Bringing the autistic lifeworld to supportive technology design: an enactive approach

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Autism Studies
• Design Research

Background:

• Supportive technologies for autistic individuals show limited uptake due to design focusing on 'disorder' rather than lived experience.
• Current designs often fail to capture the full spectrum of autistic experiences, hindering effective technology integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Autistic Lifeworld Design (ALD) framework for a more inclusive approach to designing supportive technologies for autistic individuals.
• To reframe supportive technology as a means to sustain homeostasis by centering the autistic lifeworld in the design process.

Main Methods:

• Developed the ALD framework through transdisciplinary research, including 11 design case studies with autistic young adults.
• Integrated theoretical perspectives from enactivism, design theory, and autism studies.
• Defined four experiential dimensions: sensory, habitual, social, and affective.

Main Results:

• The ALD framework provides specific insights into how autistic individuals experience the world across four key dimensions.
• An enactive approach allows supportive technologies to be viewed as tools for maintaining homeostasis.
• The framework emphasizes the role of bodily structures and processing in shaping autistic experiences.

Conclusions:

• The ALD framework offers a novel lens for designers to prioritize autistic lived experiences, particularly bodily aspects, in technology design.
• Adopting ALD can lead to more effective and widely adopted supportive technologies for the autistic community.
• This approach fosters a deeper understanding of autism beyond a deficit model, promoting inclusive design practices.