures of animals but
would not go near a live
animal. John made no
distinction between real and
depicted people. When he
saw a group photograph, he
asked seriously when ‘the
people would step out of the
picture and come into the
room.”
Kanner (1943) p247
3
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Dr Leo Kanner (1943) together with Dr Hans Asperger (1944) formed
the basis of our understanding of autism. The description (on previous
page) is an extract taken from Kanner’s seminal paper ‘Autistic
Disturbances of Affective Contact’ (1943). The extract describes
how the children had a better relationship and displayed affection,
fascination and concentration with pictures of people than with the
people themselves.
Since Kanner’s seminal paper, artworks have largely been used to
nurture expression and communication for people with autism, with
little exploration of a person’s perception and engagement with art.
Extending Kanner’s description of children’s responses to pictures
of people and animals, this research will investigate how people with
autism perceive and react to a variety of artwork subjects and styles
from painting to sculpture and photography.
Autism Spectrum Disorder:
strengths based approach
Research conducted by the Helen Hamlyn Centre
for Design in collaboration with autism charity The
Kingwood Trust, adopts a strengths-based (rather
than a deficits-based) approach by exploring
a person’s ‘triad of strengths’, including:
1. A person’s sensory preferences
2. Special interests
3. Different action capabilities
These strengths provided a framework and
informed the design process. Using a strengthsbased approach, the design research team
hypothesise that a persons sensory preferences,
special interests and how they visually perceive
and experience the environment are important
features to consider, as key influencers in artwork
references.
Each characteristic is described briefly (on the following pages),
followed by initial questions and thoughts relating to each.
4
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
1. Sensory Sensitivities
In the latest revision of the diagnostic criteria (the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; DSM-5, 2013)
sensory sensitivities for the first time, are recognised as a core
characteristic of autism. This can affect a person’s ability to interpret,
filter and regulate sensory information from the environment, leading
to a person becoming hyper-sensitive (over-stimulated) and/or hyposensitive (under-stimulated) by what they sense, influencing how
they perceive and experience the environment in which they live. For
example, while some autistic people find certain sounds (e.g. dogs
barking) or visual input (e.g. fluorescent lights) uncomfortable, others
seek out and take pleasure in such stimuli, such as the sound of the
desktop fan or watching washing machines spin.
Art is composed of a variety of textures, colours and shapes of different
intensity and style, which affect the ‘feel’ of an environment. Therefore
it is important that artworks compliment a person’s sensory profile
and how a person perceives and experiences artworks might be a
reflection of this. For example if a person is hypo-sensitive they might
enjoy artworks that include bright colours, rich textures and detail.
Conversely, a person who is hyper-sensitive might feel vulnerable
and overwhelmed by too much visual information, and many prefer
structured or perhaps visually muted art, where colour, texture and
details are limited or compartmentalised.
2. Special Interests
A person with autism may have rigid routines and special interests,
where they become focused or strongly attached to specific objects or
phenomena. One of the earliest studies to examine special interests was
the 1989 paper by Kerbeshian and Burd that looked at a child’s special
interest in pinball machines. Since then special interests has become a
growing topic of conversation within blogs, forums and autobiographical
accounts (Welton, 2004; Grandin, 2011; Trehin, 2006) and parent
accounts (Fling, 2000). There is a growing body of research exploring
special interests and how they may influence social interaction (BaronCohen, 1989/1997/1999, Atwood et al, 2003, Baker et al, 2000; Boyd
et al, 2007; Charlop-Christy et al, 1996/1998,; Dunst et al, 2010) small
pockets of researchers have also begun looking at special interests as
an important intervention for learning and skills development. (Vacca
et al, 2007; Vismara, 2007; Kavan et al, 2011; Kluth et al, 2009/2010;
Gagnon, 2001; Winter-Messiers et al, 2007/2007).
5
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“I began to get to know
my environment not
through interpretation but
through physically-based
sensing and for that I
began primarily through
touch. I began feeling
textures and surfaces
in my mouth, under my
hands, on my cheeks and
through my (insistently)
bare feet: shiny smooth
surfaces, solid and cold
surfaces, scratchy and
rough surfaces, boingy
surfaces that bounced.”
Donna Williams: 1998. P62
The subject matter of art is wide and varied so the possibility of finding
a theme and subject that can connect with a person’s interests is highly
likely. Matching the subject and/or style of an artwork to a person’s
interests can be a good way to select artworks to enhance the potential
that a person might positively engage with it. This becomes a useful
strategy when you consider, for example, a person who likes Thomas
the Tank Engine might enjoy an artwork with trains; a person who enjoys
watching cartoons might like pop art; a person who likes to spin objects
might enjoy an artwork featuring windmills and swirling patterns.
“Tom spends a lot of
his free time tearing
magazines. He particularly
enjoys looking at people’s
faces in magazines and
will tear around them very
meticulously. Tom loves
objects that spin and
has a collection of more
than 200 of them. He
also likes rubber objects
that bounce and pop up,
enjoying the suspense of
waiting for them to flip up.
Researcher
“I am interested in colour
because I like colour
coding. When I painted my
old flat I got the colour of
the paint closest to the
world atlas – sandy colour
represents 1000 metres
above sea level.”
Kingwood resident
6
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
3. Visual Perception
Autistic people may experience difficulty processing sensory information
visually, to understand how an autistic person might visually perceive
artworks, the design team drew upon three perceptual theories:
1. The unique perceptual experiences of people with autism was first
explored by Uta Frith’s (1989) notion of weak central coherence,
a theory that describes how a person tends to focus on the small
details of the environment rather than perceive it as a whole. This is
in contrast with gestalt psychology, which describes how people
firstly see an object as a whole before seeing it in parts (the whole
being greater than the sum of its parts). An autistic person’s
strengths might be processing local or detailed information in their
environment, in which the sum of its parts are greater than the whole.
How would a person who experiences weak central coherence
perceive and experience art? Would they find it difficult to
conceptualise the artwork as a whole and connect the foreground,
middle ground and background and instead focus on the different
elements individually that make up the composition?
2. Frith’s weak central coherence theory was followed by Motton
& Burack’s (2001) theory of enhanced perceptual functioning,
whereby an autistic person may have excellent focus on details
in addition to superior abilities in various aspects of perception –
recognising, remembering, and detecting objects and patterns.
This relates to some of the people that Kingwood Trust support who
have a heightened awareness of aspects of the environment, which
neurotypical people tend to overlook. For example, Pete will not walk
on shiny wet floors, Tim does not like it when the extractor fans in
the staff room are turned off and Sarah struggles with the sounds
emitted by objects if it is not in C minor pitch.
How would a person who experiences enhanced perceptual
functioning perceive and experience art? Would they enjoy looking
for patterns within detailed composition and/or focus on a tiny
detail within the background of an image?
Lastly Pellicano & Burrs (2012) describe how the perceptual
experience of autistic people is one that is less influenced by prior
knowledge about the sensory world. As a result, some autistic
7
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
people have a tendency to perceive the world more accurately
rather than imbued by prior experiences. Therefore in the context
of an autistic person’s interaction with the environment, could a
person’s difficulty with building up or using prior knowledge about
the environment lead to an idiosyncratic set of affordances? For
example the idea of weakened prior knowledge might mean that a
person does not have a robust model of what a washing machine
is (within a neurotypical context), in terms of what it looks like
(the perception of the washing machine) or what it is used for (the
concept of the washing machine). This might explain why Tim at
Kingwood is interested in the unintended affordance of his washing
machine, so instead of perceiving it as an object to wash clothes, he
has it on all day (with or without clothes) as he enjoys the sound and
spinning effect that it makes.
How would a person whose experiences are less influenced by prior
knowledge perceive and experience art?
If a person has weakened prior knowledge then this might mean
that they do not readily understand the context or subject
matter of an artwork, particularly as in most cases they will be
presented with images (e.g. landscapes) that they might not have
previously encountered. Also, not being able to build strong internal
representations of objects and events might mean that images are
seen afresh, rather than mapped on what is known about them
already. For example, autistic people might be less likely to classify
all the possible instances of a coffee cup (e.g. still life images, actual
objects, abstract representations) into a single internal category
that they know as a cup. Instead they might extract different
meanings when they see artworks of similar objects.
8
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“ When I step into a
room for the first time
I often feel a kind of
dizziness with all the bits
of information my brain
perceives swimming
inside my head. Details
precede their objects; I
see scratches on a table’s
surface before seeing the
entire table, the reflection
of light on a window before
I perceive the whole
window, the patterns on
a carpet before the whole
carpet comes into view.”
Tammet. 2009 p.177
Expert Interviews
The design team invited four experts to take part in
an informal interview to help gain further insights
about how an autistic person’s might perceive and
experience art. The experts included Jon Adams
and Robyn Stewart, both talented artists with
Autism, Ian Wilson who has facilitated creative
workshops with adults with autism with learning
disabilities and limited speech and lastly Catherine
Manning a psychologist and PhD Candidate at the
Centre for Research in Autism and Education.
Ian Wilson
Ian is the Art Co-ordinator at
the Hoffman Foundation and
has over 23 years of experience
of working with adults with an
Autism Spectrum Condition.
A wealth of informed and
exciting ideas are provided to
support social and personal development through
participation in a range of arts and crafts related
activities, such as drawing, textiles and furniture
making.
See more at: http://www.hoffmannfoundation.org.
uk/art-centre#sthash.hFgnKJHh.dpuf
Jon Adams
Jon’s seeking of the ‘concealed’
in his art often reveals his
Aspergers naturally systematic
thinking via his inclination and
ability to uncover systems
within everyday interactions
and landscapes. His current
work weaves photography, video, sound recording
and digital sound and visual manipulation, 3D
installations, traditional sculpture and illustration.
He specialises in digital accessibility and socially
inclusive work. Jon was awarded an RSA Fellowship
in 2012 and serves on the Arts Council South
West Area Council and a Director of the ‘Artist
Access to Arts Colleges’ scheme. He is also on the
partnership board for Fratton BigLoca.
9
“Thinking back to my diagnosis there was no art on
the wall there was leaflets and pictures and other
peoples health leaflets and it was distracting in a
way, and it probably wasn’t helpful.” Jon
Robyn Stewart
Robyn has a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome
and is an artist and author of The Independent
Woman’s Handbook to Super-safe Living on the
Autistic Spectrum. She is also
an NAS (National Autistic
Society) Ambassador. Her aim
is to help educate, support and
raise awareness on the Autistic
spectrum.
http://www.robynsteward.com
“The thing about having artwork in the diagnostic
room is that its going to depend upon the individual
and what they focus on because for some people
you have to do a series of tasks…. so if you are in a
room that has artwork that the person gets
distracted by, then that’s going to alter their
response to a certain extent.” Robyn
Catherine Manning
Catherine is a PhD student and
Research Officer at the Centre
for Research in Autism and
Education (CRAE). Catherine is
interested in how children with
autism see the world around
them, and how this can impact
on their daily lives. She spends most of her time
working on her PhD, which is looking at how
children with and without autism judge the
speeds and directions of moving objects.
Catherine also spends one day a week working
as a Research Officer on the ‘Seeing the World
Differently’ project, which uses mathematical
models to better characterise and understand
perceptual differences in children with autism.
http://crae.ioe.ac.uk
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Booklet Participants
The Kingwood Trust
Kingwood helps people with autism and Asperger’s
to live the lives they choose. It makes sure they
learn what matters to the people they support and
what they want to do with their lives, and then they
help them make this happen. Their philosophy is
simple – they believe that people with autism and
Asperger’s can, like all of us, continue to develop
and grow, make choices and be valued, active and
contributing members of the community. That is
why their services are tailored to meet individual
needs and are built around supporting people
to live enjoyable, purposeful lives with a greater
degree of independence in their own homes, within
the communities in which they live.
www.kingwood.org.uk
ActionSpace
ActionSpace was launched in the 1960s and
established as an independent charity in
1984. Their aim is to support the creative and
professional development of artists with learning
disabilities and to create innovative, exceptional
and unique projects that provide London’s learning
disabled community with opportunities to engage
with the visual arts. ActionSpace supports the
development of artists with learning disabilities
in a professional studio environment and creates
innovative projects for people with learning
disabilities to engage with the visual arts.
http://actionspace.org
The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre
The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre is based on the
Fulbourn Hospital site, run by Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). Three
organisations were fundamental to the creation
of the diagnosis centre - the Autism Research
Trust (ART), the National Autistic Society (NAS)
and the N Sethia Foundation. The Centre accepts
national referrals for adults, in conjunction with
a post-diagnosis support Centre for people with
autism and their families in Cambridgeshire. The
Centre is also home of CPFT’s Cambridge Lifespan
Asperger Syndrome Service (CLASS) clinic. which
pioneers the specialist assessment of adults who
may have Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning
autism. The Centre also offers a range of services
including increased support for adults on the
autistic spectrum and meeting spaces for local
organisations and groups who support those with
the condition.
The Hub Day Centre
The Hub was opened in 1953 as a special school
for children with learning, communication and
behavioural difficulties, by Alice Hoffmann de
Visme MBE. In the 1970s the school became an
educational day centre as there were no provisions
back then for school leavers. The Hub provides
a service for people with autism and learning
difficulties. A large majority of the service users
have not been formally diagnosed with autism.
www.hoffmannfoundation.org.uk
10
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
2. Methodology
Existing research
The area of autism and art is under-explored, existing research tends
to provide insight into artists on the autism spectrum, their work and
some insights into subject and artistic style (Mullin, 2009, Hosseini,
2011, 2012, Miller, 2008). However, current publications tend to be
based more on abilities and outputs, focusing on autistic artists with
little research focused on interpretation and preferences of people
with autism as consumers of art (Osborne, Elliot, 2002).
Research positioning
As a relatively new approach, people-centred design research has
borrowed from and cross-fertilised with many methods from the social
sciences, particularly those connected to anthropology (Clarke, 2010)
with its qualitative, holistic, almost artisan qualities (Geertz, 2000).
Design anthropology, which sees designers engaging in social research
as part of their design process (Clarke, 2010), has emerged to look
beyond form, function and the materiality of objects, towards unpicking
complex interactions, social and cultural relevance and meanings
between objects and people (Clarke, 2010). A people-centred design
philosophy, fully engages with observational techniques and human
focus, gathering primary information in relation to issues where often
there is little existing prior research.
Quantitative and qualitative approaches differ not only in terms of the
techniques used but also the data collected (Creswell, 2009), as this
study’s intended to investigate personal choice and potential impact,
the choice was made to focus upon qualitative approaches.
Methods used included adopted and adapted social science methods
such as interviews, surveys, selection exercises and participantobservation.
Due to the complex and unique characteristics of autism it is required
that flexibility be built into the studies. A flexible design strategy was
therefore used (Robson, 2002), qualities of which being:
– Deal primarily with non-numeric data (qualitative strategy).
– Try to establish the worth or value of something (e.g. intervention,
innovation or service) with a focus on process.
– Involve some limited quantitative data collection, intended as a means
to ‘sanity-check’ qualitative findings.
11
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Theoretical Positioning
Qualitative research typically begins with research questions over a
hypothesis, as the purpose of such research is to explore phenomenon
through theory building rather than theory testing, inductive theory
is mainly associated with this approach (Bryman and Teevan, 2005).
According to Sim and Wright (2000) exploratory research tends to
involve inductive theory, where observation is the start point and sense
is made of these observations towards formulating frameworks of
understanding (Sim and Wright, 2000).
Validity and reliability as defined within quantitative research are often
difficult to apply to qualitative approaches; the approximation of truth
derived from the conclusions of research (Henn et al., 2006) implies a
specific truth, which for the purpose of this study is difficult to suggest,
due to the varying nature of the ‘users’ (i.e. people on the autism
spectrum), ‘context’ (i.e. differing locations, from home to communal
spaces) and indeed the ‘interventions’ (i.e. artworks).
Reliability was considered from an internal perspective (Bryman and
Teevan, 2005). Internal reliability in this study was provided through
more than one researcher’s involvement and agreement upon the
findings.
The findings of the qualitative research project principally established
a set of overarching principles for consideration in artwork selection.
12
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Primary Design Research
This project commenced with the task of organising the extensive
art collection held by Paintings In Hospitals (PIH) into relevant and
meaningful categories. This process started by examining existing
approaches for cataloging artworks, and adopting any useful methods
used. However, as the categorising was intended to be autism-focused
it was necessary to draw upon the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design’s
(HHCD) existing research and knowledge as to what might be necessary
to consider. Organising the art collection into relevant categories of
subjects and styles was influenced by the triad of strengths:
– Special interests – a topic explored in autism research and used
extensively in previous HHCD projects
– Sensory preferences (hyper and hypo sensitivities) – a topic explored
in autism research and used extensively in previous HHCD projects
– Visual perception – a topic explored in autism research and further
explored through expert interviews with The Centre for Research in
Autism and Education (CRAE).
Once the categories were decided upon a selection of artworks
was made to adequately convey the subjects and styles for further
exploration into preferences (see page 19.)
The overall aim of the research was to explore the ways people with
autism respond to artworks, investigating whether there might be
benefit in installing artworks in a variety of settings, in particular the
Chitra Sethia Autism Centre. The research process looked to present
representative artworks from the PIH collection in such a way that
feedback could be gathered and inform selection. This research
intended to generate principles to allow better informed decisions
to be made when selecting artworks for environments used by people
with autism in the future.
In order to gather feedback on the styles and subjects selected, and
gain opinions on representative examples from the PIH collection, a
three-pronged approach was used simultaneously utilising different
methods and mediums (i.e. online survey; booklets; postcards)
simultaneously towards identifying consistent principles, in addition to
people with autism.
13
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Online Survey
The first approach was to produce an online survey, it was created
in order to reach a variety of stakeholders within the autism world.
In particular it garnered feedback from three groups:
1. People with autism
2. Academic and professionals in the field of autism
3. Carers/family of someone with autism
Online forums (e.g. Wrong planet; Autism Innovators;
Autism Speaks; UK Autism etc.) were approached with
a brief description and link to the survey.
Example of centre survey
There were 71 completed surveys. From this the breakdown
of respondees was 16 people with autism; 31 academics and
professionals in the field of autism; 24 family/carers of
someone with autism. The most useful material generated
through each method, including the online survey, was the
qualitative comment and opinion which was used towards
generating principles. However, the quantifiable details were
useful as indicators of popularity.
Artworks academics/professionals liked
Artworks people with autism liked
14
Artworks Family/carers liked
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Booklets
The next approach utilised booklets. The booklets contained the
same examples of subjects and styles as the online survey. However,
as with any engagement with people on the autism spectrum,
flexibility is often crucial, particularly when trying to include those
with minimal speech and/or additional learning disabilities. Hence
the booklet allowed input to be captured with support from a carer
or similar, at a pace and in a place that suited the participants.
Booklets were dispatched to ActionSpace; The Hoffman Foundation;
Kingwood College and The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre.
Example of booklet
Example of completed booklet
Artworks participants liked
15
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Combined Responses from People with Autism
The responses from people with autism from the online survey and
booklets were then combined to give an overview of how popular the
selected artworks were generally proving to be. From this an initial
collection of popular and unpopular artworks were proposed, each
being supported with a range of comments made by participants.
Artworks people with autism liked
16
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Postcard Task
Finally to gather insights from the specific context of the study
(i.e. The Chitra Sethia Autism Centre) a postcard selection task
was set up. As the footfall through the centre is small, the feedback
was limited, however, some interesting feedback was gathered and
indications of popularity noted.
Everyone (those there for assessment, staff members and carers/
parents) that used the centre was encouraged to give input, through
simply dropping a postcard into the ‘like‘ or ‘dislike‘ box, and giving
any further feedback on the reverse of the card. The numbers from
all the feedback are noted in the charts below, and feedback
specifically from people there for assessment was folded into the
overall principles.
Postcard activity
Completed postcard
17
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
3. Selection Summary
Selection
3. Photographic/Realism
4. Fragmented
6. Optical 7. Tactile 8. Shapes
9. Polychrome
10. Technical/Detailed
11. Sculpture
12. Everyday Life
13. Flowers and Plants
14. People 15. Sea and Sky 16. Abstract
1. Animals
2. Countryside
5. Buildings
17. Cartoons/Comics
18
18. Impressionist
19. Minimal
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
20. Pattern/Repetition
21. Monochrome
1. Animals
Title: White Elephants
Artist: Tissa Abeyasinghe
Quotes of interest:
“I don’t mind art that
General response:
The participants were attracted to the bright colours and different
shades of green. Nature was a well-received subject and the elephants
particularly popular. The bright, block colour and bold shapes made
some viewers observe a clear distinction between the elephants and
the background, and consider both in different ways.
The elephants made people feel happy, they looked ‘cute’ and presented
an engaging narrative. One participant went as far as to connect them
to their relationship with their own children. Some participants also
gravitated towards the background of the artwork, the accurate detail
and patterns of the leaves – one person’s particular favourite was the
colour of the leaves on the top left corner of the artwork with their little
yellow dots.
Further thoughts:
This artwork presents a lot of options for the audience, due to its crisp,
clear and vivid style. The participants may be able to enjoy it as a whole
and create a narrative around the artwork or just focus on the elephants,
or enjoy the details in the background.
19
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
begs interpretation, but
excites the mind, rather
than having any calming
effect. If you have people
in an environment where
they may already feel
anxious or agitated, I’m
not sure visual puzzles
or warmer colours are
good, If things have a
foreground, middle ground
and background, is this
too much? Is it good if
the painting separated
the subject matter with
space around itm and plain
backgroundm so there is
not too much visual noise
behind?”
“I like the way the
animals match into the
background and it’s bright
and stands out.
“The elephants made me
happy, the scenery makes
me calm.”
Qualities people noted:
Calming; soothing;
relaxing; happy; warm and
inviting; ‘makes me smile’
2. Countryside
Title: Evening in a Hayfield
Artist: Piers Browne
Quotes of interest:
“I like seeing countryside,
sea and sky when I am
indoors so that I can
remember what it’s like
being out in the open air.”
“Nature allows my mind
to grow bigger and relax.”
“I find that thinking about
the countryside reduces
my stress.”
General response:
There was a largely positive response to this artwork, which appeared
to have a calming and relaxing effect. One person mentioned how it
made their ‘head go big’, and the artwork triggered several people into
imagining being there and equating it to pleasant experiences, (e.g.
fresh air, cycling, walking and having a picnic). A criticism of the artwork
was that there was nothing to see in the distance, there was no focal point.
Further thoughts:
This subject and style of this artwork might work well in small enclosed
spaces. This artwork is not a visually loud piece, which may help a
person to relax and focus on what is happening in the space, rather
than being too distracted by the artwork.
The main critique of this artwork was that it was too empty with no
focal point and nothing to see in the distance. With this in mind it would
be beneficial to select landscape scenes that have some sort of focal
point (e.g. a building or tree in the distance). Interestingly there was
no mention of colour, which may be indicitive of the blending style
presented in this artwork, which may have contributed to a sense
of calm.
20 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“Scenes are more
interesting than mere
faces, and when
landscapes are used
they should not be empty
land. A lighthouse on
a beach, a cabin on a
mountain.”
Qualities people noted:
Peaceful; relaxed; stressreducing; soothing;
pleasant; ‘lets your head go big’
3. Photographic Realism
N.B: Not in the collection
Quotes of interest:
“I think it would be okay
to add a few portraits to
the mix, but make sure
they aren’t facing directly
out of their pictures. That
would be ... pretty creepy.
Something undefined
would be nice like a person
off in the background
instead of being the main
centre of attention.”
This image, although not a PIH piece, was included to gauge response to a
realistically depicted face, in non-classic portraiture style.
General response:
The participants appeared to like this artwork mainly because it is
realistic. A photograph requires less thought processing from the
viewer in comparison to an abstract piece of art, possibly making it
more relaxing and familiar to be around. Some participants did not like
the artwork because of the facial expression and difficulty in knowing
whether the person is happy or angry. One person commented that
they liked the black and white effect.
Further thoughts:
This artwork revealed that the realist nature of a photograph would
be an interesting medium to consider for the selection process (N:B:
not just of people but other subjects also). Potentially black and white
photographs may work better for a person who enjoys looking at details,
as colour could be a distraction. There were mixed comments with
regards to people as subjects of an artwork, but the quote (on the right)
is interesting and emphasises the importance of the angle of the face so
that they are not directly looking out at the audience.
Interestingly in response to an artwork that showed a group of people
playing rugby a participant said: ‘Images of large groups doing things
I don’t relate with. You don’t want art making autistics feel more
excluded.’ In light of this it is important to be mindful of artworks that
depict activities relating to a neurotypical culture.
21
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“I prefer a photograph.
I don’t know whether he
is crying or just about
to laugh or sneezing, so
for me it suggests things
because of my non reading
of faces, but I like the way
he is not looking at me in
the eye I don’t mind that
photograph at all, but it
puzzles the nuts out of me.”
“I don’t know what his
face is doing but he looks
very, very angry, so I don’t
like this piece.”
“I like photographs
because they are realistic.”
Qualities people noted:
Creepy; realistic
4. Fragmented
Title: Peckwater Christchurch
Artist: Brendan Neiland
Quotes of interest:
“I really like this it is very
interesting, all the little
parts distorted in some
way. it makes me think of
space and time.”
“I like this for the
different angles of the
same landscape.”
Qualities people noted:
Original; interesting;
engaging
“I had always known that the world was fragmented. My mother was a
smell and a texture, my father was a tone, and my older brother was
something which was moving about.”
Williams (1992) p.11
General response:
The participants found the fragmented and distorted differences in this
artwork interesting and liked seeing different angles and perspectives
of the same landscape. The collection of surreal viewpoints of one
landscape made one participant want to visit the place.
Further thoughts:
If a person with autism has difficulties perceiving things as a whole
and tends to break things down into separate components, it might
be advantageous to select artworks that have already organised or
separated the visual information. This might make it easer for a
person to focus on and attend to the image(s).
22
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
5. Buildings
Title: Untitled
Artist: Peter Gauld
Quotes of interest:
“The pictures should be
complete, but still clean,
not chaotic.”
“The use of so little
colour means there is
not too much detail and
it doesn’t shout at you.
You can then allow your
eyes to pick out the
architectural detail the
artist has used.”
“I like realistically drawn
General response:
This artwork received a lot of likes mainly because it was realistically
drawn and was technical with lots of detail. One participant commented:
‘the more exact the better’. This artwork exposed a good example of
how a participant may not be interested in the whole scene, but instead,
a small detail that related to a specific interest of theirs; ‘I like weather
vanes so the only thing I particularly like about this piece is the weather
vane on the first house on the left hand side.’
Further thoughts:
The main critique of this artwork was associated with the dull colour,
but interesting when there is a lot fewer colours it allowed the viewer to
better pick out the details. It could be interesting to test more technical/
detailed artworks with more colour, but the monochrome nature had
several positive responses. It will be important to be mindful of artworks
that look unfinished or incomplete, and how this will impact peoples
responses.
“It looks like someone started adding colour and after finishing the doors
forgot to fill the rest of the piece in.”
23
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
art, with lots of detail,
technical etc. To me, the
more exact the better.”
Qualities people noted:
Dull colour; realistic
6. Optical
Title: Sunset III
Artist: Barbara Webb
Quotes of interest:
“I really like the 3D effect
and you can’t tell if you
are looking up through
the ceiling at clouds or
through a sort of wall at
hills…”
“... it could be a puzzle
piece or something flat
with lots of shiny reflective
bumpy bits. It makes me
want to know what it is.”
“Good for resting my
“
eyes on.”
General response:
A lot of the participants liked this artwork, the 3D effect encouraged
people to be inquisitive about the perspective being depicted.
Further thoughts:
Although this artwork received a lot of ‘likes’ it also prompted some
negative responses. Hence, with optical artworks it is important that
they are carefully positioned in a place where a person can make the
choice to look at it or otherwise. The optical 3D effect may have a
powerful impact on people who have difficulty with vestibulation and
proprioception and create a sense of dizziness or disorientation.
Be mindful of positioning artworks of this nature in areas with lots of
activity (e.g. busy areas; thoroughfares; by doorways or staircases etc.)
as this might create unpredictable visual effects which may heighten
negative experiences. The three-dimensional nature of an optical
artwork may also entice a person to touch and interact with it, so the
artwork selected must allow for this.
24 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
I love the centre panel,
good use of layers that fits
well with sun gazing down
on the hilltops.”
Qualities people noted:
Difficult; confusing; weird
7. Tactile
Title: Untitled
Artist: Lubna Chowdhary
Quotes of interest:
“Don’t like the colours or
the patterns.”
“I think tactile art and
pattern pieces would
be great for an autism
centre.”
General response:
This tactile artwork received a lot of ‘likes’, if a person is hypo-sensitive
to touch it is important that artworks can be touched and provide an
interesting tactile experience for the individual. In this category we
explicitly described the artwork as tactile, hence people responded to
the notion of tactility; however, many of the comments related to the
visual qualities (an obvious limitation of two-dimensional representation
of a three-dimensional pieces), therefore it is difficult to gauge response
to the specific tactile qualities of this artwork.
Further thoughts:
If a person is hypo-sensitive to touch, they may enjoy touching things
around them, therefore they may enjoy paintings that use thick paints
and other materials (e.g. ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather etc.). Instead
of looking at an art piece a person may gain more satisfaction exploring
artworks through touch, for example following the paint strokes and
lines of colour with their finger. In some cases the frames might be more
inviting than the artworks themselves.
This is a visually busy tactile artwork, therefore if a person does not like
it visually they will be less inclined to touch it.
A tactile artwork with more subdued visual content would help shift
focus to how it feels. The autism centre will, most likely, encounter
people that are hyper-sensitive and/or hypo-sensitive to touch,
therefore it is important that tactile art does not impose itself onto a
person but instead is positioned in a space where a person can make
the decision to touch it or not.
25
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“I like aesthetic patterns,
they don’t have to be
repeating, just pleasing to
the eye and in harmony
with the surroundings.”
“Great for people that
have sensory problems.”
Qualities people noted:
Pleasing to the eye
8. Shapes
Title: Val D’Elsa II
Artist: Mary Webb
Quotes of interest:
“Abstract can work well
because people can look
and think what they like.
No one is right or wrong.”
“The blue square looks
out of place, it makes me
want to move it to the
right and put it where it
should be.”
Qualities people noted:
Simple; effective; boring
General response:
This artwork received a lot of likes, but very limited detailed response.
One person described how the thick black lines are ‘a little out there’.
Further thoughts:
Symmetry, balance and order are qualities to look for in artworks to
assist a start and finish.
It would be interesting to select a similar artwork, however, more
symmetrical so that the shapes (squares) are more ordered to gauge
the response.
26
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
9. Polychrome
Title: Untitled
Artist: Edward Dutkiewicz
Quotes of interest:
“Interesting use of
colours.”
“I like the pattern, shape
and repetition.”
“Good for resting my
eyes on.”
“I like bright colours.”
Qualities people noted:
Warm; bright; messy; soft
General response:
The participants responded positively to the bright colours and the soft
coloured lines.
Further thoughts:
One person felt it looked chaotic and messy. It would be interesting
to have a similar artwork but where the shape, colour and pattern is
more predictable and consistent. When using lots of bright colours it
is important to be mindful of people who are hyper-sensitive, they may
find the colour too overstimulating. It might be best to position artworks
such as this in a place where people will pass by it, rather than impose on
someone, such as those sitting in a space for a prolonged length of time.
Additional information on:
An autistic person may experience echolalia, (the repetition of words
and sounds) and enjoy engaging in activities which involve repetition.
Artworks that depict shapes, colours and lines which repeat might offer
comfort and reassurance for an autistic person. This offers ‘sameness’,
allowing them to identity pattern and make sense of it, which can be
reassuring because the person knows what to expect next.
27
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
10. Technical and Detailed
Title: Toys
Artist: Chris Orr
Quotes of interest:
“I like detailed drawings
because I can spend a long
time looking at them if I
am kept waiting.”
“Something to engage
with my pattern-seeking
mind is always restful. Like
mental knitting, sewing etc.”
“I look for pictures that
General response:
This artwork clearly demonstrated that many participants enjoyed
looking at it because of the detail, which allowed people to spend a lot
of time looking at it and discovering new things.
Further thoughts:
A person looking at this artwork may require time and space, therefore
to enable them to comfortably explore this artwork over a period of
time, it would be best to install this artwork somewhere that has enough
space around it. It might be important to avoid narrow hallways or busy
corridors, where a person looking at the artwork may block the pathway.
It would be preferable to position this type of artwork somewhere fairly
quiet so the person can focus and engage with the artwork without too
much distraction.
have something interesting
to offer, pictures you can
look at for several minutes
and still discover new
details.”
“I like diagrams in
technical and repair
manuals.”
“Busy things can cause
distraction and anxiety.”
“I like finding order in
the chaos that the artist
presents.”
Qualities people noted:
Interesting; confusing; fun;
groovy; cool
28
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
11. Sculpture
Title: Indian Leaf
Artist: Felicity Aylieff
Quotes of interest:
“A nice photo of a shell. It
reminds me of the seaside
and happy places.”
“I like all the leaves on
the ground and it makes
me want to know what the
number 13345 means.”
“I think you should
General response:
The artwork received lots of positive comments, participants
highlighted that the shape of the sculpture triggered memories and
encouraged them to imagine what the shape looked like or could be.
Participants commented on how they would like to touch and hug the
sculpture and that the physical interaction with a three-dimensional
sculpture might help to make people ‘think better’ rather than a twodimensional picture.
Further thoughts:
The image of the sculpture revealed some interesting insights. The
sculpture may have been the intended subject of the image, but many
participants were more interested in the leaves around the sculpture
and the number on the piece of paper in front of it. Because there was
no understanding and logic behind the number this became a point of
interest, where did the number come from, and what did it mean?
Different sculptures prompt different types of interactions, for one
participant the shape of this sculpture made him want to hug it.
Therefore sculptures can be chosen to compliment a person’s way of
moving and interacting. To avoid distraction from sculpture, it is best
that it is positioned with a clear space around them – even
a plaque might be a distraction.
29 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
definitely include
sculpture. I would like to
touch it. I love the qualities
of pieces of stone and
glass. I really like that and
it’s a very huggable shape.”
“I think children like
challenging sculptures,
makes them think better
than a picture would.”
“I like the fact its got
a number because you
can think why has it got a
number, However that can
cause anxiety to people
so you need to make sure
that is on the plaque.”
“I like that looks like a
stone but it kind of looks
like a log as well. It the
same time it looks like
a pasta and it has got
dots on it.”
Qualities people noted:
Quite boring; calming;
beautiful autumn colours;
huggable
12. Everyday Life
Title: Hat
Artist: Chloe Cheese
Quotes of interest:
“I like the table and chair,
it makes me want to know
what’s inside and the little
box and why those things
are on the chair.”
“The typical ‘a bowl
with a banana and an
apple‘ painting. I don’t
like it, I can’t explain why?
Maybe its causes hunger
and then I am frustrated
that I have nothing to eat,
but I can’t tell.”
“A bit too abstract and
General response:
This artwork was not very popular. The main focus was on the objects
on the table and chair, One participant felt frustrated, as there was a
box but no way of knowing what was inside. For another participant the
objects were in the way of the chair and they felt the chair was more
important than the objects on it.
Further thoughts:
With still life paintings it is important to look at how the objects are
arranged. Some people might like things to be neat and tidy and
organised in specific ways, therefore a still life of randomly placed
objects might look messy and out of place. If it is an object that they
also own, they might think why is their object in the painting and how
did it get there?
A person who enjoys lining things up might like a still life of objects that
are very much in line and organised. Select still life with space around
the objects so it does not look too messy and cluttered (e.g. a chair with
no objects or people sitting on it.)
30 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
not very engaging.”
“I think the objects on
the chair spoil the chair,
Sometimes the chair is
more alive than the person
sitting in it.”
Qualities people noted:
Too abstract; I don’t like it
13. Flowers and Plants
Title: Daffodils
Artist: David Koster
Quotes of interest:
“I don’t like the colours
together, I can’t tell if
they are growing in soil,
whether it is day or night
or why they are there.”
“Feel flowers brighten up
things and make a house
look nice too.”
“Why is the top half of
the painting blue?”
“That’s nice, it’s almost
General response:
The impressionist style of this painting of flowers, the choice of colour
and varied colour palette appeared to cause confusion about the
subject and context of the painting.
However lsome participants liked the colours and described the flowers
as talkingl and considered it an image that could be enjoyed universally
amongst autistic people and their caregivers.
Further thoughts:
Select artworks where the colours explicitly relate to the actual subject
matter with a clear distinction between colours. One participants
comment was the word ‘watering’; therefore it might be worth
considering the possible associations a person may have with the
subject of the artwork.
like an engraved print. I
like that it’s nice, it’s very
detailed it’s very buzzy, the
daffodils are talking and
the colours are nice too,
It’s restful in a way. If it was
in the big waiting room
or a corridor, as a person
with autism I wouldn’t be
disturbed to walk past it or
sit in front of it. It’s a nice
good painting and I could
see its appeal to my mum
or my dad while waiting
too, it wouldn’t cause me
the slightest bit of bother.”
Qualities people noted:
Pretty; cheerful; makes me
smile; bright; buzzy; restful
31
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
14. People
Title: Rugby Match
Artist: Aubrey Sykes
Quotes of interest:
“Style is good but I don’t
like the subject.”
“It sounds noisy and they
General response:
This artwork received substantial criticism. Participants could not read
or understand facial expressions and the majority of the response were
concerned with the subject matter or preoccupied with the background,
which was considered ‘fuzzy’.
The subject of ‘rugby’ received a lot of negative response, it was
perceived as being aggressive, noisy and a dislike for people touching
each other was expressed multiple times. A lot of participants could not
relate to rugby, it is something they would not choose to do and one
person said it makes them feel excluded.
Further thoughts:
As a participant suggested it might be best that if an artwork features
people that they are not the main focal point and directly facing out. To
help a person understand the facial expression or emotion of a person
in a painting, make sure the person is situated within a clear context.
Understanding where a person is and what they are doing will provide
clues about their facial expression.
It is also important to be sensitive about the choice of context,
something a person can associate with. For example activities that
involve teams and interaction might be inappropriate for some autistic
people who find social interaction difficult.
32
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
are all touching each other,
which makes me feel sick.
Also, I can’t tell if those are
people in the background,
but if neither team has any
supporters, as no one is
a fan wearing their teams
uniform. If these teams
have no fans they are not
very good teams. I don’t
like the idea of doing this
sport.”
“I like watching sport
and it is nice to see people
doing team work in the
picture.”
Qualities people noted:
Can’t relate; creepy; angry;
noisy; violent; weird;
negative associations
15. Sea and Sky
Title: Camus non Craell
Artist: Donald Wilkinson
Quotes of interest:
“Someone with a fear of
water will not want to sit
next to a beach scene. For
people without Autism
they can ignore it but
Autistic’s can focus and
even over-focus.”
“That’s very calming.
General response:
The subject matter of this artwork received positive feedback, many
participants described positive associations with water, the seaside,
sand and sea breeze. However, if a person has a negative association
with water, an artwork featuring the sea, a lake, a river or similar. might
be something they would not choose to look at or sit next to.
The participants described the colour palette, as being dingy and bleak
and the composition as boring, lacking detail and with no focal point.
Further thoughts:
It is important to understand whether a person would have positive or
negative associations to the subject matter of an artwork. Consider
how complete the subject or story within the artwork is, something
incomplete or unexplained may cause frustration. Select artworks with
a focal point(s) so a person can rest their eyes on it.
It’s quite lonely isn’t it.
That sea is painted very
well that’s almost like a
photograph. This is a bit
boring and bit depressing.
You could have a photo of
water.”
“My feeling is that a lot
of autistics just wouldn’t
read it as a landscape they
would see it as a grey drip
or something.”
“
I often like images with
water as part of the image;
it adds movement and life
to many works.”
Qualities people noted:
Nice; ‘let’s your head go big’;
dingy; calming; soothing;
bleak; not enough detail;
lovely; relaxing
33
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
16. Abstract
Title: Untitled
Artist: Paul Crackwell
Quotes of interest:
“Abstract is by far my
favourite. I don’t really
have a reason why, it just
is. I like finding order in
the chaos that the artist
presents.”
“Oh wow! I like those
they are nice and a sense
of movement to them
which is not overpowering
or overwhelming. They
flow you backwards and
forwards between the two.”
General response:
This artwork received mixed response, participants found it boring, or
could not find a story or meaning to it, or found it puzzling generally
Some participants enjoyed the challenge of searching for order in the
chaos, and as the artwork is open to interpretation a person has the
freedom to bring their own meaning.
34 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“Be mindful of shapes
where it is hard to find a
start or an end to them.”
Qualities people noted:
Not enough detail; boring;
too abstract; lost in
translation; boring
17. Cartoons and Comics
Title: Untitled
Artist: Rosie Brooks
Quotes of interest:
“I don’t understand how
this cartoon works, He
looks like he wants to go in
a rocket, so he does, and
he wears a space suit all
the time in the rocket, he
changes seats a few times
and then wants to see the
moon, so he does. That’s
all quite boring.”
“I’m not really into
cartoons.”
General response:
This artwork received a positive response with regards to the style,
however, participants found the narrative within the artwork boring.
Further thoughts:
The responses illustrated how it is important to consider the narrative
within an artwork. Although a person may like the comic style they
might attempt to follow the narrative of the artwork, which also needs
to be of interest to them.
A person with autism may be interested in cartoons but not all styles of
the medium, and it is also important to consider ageappropriateness.
“It’s quite engaging
really. It’s friendly enough
to make people welcome
and I am not considering
how it’s drawn, the colours
or the subject, its about
fitting it in with a certain
situation I guess. It’s got
a narrative to it, but not
sure about this picture, it’s
almost a puzzle because
it’s taken out of
a sequence.’
“I’m not really into
cartoons. Great drawing
style and funny.”
Qualities people noted:
Funny; engaging; makes
sense; friendly
35
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
18. Impressionist
Title: Poppies and the Sea
Artist: Jean Cooke
Quotes of interest:
“Lovely painting of a
poppy fieldm and it is
great respect for the
soldiers who have fought
in wars for us and risked
their lives.
“I don’t think you can
beat nature for beauty.
As an autistic person it
is calming with a natural
theme.
General response:
The painting of a poppy field created confusion for some participants.
As it was impressionist over realistic, participants did not immediately
grasp the subject matter. Participants found it too random with not
enough detail; one participant focused and became distracted by a
small detail in the centre of the image (i.e. a brown mark) and wanted
to know what it was. Some participants remarked on the beauty and
calming qualities of nature.
Further thoughts:
An impressionist style falls between abstract and realistic, which may
cause frustration for a person if they cannot interpret it.
“A beautiful use of red.
Wild poppies, lovely.”
“Needs more shading
and detail on the flowers.
I can’t understand what
this piece is about, maybe
its finger painting.”
“Too random and not
realistic enough.”
“This is probably the picture I like least so far. The
style falls into two camps
it’s not abstract enough
for it to be abstract and
it’s not realistic enough to
be realistic. The brown bit
looks like a dead beetle.”
Qualities people noted:
Confusing; lovely; random; beautiful; calming; strange;
can’t understand
36 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
19. Minimal
Title: Anatoli
Artist: Helen Chadwick
Quotes of interest:
“I liked the idea of
imagining something
exciting, what a good
thought to have. The
yellow stuck out.”
“I find that with my son
and others that I know that
too much pattern and too
many colours can over
stimulate them and lead to
sensory problems.”
General response:
Participants made several different associations and interpretations of
this artworkm such as deserts, faces and the sun.
Some people felt there was not enough detail, and one participant
found the yellow within the painting very noisy.
The colour yellow within the artwork received mixed responses, some
participants felt it lacked colour but a parent reported that too many
colours and patterns can lead to sensory difficulties.
“Interesting but unfinished but I don’t like the yellow. The yellow is noisy
from my point of view, if I was a child and walked into the room I would
have been frightened and I wouldn’t have known why, but that’s me.”
“It makes me think of a
desert and its so hot that
everything gets distorted
like a mirage.”
“Typical ‘Durer’ pictures
are something I like, as
he often only shows one
detail but because of his
pencil technique, you can
see the detail and how
he created it. I can spend
hours watching his pictures and analysing what
he painted, even if its only
a rabbit picture.”
“Wanted more colour.
It’s not mentally
challenging. Colourful
but not too bright.”
Qualities people noted:
Happy; sparse; noisy
37
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
20. Pattern and Repitition
Title: Steps and Ladders
Artist: Hynes
Quotes of interest:
“Good for resting my
eyes on. I like the pattern,
shape and repetition and
the way it leaps out of
paper.”
“I very much like this art
and it has been very neatly
drawn.”
“Boring I prefer realistic
things.”
“That’s good, that’s got
General response:
This artwork received little response. Participant’s liked this artwork
because it was a neat repetitive pattern with a 3D effect. The main
critique was the abstract nature of the subject matter, one person
found it boring.
a narrative, it’s got a story.
That yellow is fine because
it feels like gold, Even
though I don’t like yellow.
In my head it’s not a code
so every yellow gives me
the same experience, so
it’s not something overlaid
like that. It’s also to do with
the context and personality of the yellow. I know that
sounds very strange but
its about the personality. I
like that a lot.”
Qualities people noted:
Neat; boring; calming
38
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
21. Monochrome
Title: Circular
Artist: Fabian Peake
Quotes of interest:
“Reminds me of UFO
grass markings. I like soft
colours.”
“I like it but it’s making
my eyes go funny.”
“For the most part General response:
Participants liked the symmetrical nature of this artwork and the
tones were reported to be relaxing, however, some people would have
preferred more colours.
“You shouldn’t loose it. I have got a gut feeling about this one it’s good, I think you will be surprised by this one. Its complicated but it makes me
calm and there’s a depth to it so I think you might be surprised.”
the more toned down
and relaxed it looks, the
more suitable it will be
for an Aspie-friendly
environment. “
“What I like about it is
almost the transparent
hidden bits about it the
three or four sticks that
are just traces. There’s
a lot of movement in it. I
would sit and count.”
“It would take me over
to look into it, and I feel
it’s complete. It’s not
distracting me. I don’t
have to worry about the
mystery of it, I don’t
have to worry about
investigating it because
I feel comfortable with
it, because it’s on my
wavelength.”
Qualities people noted:
Simplistic; symmetrical;
complete; motion; relaxing
39 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
4. Artwork Principles
The following principles were drawn from autistic participants
responses to the presented collection of artworks in addition to
expert interviews.
The diverse nature of autism as a spectrum condition makes it
impossible to create a generic set of design principles. It is important
to note that the principles described are not prescriptive, but instead
intend to communicate experiences and broad themes to stimulate
thought and discussion about how autistic experience and perceive
artworks, as well as to context specific considerations.
A goal of this project was to gather qualitative information from
a broad spectrum of people with autism, and to use this towards
developing guiding principles that could be considered in future
selection processes.
These principles were drawn from data collected through a series of
engagements used to generate opinion and responses to an initial
selection of artworks representing a range of subjects and styles.
The derived principles were further developed and classified through
a series of expert interviews.
1. Special Interests
10. Distorted/Fragmented
2. Detailed
11. Sound
3. Balance/Symmetry
12. Tactile
4. Pattern/Repetition/Order
13. Foreground/Middleground/
5. Counting/Systemising
Background
6. Colour
14. Context
7. Narrative
15. People
8. Associations
16. Motion
9. Realistic/Technical
17. Abstract
40 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
1. Special Interests
A person may like and connect with an artwork
because it relates to their interests. Someone
who likes Thomas the Tank Engine might enjoy an
artwork with trains, a person who enjoys watching
cartoons might like pop art, a person who likes to
spin objects might enjoy an artwork that features
windmills and swirling patterns. Therefore, pairing
the subject and/or style of an artwork to a person’s
interests can be a good way to select artworks
to enhance the potential that a person might
positively engage with it.
Trains:
“If I was going to a diagnostic centre
now and if I was say 12, I think I
would really like to look at a picture
of Clapham Junction train station
at birds eye-view, sort of slanted so
you can see the trains but you can
also see the tracks and they sprawl
out. I would love that. It’s a system
and trains just don’t do what they
feel like, they go on rails and the rails
have to be organised so it’s a very
organised image. But then trains go
places and have different colours
and I think trains are exciting but not
everyone would think that.”
Bunkers:
“I am drawn to bunkers and those
sorts of shapes and these little
windows elicit that very similar
reaction it’s very interesting and very nice.”
Weather Vanes:
“I like weather vanes so the only
thing I particularly like about this
piece is the weather vane on the first house on the left hand side.”
41
Artworks that relate to a person’s interests
may initiate communication, joint attention and
provide a positive distraction from waiting for an
appointment, which may help a person to relax and
potentially minimise anxiety.
Below are some examples of how participants
connected artworks with their interests:
Spinning Objects:
“This one reminds me of a spinning
top, its got that feeling of motion
in the circular bit and I wonder
whether some people with autism
who like watching spinning things or
something might be drawn to that
picture because you do actually get
that sense of motion.”
Vehicles:
“This one’s got a lot going on in it.
I reckon they might quite like this
one because some people with
autism really like vehicles and that
kind of thing and there’s quite a lot
to keep you entertained looking at
the picture. It’s got a lot of different
things going on, different vehicles.”
Cartoons:
“My taste in art tends to reflect my
interests in certain subject matter.
I am less picky about artistic styles,
but I probably gravitate towards
comic book and western animation/
cartoon styles more.”
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
2. Detailed
Detailed and technically drawn artworks were
very popular with some of the participants.
Rather than perceiving and conceptualising the
whole composition, several participants were
preoccupied with the detail of an artwork, the
technical quality and skill of how it was composed.
It is important to consider that a person may need
time to process and explore detailed artwork,
looking for patterns within the detail, which was
described to be restful and calming. However, for
some too much detail can be difficult to process,
particularly if they have a short attention span and
are hypersensitive to visual stimuli. The density
of detail within a composition needs careful
consideration for each person, it might be that
one person enjoys an artwork rich in detail versus
someone who prefers no detail or one detailed
element on a plain background. The findings
suggest that it is best that detailed artworks
are limited in colours, that way a person can
concentrate on the detail without being distracted
by additional visual information.
“This is nice, I like the elephants.
Some people on the spectrum will
like that because it has got a lot of
detail. You could count the leaves for
each plant, and division of leaves,
and it has calm colours, not too
many different colours but there is a lot of detail in it.”
“I like it that you can keep looking
and looking and see different things.”
“I like detailed drawings because
I can spend a long time looking at
them if I am kept waiting for a long
time.”
“I look for pictures that have
something interesting to offer,
pictures you can look at for several
minutes and still discover new
details, not something you look at once.”
“If I was in a hospital waiting room,
waiting to see someone, I would be
looking at that, and that would make
me forget why I was there, which is
good.” “It’s similar to drawings I used to
do. I like the brickwork detail.”
“Typical ‘Durer’ pictures are
something I like, as he often only
shows one detail but because of his
pencil-technique, you can see so
well the detail and how he created
it, so I can spend hours looking at
his pictures and analysing what
he painted, even if its only a rabbit
picture.”
The artworks below were described as not having enough detail:
“Sun too sparse and not
enough detail.“
“Poppies needs more
shading and detail in the
flowers.“
“Sky and sea looks bleak
and not enough detail.“
42 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
“Not enough detail, too
abstract, not my thing.“
3. Balance / Symmetry
For some participants it was important that the
elements within the composition of an artwork
are balanced and symmetrical, otherwise it was
considered too chaotic. To illustrate this some
participants were frustrated with artworks
composed of geometric shapes that were
“The orange one at the bottom and
the pink are not in line.”
“Rectangles are going to appeal to
someone’s sense of order but not
sure if it’s even enough.”
“It looks like someone started
adding colour and after finishing
the doors forgot to finish the rest of the piece.”
uneven, did not line up or were incomplete with
no beginning or end. Participants also tended to
prefer artworks whose style was consistent and
did not change, if a style had changed within a
composition it was often pointed out as looking
out of sync or imbalanced.
“Shows symmetrically drawn
circle with circular lines in. The
squares included with the circle are
all symmetric and unfortunately
as soon as the circular lines and
squares are shaded it looses its
pattern and fades from the top right
to the bottom left.” “With each square there is an
instability, which might not appeal.”
“Be mindful of shapes where it is
hard to find a start or end to them.”
“That square is not even, not sure
what it is, it’s a shape with 5 sides.”
“Why is that one twisted around
when all the other three are straight.
The blue square looks out of place I
just want to move it back to where it
should be.”
“It’s that bit there that annoys me
(the bridge) its not as naively drawn
as the rest of it, that bit just looks
false and doesn’t fit.”
“I like that it draws my interest and
I would sit and watch that, sit and
look at that. I could be there but the
movement is very symmetrical, the
movement is not chaotic, this is very
patterned and thought about even
though the spaces aren’t the same.
It’s not perfectly symmetrical and
therefore not the perfect symmetry that I like.
43 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
4. Pattern/Repetition/Order
An autistic person can have difficulty in responding
to certain scenarios with managing transitions
and dealing with change, they may demonstrate
repetitive behaviours such as hand flapping, and
require structure, consistency and predictability
within their everyday life. Artworks that involve
repeated patterns, shapes and details proved to
be popular. This might be because it appeals to an
individuals sense of order, and the repetitive nature
of the artwork creates a sense of predictability
and reassurance, enabling anticipation of what will
happen next. Many participants enjoyed seeking
patterns and were able to recognise patterns within
detailed compositions.
“Chaotic and messy, so I don’t like it.”
“The pictures should be complete
but still clean, not chaotic.” “Busy things can cause distraction,
but also anxiety.”
“The lines are a bit haphazard and
not very ordered.”
“I like that one. It gets my approval.
I can see though how other people
might not, because like that orange
one, at the bottom and the pink
one they are not in line and people
might find that annoying but I like
the colours and the fact that it’s
organised.”
The organisation and structure of different
elements within an artwork was an important
consideration, there was a preference for artworks
where composition was ordered and structured
rather than messy and disordered. An artwork
with structure and order may also help a person
(particularly those that are hyper-sensitive) to
make sense of it. Many participants disliked the
disordered and more chaotic artworks. However,
one person remarked on how he enjoys finding
order in the chaos that an artwork might present.
“ It would certainly occupy me for
quite a while. The best way that I can
describe this is if you’ve got a history
book about the first world war or
whatever, and tore all the pages
out and jumbled them up and gave
them to someone to read that’s how
it makes me feel. So the narrative
is very jumbled but that’s not a bad
thing and it’s got a dream like quality
to it, it’s like one of my dreams
actually.”
“Even I can’t tell what’s going on. It’s
a jumble and everything is different
sizes, but some really seem to like
to look at really fine thingsm but I’m
not sure that these are as organised
as something like a Turkish carpet.
Something like that would fascinate
and be looked at for hours, but I’m
not sure, this might be a bit too
chaotic for some, but anyway they
would love the detail in that.”
44 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
5. Counting/Systemising
Organising, counting and systemising can be a
popular interest for autistic people. Objects such
as books, clothes and toys are often lined up and
sorted in a variety of ways, The process of putting
things in formation can calm and relax, through
introducing serenity, control and empowerment to
what can seem an unpredictable surrounding.
Several participants enjoyed artworks composed
of repeated elements, which they would then start
to count and systemise (e.g. leaves and bricks).
Therefore, artworks with uninterrupted and/
or repeated elements (e.g. colours, shapes and
textures) that a person can count and systemise
is an important consideration.
“It’s the every brick and every tile
that appeals to me. I would want to
count them, it’s complicated but
makes me calm.”
“There is something restful about
it and I am starting to count the
squares.”
“The sticks that are just traces.
There’s obviously a lot of
movement in it the rotational bit,
but I like these too (squares). I would sit and count.”
“You could count the leaves for each
plant and division of leaves, and it’s
quite calm colours, not too many
different colours, but there is a lot of detail in it.”
“This is the best part of it for me
– the water, I could sit on a beach
and watch the water run all day,
by a stream. I would systemise
it, but there would be differences
within each movement, each wave
is different, but just looking at the
difference I find that incredibly
peaceful and incredibly calming.”
45 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
6. Colour
A person can be hyper and/or hypo-sensitive to
colours, which might affect their everyday life in
terms of what a person might for example choose
to eat and wear. There is a huge potential for visual
expression within art. Colour, composition, form
and light all interact to create a range of moods.
Care should be taken to select and use colour
in a way that creates an inviting but not overstimulating experience.
Although the research did not reveal any patterns
and correlations between specific colours the
participants liked or disliked, an important insight
was that a person might experience colour with
a greater intensity. Colour can communicate
different things to different people and many
participants remarked on the colours within an
artwork when they felt an inappropriate colour was
“It’s certainly not drab colours that
are muted which is quite nice, I’m
particularly drawn to the pink. Its not
shouting out to me in an offensive
way, and I expect someone who likes
nicer brighter colours, it would suit
them, it wouldn’t suit me though.
So from a personal point of view its
nicely balanced I like the spaces,
its got movement to it and its got a
song to it, I can hear it and I hear this
bit (yellow) but the yellow is giving
me a headache.” used within the wrong context, as well as when
there were too many colours, too little colour and/
or too many changes in colour.
The colours yellow and red were disliked by some
participants with one suggestion being that
red can be an angry colour if a person thinks by
association. It is important to consider that even
though a person may not like the colour red or
yellow, for example this does not mean they will
dislike all shades of the colour as one participant
explained:
“Even though I don’t like yellow, in my head, it’s
not a code so every yellow gives me the same
experience, so it’s not something overlaid like that.
It’s also to do with the context and personality of
the yellow.”
“There is a lot of green in it so if you
stared at it for too long you might
feel sick.”
“Why is the top half of the painting
blue? I don’t like the colours
together, I can’t tell if they are
growing in soil, whether it is day or night, or why they are there.”
“I like all the colours and different
shades of green, I like all the leaves.
My favourite is the top left leaves
on the tree I like their colour with
the little yellow dots on.”
Artworks reported to lack colour:
46 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
7. Narrative
Artworks may communicate stories and events
contained within a single image. The research
revealed that if the composition and narrative of
the artwork is clear, simple and unambiguous,
“Wow, there’s a story that isn’t there,
you could think and make up a story...
this isn’t offensive by any means, its
got life to it, its got a story to it and
that story isn’t heavily loaded. It’s
quite a gentle and easy story and it’s
something to look at. I could sit there
and quite happily not talk to people
and make that story up in my head.” “I like the elephants, but I like
elephants so I am biased. But I do
like elephants and they seem like
they are happy. There’s three of
them and one of the things you could
do if you were waiting with a kid with
Aspergers, you could make up a
story about the three elephants.” “I like this artwork, it is interesting
and I noticed that this station is
Wolverton and I like the history of
Wolverton and how it reinvented
itself as a railway town in the
industrial revolution.”
“You might be confused about
the narrative, so may need to see
the title more clearly. Can’t tell
what’s going on and everything is in
different sizes.”
it can encourage some participants to create or
imagine a story of their own and/or even trigger
memories of past experiences.
In some cases participants perceived and
experienced the narrative of the artwork quite
literally, and considered it real. Therefore, it
is important to consider how a person might
respond to a particular subject matter within
an artwork. For example if a person has an
obsession with food it might be best to avoid
artworks depicting food or drink, similarly if
a person is afraid of water it might be best to
avoid artworks featuring water.
“Need to be careful, I like animals
but for some the ability to imagine
what they see in the image being real
can be overloading.”
“The typical ’a bowl with a banana
and an apple’ paintings I don’t like,
I can’t explain why. Maybe it causes
hunger and then I am frustrated that
I have nothing to eat.”
I am intrigued by that splash. I
want to know what’s happened so it
makes a story in my head, and I can
imagine in a right situation it would
look nice on the wall, but other than
that it’s pretty neutral.”
“Someone with a fear of water
will not want to sit next to a beach
scene.”
47
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
7. Narrative (continued)
Another positive observation from the study was
the potential for an artwork with a narrative to be
a great point of contact and way to trigger verbal
and/or non-verbal communication and dialogue.
“It would take me over to look
into it, but you are talking to me
now and it’s there and I feel it’s
complete. It’s not distracting
me, not like the ones I have told
you about before that move and
distract, this doesn’t distract me,
it’s there its solid, its perfect, it’s
complete. So I don’t have to worry
about that, I don’t have to worry
about the mystery of it, I don’t
have to worry about investigating
it, because I feel comfortable with
it, because its on my wavelength. I
will look at it to find out more about
it, yes, but its not like that one
(poppies) where I’m trying to work
it out and its not giving me what I
need to tell me how to work it out,
so it’s different in that respect, but
it would occupy me for along time.” “If I was a kid it would make me want
to think and look at it and tell the
story of who’s getting off the train at
that point.” It is important that the narrative is visually
clear and easy to follow and not heavily loaded
but gentle. The subject matter of an artwork
must be appropriate for the person, so for
autistic people who have difficulty with social
interaction, avoid artworks that illustrate social
events and situations that a person may dislike
and unable to relate to.
“I don’t think I have got very much to
say about this one I really don’t like
it. I find the faces very hard to read
he just looks bemused, it just makes
me feel bemused and it wouldn’t
help me in any way to think about
my experiences with faces.” “It sounds noisy and they are all
touching each other, which makes
me feel sick. Also I can’t tell if those
are people in the background,
but if they are, neither team has
any supporters as no one is a fan
wearing their teams uniform, and if
these teams have no fans they are
not very good teams. I generally
don’t like the idea of ever doing this
sport.”
“Images of large groups doing things
I don’t relate with. You don’t want art
making autistics feel more excluded.”
“It would encourage lots of
conversation about the different
things in the image. Parents would
talk to their children about it.”
48 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
8. Associations
How we associate with an artwork may be
reflected and influenced by our past experiences
and interests. Therefore artworks can potentially
encourage a person to reflect upon positive
past experiences but it is important to avoid any
negative associations.
“Respect for the soldiers who fought
in the war.”
“Reminds me of Brighton, my
favourite seaside resort.”
“Reminds me of UFO grass
markings.”
“Maze-like.“
“Jumbled up history book.”
“Pink Floyd commission in the 60s.”
“I have negative associations with
it. I never wanted to play rugby as a
child but was forced into it.”
“The first thing I would say about
that, and the first thing that would
concern me is that it looks like a
cross in the middle, so for some
people it might have religious
connections or associations.”’
“It makes me think of a desert
and its so hot that everything gets
distorted like a mirage.”
49 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
9. Realistic/Technical
Artworks with a realistic, precise and accurate
depiction of the subject matter proved to be
very popular. There was an appreciation for
the skills involved within this style of artwork.
Several participants were fast to point out any
inaccuracies regarding details such as perspective
“I don’t know were to look there’s
a lot going on and certainly keeps
you occupied. It annoys me in
some respects because its not
realistically drawn but its drawn in
such a style that makes that style
look fine.” “It annoys me because the
perspective is wrong, and that’s
my Asperger’s precision bit coming
through, but it’s what I would
have drawn at school when I was
a kid. I can see that there is an
immediate empathy with it, there’s
an immediate draw to it.”
“It’s very detailed and realistic,
I guess it’s not an artists
interpretation it feels quite accurate.
I don’t want to make generalisations
but sometimes people with autism
take things quite literally, and so a
quite accurate representation of
things they might quite like as it is,
whereas they might not necessarily
understand the artists impression if
it’s a bit less realistic.” or accuracy, within an artwork. Photographs were
very popular, possibly due to photographs being
easier for a person to process the information.
“I think photography is interesting,
I don’t know the science of it but I
think people process photography
different to how they would process
a piece of art because they know a photograph is real.”
“I like photographs because they are realistic.”
“The leaf details are accurate.
Elephants are seen sideways
on so there is no perspective
complications.”
“I think the tail is funny, I can’t
imagine that is what an elephant’s
tail looks like but maybe it does.
Shall we google an elephant and see
what its tail looks like?” “The almost mythical quality of
the elephants rather than realism
adds to it for once. Even though as a
person with Asperger’s I like realism,
I can appreciate this vision too in
things, but that style is probably
harder to do than realism style so I
admire it.”
“Rubbish! It’s too simple!”
50 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
10. Distorted/Fragmented
Artworks that were neither realistic nor abstract
but somewhere in between received noteworthy
criticism. Artworks whereby the subject matter
is distorted and not true to how it actually looks
created a sense of looseness, randomness and
confusion.
“Don’t like the blurry images.“
“This is a bit confusing because its
so distorted it looks like its been
viewed from distorted old glass, but
I don’t know whether that would
be a bit disconcerting. Particularly
for example that one where all the
lines don’t match up at all, might be
unenjoyable to look at. You’ve got the
detail and you’ve got the building but
it’s the fact that it’s all distorted and
it’s not looking how it should look.” “I think they would be puzzled
by that, they would be okay if the
building weren’t wobbly but I think
they would be confused by the
wobbliness of the buildings and they
might say something like – ‘why are
the lines all curly’, and breaking it
up like that wouldn’t bother them at
all, they would maybe think it was a
good idea. In each square there’s an
instability which probably wouldn’t
appeal to them.” However, artworks whereby the information is
fragmented or compartmentalised, may help to
organise the visual elements to help a person
process the information in bits, rather than as a
whole which can trigger sensory overload.
“This is probably the picture I like
least so far. I think it’s the style
again, it doesn’t fall into two camps
its not abstract enough for it to be
abstract and it’s not realistic enough
to be realistic but it doesn’t entertain
a sense of naivety to me.”
“I can’t understand what this piece is
about, maybe its finger painting but
its not easy to tell.”
“The leaves are all more or less
the same on every different tree (separate patterns) and the ‘bittyness’ would appeal to them also.“
51
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
11. Sound
Artworks may also be experienced auditorily,
The colours, textures and patterns may
evoke different sounds, so its important to be
“I can hear it too, it’s an ascending
repetitive sequence sound and it’s
very calming.”
“It sounds noisy and they are all
touching each other, which makes
me feel sick.”
mindful of what sounds the artworks might be
conveying, particularly for people who experience
synaesthesia, shown in the responses below.
“I am using my imagination to think
that if I was there it would be quite
calm and there would be sunshine
and birds probably and there’s some
cows, but they are in the background
so they are not too close and
wouldn’t be too noisy.”
“I like that, it’s nice, it’s very detailed
it’s very buzzy, the daffodils are
talking and the colours are nice too.
It’s restful in a way.”
“It’s got a song to it, I can hear it and
this bit of yellow, but the yellow is
giving me a headache.”
12. Tactile
If a person is hypo-sensitive to touch they may
enjoy touching things around them, therefore they
may enjoy paintings that use thick paints with
additional materials (e.g. ribbon, metal, wood, lace,
leather). Instead of solely looking at an art piece,
“There’s a mix of textures so it could be a good
thing if you are encouraged to touch it and it says
‘please touch’. Although if a person has difficulty
understanding context and social rules, they might be
confused by why they can touch this but then later on
they try to touch a sculpture and are not allowed to do
it, so that could cause stress, but its very dependant.” a person may for example gain more satisfaction
exploring artworks through touch, following the
paint strokes and lines of colour, or exploring
textured painting, sculpture and textiles.
“ I like this I would like to touch it,
that would make me want to touch
it. I would trace the lines and even if
it was tiny, I can understand it might
be fragile and everything but to just
touch would be marvellous.”
“I think you should definitely include
sculpture. I would like to touch that.
I love the qualities of the pieces of
stone and glass within it. I really like
that and it’s a very huggable shape.”
52
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
13. Foreground, Middleground and Background
The research revealed that some participants
found it difficult to distinguish between foreground
and background information, and became
preoccupied with tiny details of an image, which
may have been overlooked by others. Therefore ,it
is important that the focal point of a composition
and the detail within the background however
insignificant are in focus and treated with equal
importance.
“If it is supposed to be a view,
you can’t see into the distance
at all, the only thing to look at is
some animals in a field. But I don’t
understand there being a view which
is uninteresting, and nothing to see
in the distance which is the whole
point in a view.”
“Scenes are more interesting than
mere faces, and when landscapes
are used they should not be empty
land (e.g. lighthouse on a beach,
cabin on a mountain).”
“I quite like that but I can see why
other people wouldn’t because
it’s a bit violent, they might be
annoyed because that looks like
England colours but I don’t know
who it is against and that face at
the bottom is a bit weird, it looks
like it’s disappearing. It could have
a negative association. It’s different
for me because I was never
expected to play rugby, whereas if
it was hockey I don’t think I would
want to look at it.” Examples below demonstrate where the participants attended to a detail within an artwork
that many people may not pick up on.
“I like all the leaves. My favourite is
the top left leaves on the tree I like
there colour with the little yellow
dots on.”
“I like all the leaves in the
background and makes me want to
know what the number is….”
“That’s a very strange (brown
object) and it makes the picture
noisy. I don’t think its very restful
but again that’s my point. I find it
a bit strange, it’s probably the one
picture you have shown me so far
that I like the least. That bits very
unsatisfactory whatever that is? It
looks like a dead beetle.” “What I like about it is almost the
transparent hidden bits about it
the three or four sticks that are just
traces”.
“Look close into the sun, I can make
out a face!”
53
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
14. Context
Context can help to resolve and clarify what the
meaning and subject matter of the artwork might
be. Several participants perceived the information
provided in an artwork as too vague, incomplete
and ambiguous, which was considered confusing.
This is an example of an artwork
from the survey that lacked
context. From feedback received
an indication of environment
and situation this person might
have added some clarity to what
his facial expression means.
“It sounds noisy and they are all
touching each other, which makes
me feel sick, also I can’t tell if those
are people in the background
but if they are, neither team has
any supporters as no one is a fan
wearing their teams’ uniform, and
if these teams have no fans they
are not very good teams. I generally
don’t like the idea of ever doing this sport.”
“I don’t know whether he is crying, or
just about to laugh, or sneezing, so
for me it throws up issues because
of my non-reading of faces, but I like
the way he is not looking at me in the
eye, I don’t mind that photograph at
all. But it puzzles the nuts out of me.” However, in complete contrast,
some people in reference to
this piece found the fact it was
photographic and depicting
reality as positive, and were
more comfortable due to this.
“I like the fact its got a number
because you can think why has it got
a number however that could cause
anxiety to people so you need to
make sure that on the plaque why it
says 13345 and why it’s a bit shiny.”
“I’m trying to work it out and its not
giving me what I need to tell me how
to work it out, so its different in that
respect but it would occupy me for a
long time.”
54 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
15. People
Autistic people can find social interaction and
eye contact challenging and may avoid social
situations, therefore artworks that feature people
were an important area to explore. If people are
featured in an artwork it is important that this is
not the main focal point, therefore be cautious
with use of portraits, particularly if the subject
depicted is directly gazing out from the image. If
an artwork does feature people make sure they
are situated within a clear context, this may avoid
any confusion and help a person to understand the
facial expressions of the people within an image.
“It depends on the person but I can
see that photographs would be a
good thing. They could also be a
bad thing of course, because if the
person thinks they know that person
in the photo, then they might be
scared of it or they might find faces
scary, particularly if they process
the face in bits. The faces could look
scary, so it depends on the person,
but again its very subjective.” “I think that some people would find
faces scary, because they can’t read
what the face is saying, so I suppose
photography might be even worse.” “I would possibly not have people in
an image there. I would have thought
there’s enough people they generally
have to deal with in everyday life
if they don’t want to interact with
people. But then again if you’ve just
got pictures of people then maybe
they might want to focus on it and
they can learn stuff from those
pictures, things like facial emotions,
gaze directions, without having the
social aspect.” “Might be bad if the face is staring
out at the viewer – avoid direct gaze.” “Images of large groups of people I
don’t relate with and feel excluded.”
55
A consideration of interest is if people featured in
artworks are static and stripped of unpredictable
movement, this might provide an opportunity for
a person to learn about different forms of social
interaction, communication and expression.
“I think the objects on the chair spoil
the chair, sometimes the chair is
more alive than the person sitting
in it.”
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
16. Motion
Not all artwork is two-dimensional and static, the
combination of colours and form can elicit different
movements, rhythms and vibrations, which can
physically effect how a person feels. Autistic
people may experience poor depth perception,
which will effect the way they judge distances,
orientate, navigate and manoeuvre around objects,
which is an important consideration especially
when selecting and positioning optical and threedimensional artworks.
“It doesn’t make me feel calm in the
slightest. If I were in a room with that
I would be constantly scanning it,
even if it was positioned behind me
I would know it was there and that it
was moving. To me that moves, and
though I like the movement it feels
strange it doesn’t feel 100% right it
feels very strange. I wouldn’t be able
to sit in a room and talk with that
there. To me that’s very distracting
because of the movement.” “It’s a very interesting picture and it
would take my attention and I would
be sitting there looking at it and
looking at itm and working it and
watching it move and adding bits. It’s
very, very, very interesting but it’s not a quiet picture.” “So from a personal point of view it’s
nicely balanced, I like the spaces, it’s
got movement.”
“It’s a lovely piece of work it’s a bit
jazzy. It’s lovely, it jumps about a
bit because of the irregularity. The
shapes play off against one another
and although I don’t think they
would be distressed by it or anything
like that, but they might not like it
because of that.” 56
A person who is hyper-sensitive to vestibulation
and proprioception might feel dizzy, distracted
and find it difficult to focus on what is happening
around them with artworks that are distorted
or provoke a sense of movement. Conversely a
person who is hypo-sensitive would seek out this
quality in an artwork and may need lots of space so
that they can move to accommodate the artwork.
“There’s obviously a lot of movement
in it the rotational bit.”
“I like it but it’s making my eyes go
funny.”
“To get that sense of depth you need
to have some configural processing
so you need to actually take in those
three pieces in conjunction, whereas,
if you are processing a single little
square then you won’t get that sense
of depth. So if they are very detailed,
focused, then they won’t get that
sense of depth at all, they might just literally see a red square and not the fact that it it’s meant to
imply depth.” “I really like the 3D effect and
you can’t tell if you are looking up
through the ceiling at clouds, or
through a sort of wall at hills, or it
could be a puzzle piece or something
flat with lots of shiny reflective
bumpy bits. It makes me want to
know what it is. I personally don’t like
that, but I am different because I see
everything as flat.”
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
17. Abstract
Some autistic people tend to be concrete and
literal thinkers, therefore they may find it difficult
to understand metaphors and abstract concepts.
Some participants described abstract artwork as
having no particular meaning and focus, hence
difficult to make associations and becoming lost in
translation. Some participants did not appreciate
the effort that goes into abstract art compared
with a more realistic style of artwork. A person
who finds it difficult to use their imagination and
prefers more concrete representational artworks
might find abstract artworks difficult to process
and make sense of.
As abstract art contains non-representational
images some participants described it as providing
emotional power, which is lost through the need to
make sense and understand – whereby a person
can look and think what they like nobody is wrong.
As abstract artworks are open to interpretation
they might provide a sense of freedom and
empowerment for a person, that encourages them
to imagine and decide what they would like the
artwork to be – with no expectations. Abstract
artworks may appeal to people who find it difficult
to relate to representational artworks that are
derived from a neurotypical context.
“ As it’s abstract you can choose
what it is and say that’s a loads of
lorries, its like lorries in line or trains
waiting to go on a container ship or
something, or it could be lines, could
be worms, caterpillars, or it could
just be trees, logs or paint.”
“So this one is very colourful and
I don’t know if those colours for
people who are sensitive to bright
colours, whether that would be a
bit much. It’s also a bit abstract and
hasn’t got a particular meaning or
focus.“
“I don’t mind art that begs
interpretation, but that excites
my mind, rather than having any
calming effect. If you have people
in an environment where they may
already feel anxious or agitated, I’m
not sure visual puzzles or warmer
colours are going to feel soothing.”
“What are they (squares) doing and
what are they for?”
57
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
5. Conclusion
The Environment
It is important to consider the location and context where artworks are
to be installed; environments such as a school, a diagnostic centre or a
home all have different purposes and activities for a differing range of
people. The implications of the environment will influence a person’s
actions, creating different thoughts, feelings and experiences for them.
Purpose and position of artworks for particular spaces is an important
consideration for artwork selection.
Central to this project is a diagnostic centre for autism, an environment
that will likely be unfamiliar to a person entering it, and may only require
a single visit. At the centre a person will have to spend periods of time
waiting, and other periods answering difficult and personal questions
that might make them feel uncomfortable and provoke feelings of
nervousness, anxiety and intrigue. Therefore, within this type of
environment it is imperative that the artworks do not heighten negative
feelings, but instead provide a point of interest and positive distraction
from these negative states of mind to help a person relax.
Sensitivity towards the positioning of artworks is important, for
example an artwork that features melancholy imagery or uses colour
in a sombre way is likely to be inappropriate, particularly if it is hung
opposite a person waiting to hear the results of their diagnosis. Equally
if a person needs to concentrate and answer questions it is important
that the artworks do not distract.
“Some people will like the artwork but other people would rather
be somewhere that isn’t stimulating; because their brain is already
stimulated by the idea that they are waiting, and they are anxious that
they are going to do this diagnostic thing and what that means. Whereas
when you are a child you may not have those sorts of anxieties, but
you are still waiting and then you have different anxieties; who are you
waiting for? What will this person be like?” “Its not a minor thing, you are going in and talking about something
that might change your life, and even for an adultm to have something
that is actually plain, allows you the space to breathe, and sometimes
an empty space is more valuable than a space with something in it. So
instead of putting something in a space to calm someone down, you take
everything else out. There’s a difference between a calm empty space
and just a plain empty space. Some places you walk into and you feel it
needs something, some places you walk into and you don’t actually need
anything.”
58
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Installation
Transition is an important element to many aspects of an autistic
person’s life. Hence, if possible it is a good idea to familiarise a person
with the artworks before the final installation; this will allow adjustment
over the positioning and selection of the artworks if new issues emerge.
Posters (preferably to scale) of the selected artworks are one way to
do this, and offer an important transition before the final installation.
The posters can be hung using white tack, which enables a person to
familiarise themselves with it before the final installation, they can be
repositioned (or may be taken down) if a person dislikes the image,
hence it will give the person a sense of control and ownership over the
space, during this process a feedback forms may also be beneficial.
The poster method would work across all environments and is
particularly relevant and important for a home environment, as this is a
familiar and personal space, so any changes made without any warning
or transition could be very disruptive.
For environments that a person may only visit once (i.e. a diagnostic
centre), it is important that the person is prepared and informed
about what to expect from their visit, including information about
the environment and the artworks on the wall. That way a person can
inform the centre if there is anything that may cause upset and it will
help the person to know what to expect from their visit. It is important
to consider how someone might move through such a space; what they
are confronted with; what they can choose to look at and what visual
cues are offered to them to navigate and identify different spaces.
59
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Artwork Themes
For environments such as a diagnostic centre, it would be impossible
to personalise artworks for every individual visitor. People entering
the centre will have different interests and experiences, different
hyper and/or hypo-sensitivities across the range of senses,and both
extremes need to be considered when selecting artworks to create a
suitable balance.
One approach would be to group and arrange artworks in themes. The
artworks can be arranged in subjects and styles that compliment a
person’s hyper- and/or hypo-sensitivities. A method for considering
which artworks might relate to a persons hyper-sensitiveness and/
or hypo-sensitiveness is to think about the artworks in regard to a
spectrum of qualities/characteristics (e.g. abstract to realism; minimal
to detailed; structured to loose; polychrome to monochrome etc.).
Through this approach it is possible to estimate the likely artwork
preferences of those who are hyper and hypo-sensitive, for example
a person who is hypo-sensitive might enjoy getting lost in an abstract
artwork, absorbing lots of details, patterns and colours, conversely a
person who is hypo-sensitive might prefer to make more immediate
sense of what they are looking at and prefer realist artworks that are
minimal, structured, limited in detail and colour.
Below are some suggested ideas that relate to hyper and hyposensitivity themes:
Hyper-sensitive
– Select artworks with visual consistency
– Select patterns that are systematic and ordered
– Select artworks with patterns that are grouped into similar colours
and tones
– Avoid placing artworks in the glare of sunlight
– Frame artworks in non-reflective glass and avoid glossy finishes and
photographs
– Create lots of space around the artwork with plenty of distance from
the next artwork – acknowledge the importance of ‘white space’
– Hang the artworks in quiet spaces away from social areas
60 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
– Select artworks with fewer colours, good balance and use of similar
textures and characteristics
– Avoid artworks that include elements of optical illusion
– An empty space can be very powerful and provide a visual rest
– Consider the furniture and other objects in the environment to ensure
an artwork does not clash or create too much additional visual noise
– Avoid moving or changing the artworks without any warning.
Hypo-sensitive
– Allow different positions for observation to encourage visual
exploration of an artwork from different perspectives
– Consider all the senses, introduce tactile art and sculptures, consider
the possibilities for different sensations of touch, smell and sound
– To create a visually stimulating mood, use contrasting combinations
such as large and small shapes, or shiny and matt details
– Select paintings that use thick paints or include mixed media
materials (e.g. ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather, etc.)
– Use contrasting colours to provide visual emphasis or markers at
strategic points
– Select abstract and/or organic shapes
– Select artworks with lots of colours
– Change the artworks more regularly to create variation.
61
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Final Thoughts
No prescriptive set of artwork selection guidelines will meet the needs
of every person with autism. It will always be important to consider
individuals, and the various elements that affect how they respond to
artworks. Sensitivity to individuals and specific contexts is necessary
to provide environments that can offer the best balance between
different needs.
The intention of this project was to undertake an inclusive exploration
of the potential of artworks to positively impact the lives of people
with autism. Design research was used to identify principles to be
considered when selecting artworks. To a lesser degree the study also
considered the opinions and feedback of other groups involved in the
lives of people with autism (e.g. parents/carers and professionals in
the field), as they would also be regular users of the spaces and also
experience any artwork installation.
The principles and findings presented in this report are not intended
to be mandatory or prescriptive. The intention is to build awareness
and inspire professionals, service providers, support staff and family
members to consider the many elements that make up an experience
of artworks in terms of sensory preferences, social communication
traits and special interests, and how these, combined with a person's
hyper and hypo-sensitivity, can be related to artworks.
The principles within this report have been considered for the initial
selection of artworks at the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre, which will
serve as an evaluation for the proposed principles.
62 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
6. References
American Psychiatric Association. (2010) Diagnostic and statistical
manual of mental disorders -5 development. www.dsm5.org/Pages/
Default.aspx ( November 2 2013).
Asperger H; translated and annotated by Frith U (1991) [1944]. Autistic
psychopathy in childhood. In Frith U. Autism and Asperger syndrome.
Cambridge University Press, pp 37–92.
Atwood, T. (2003) Understanding and managing circumscribed
interests. In M. Prior (Ed), Learning and behavior problems in Asperger’s
syndrome. Guilford Press, New York, pp. 126-147.
Baird, G., Simonoff, E., Pickles, A. et al. (2006). Prevalence of the
disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in
South Thames. The Lancet, 368, pp 210–215.
Baker, M. J. (2000). Incorporating the thematic ritualistic behaviours
of children with autism into games. Journal of Positive Behaviour
Interventions, 2, pp.66-84.
Baron-Cohen, S. (1989). Do autistic children have obsessions and
compulsions? British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, pp. 193-200
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelright, S. (1999).‘Obsessions’ in children with
autism or Asperger Syndrome: a content analysis in terms of core
domains of cognition, British Journal of Psychiatry, 175, pp. 484-409.
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Stott, C., Bolton, P., & Goodyer, I.
(1997). Is there a link between engineering and autism? Autism: An
International Journal of Research and Practice, 1, pp. 153-163.
Boyd, B. A., Conroy, M. A., Mancil, G. R., Nakao, T., & Alter, P. J. (2007).
Effects of circumscribed interests on the social behaviours of children
with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders, 27, pp. 1550-1561.
Brugha, T. et al (2009). Autism spectrum disorders in adults living in
households throughout England - Report from the Adult Psychiatric
Morbidity Survey 2007.
Bryman, A. and J. Teevan (2005). Social Research Methods. Ontario:
Oxford University Press.
63 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Charlop-Christy, M. H., & Haymes, L. K. (1996). Using obsessions as
reinforcers with and without mild reductive procedures to decrease
inappropriate behaviours of children with autism. Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders, 26(5), pp. 527-546.
Charlop-Christy, M. H., & Haymes, L. K. (1998). Using objects of
obsession as token reinforcers for children with autism. Journal of
Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, pp. 189-198.
Clarke, A. (ed.) (2010). Design Anthropology: Object Culture in the 21st
Century. New York: Springer.
Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed
Methods Approaches. 3rd ed. London: Sage.
Dunst, C.J., Trivette, C.M., Masiello, T. (2010). Influence of the
interests of children with autism on everyday learning opportunities.
Psychological reports, 107(1), pp. 281-288.
Elliot, A. (2002). The art of Priors Court School: The Stephanie Shirley
Collection. Bohun Gallery.
Frith, U. (1989). Autism. Explaining the enigma. Oxford, England:
Blackwell.
Gagnon, E. (2001). Power cards: Using special interests to motivate
children and youth with Asperger Syndrome and autism. Shawnee
Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Geertz, C. (2000). Available Light - Anthropological Reflections on
Philosophical Topics. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Grandin, T. (2011). The way I see it, a personal look at autism and
Asperger’s. 2nd edition. Future Horizons
Henn, M., M. Weinstein and Foard, N. (2006). A Critical Introduction to
Social Research. Wiltshire: Sage.
Hosseini, D. (2011). Artism: The Art of Autism. Sicoli Group
Hosseini,D. (2012). The Art of Autism; Shifting Perceptions.
64 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact, Nervous
Child, 2, pp.217- 50
Kavan, S, Kavan, B. (2011). Trainman, gaining acceptance and friends
through special interests. Kansas, AAPC Publishing.
Kerbeshian, J., & Burd, L. (1986). Asperger syndrome and Tourette
syndrome: The case of the pinball wizard. The British Journal of
Psychiatry, 148, pp. 731-736.
Kluth, P., Schwarz, P. (2009). Just Give Him the Whale: 20 Ways to Use
Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students
with Autism, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, UK.
Kluth, P., Schwarz, P. (2010) Pedro’s Whale, Jessica Kingsley Publishers,
UK
Miller, E. (2008). The Girl who Spoke with Pictures. Singing Dragon
Mottron, L., Burack, J. (2001). Enhanced perceptual functioning in the
development of autism. In: J.A. Burack, T Charman, N. Yirmiya, and P.R.
Zelazo (eds.), The development of Autism: perspectives form Theory and
research (Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 131-48.
Mullin, J. (2009). Drawing Autism. Akashic Books.
Mullins, J. (2014). Drawing Autism. New York: Akashic Books.
Osborne, J. (2003). Art and the Child with Autism: therapy or education.
Early Child Development and Care. Vol 173 (4), pp 411-423.
Osborne, J. (2006) Sculpture and Autism: a study of the engagement of
pupils with autism and the sculpture collection commissioned for their
residential School. PhD Thesis, Goldsmiths College, The University of
London.
Pellicano E., Burr D. (2012). When the world becomes too real: A
Bayesian explanation of autistic perception. Trends in Cognitive
Sciences. 16, 504–510
Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists
and Practitioner. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
65
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Sinclair J (1999). Why I dislike ‘person first’ language. http://bit.ly/
X3bWvS ( 11 February 2014).
Trehin, G. (2006) Urville. Jessica Kingsley publishers, UK.
Vacca, J. J. (2007). Incorporating interests and structure to improve
participation of a child with autism in a standardized assessment:
A case study analysis. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental
Disabilities, 22, pp. 51-59.
Vismara, L. A., & Lyons, G. L. (2007). Using preservative interests to
elicit joint attention behaviours in young children with autism. Journal of
Positive Behaviour Interventions, 9, pp. 214-228.
Welton, J. (2003). Can I tell you about Asperger’s syndrome? A guide for
friends and family. Jessica Kingsley publications.
Williams, D. (1998). Nobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography
of an Autistic Girl. Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd
Williams, D. (1992). Nobody Nowhere. London Doubleday. Tammet, D.
Born on a Blue Day; inside the mind of an extraordinary savant. Free
press, New York. P.177.
Winter-Mesiers.M, A., Gates, M, A., Houston, T, L., Tingstad, K, l. (2007).
How Far Can Brain Ride the Daylight 4449 Express? A strength-based
model of Asperger’s syndrome based on special interest areas. Focus on
Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 22(2), pp. 67-79.
Winter-Messiers, M, A. (2007). From Tarantulas to Toilet Brushes,
understanding the special interest areas of children and youth with
Asperger’s syndrome, Remedial and Special Education. May/June 28(3),
pp. 140 152.
66 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following people who generously gave their
time, expertise and support during the project:
Stuart Davie and Amisha Karia at Paintings in Hospitals for their
invaluable expertise. Prof Simon Baron-Cohen at the Autism Research
Centre in Cambridge. Mark Hull at CPFT Specialist Services. The Chitra
Sethia Autism Centre. Prof Jeremy Myerson, Margaret Durkan and
Mark Byrne, at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of
Art. Siobhan Stewart at ActionSpace. Dr Liz Pellicano at the Centre for
Research in Autism and Education.
A special thank you to Robyn Stewart, Jon Adams, Ian Wilson and
Catherine Manning for their time and expertise and to all those who
participated within the design research, whose contributions have been
invaluable.
67
“Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People
The Helen Hamlyn Centre for
Design:
People-centred Research and Design
People-centred research and design is a process
that places the needs and characteristics of the
people being designed for at it the core of the
process. A characteristic of such research is
often the ‘design’ of research methods that look
to engage audiences of interest in the process
towards developing a body of qualitative insights
that can be further developed into themes and
principles where applicable.
The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD) is
an inclusive and interdisciplinary design research
centre, the goal of each project undertaken being
to improve people’s lives across a range of social
needs. Based in the Royal College of Art, the HHCD
is the RCAs largest and longest-running centre
for design research. The work at the centre is
organised into three research labs:
Age & Ability: design for a more inclusive society
irrespective of age and ability
Healthcare: creating safer and better health
services
Work & City: research into changing patterns of
work and urban life
The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design has been
collaborating with the autism charity The Kingwood
Trust who provide support and accommodation
for autistic adults. The research, now in its fifth
year explores a person’s lived experience at home,
looking for ways in which it can be more enjoyable
and meaningful for the people they support.
The projects have led to a number of successful
design outputs; a new garden, adapting everyday
objects and a range of visual communication tools
(Kingwood Sensory Preference Cards). The people
involved in the research have minimal speech and
additional learning disabilities, so an important
challenge is to explore ways in which they can
be involved within the design process and create
environments that appeal to them.
The centre collaborates with business, academic,
government and voluntary sector partners, to
develop innovative and empathic research methods
– and exchange knowledge via education, events,
publications and industrial collaboration.
Paintings in Hospitals
Paintings in Hospitals uses exceptional art and
creative activities to improve health, wellbeing
and quality of life of people with addiction,
illness, disability and autism. Every year the
charity benefits the lives of over a million people
across the UK by relieving sickness, anxiety
and stress. Established in 1959, Paintings in
Hospitals has grown into a leading arts in health
organisation. It has a diverse art collection and
delivers interactive art projects that transform the
experience of health and social care. It believes
that art contributes to the healing process and it is
committed to evaluating the impact of our work.
Its work brings comfort and reassurance to people
across the UK. Paintings in Hospitals work across
sectors that include hospitals, hospices, care
homes, GP surgeries, cancer centres and special
needs schools. It is recognised by the Department
of Health, the National Health Service and Arts
Council England as a leading provider of arts in
health services. It is a partner organisation of
the Arts Council Collection for the healthcare
sector. It also has relationships with the Victoria &
Albert Museum, the Saatchi Gallery, the London
Transport Museum and the Contemporary Art
Society (London & Wales).
68 “Artworks I Like” Exploring Artwork Preferences with Autistic People