Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
08:13
Using the Race Model Inequality to Quantify Behavioral Multisensory Integration Effects
Published on: May 10, 2019
6.8K
A Sensory Approach to Design: Inclusive Principles
Kristi Gaines1, Angela Bourne2, Michelle Pearson3
1Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA. kristi.gaines@ttu.edu.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|December 6, 2025
Summary
Inclusive design principles benefit everyone by accommodating sensory processing needs in the built environment. This study developed guidelines addressing sight, sound, touch, and motion to reduce environmental irritation and confusion.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Inclusive Design
- Sensory Processing Research
Background:
- Sensory input is crucial for navigating the built environment.
- Sensory processing issues can lead to environmental confusion and irritation.
- Current designs often fail to accommodate diverse sensory needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significance of sensory input in the built environment.
- To create design guidelines for universal user accommodation.
- To address sensory processing challenges in environmental design.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach was employed, including focus groups, interviews, observations, and surveys.
- Over 600 participants were involved, including education specialists, adults with developmental disabilities, and administrators.
- The study targeted individuals with sensory processing difficulties and those who support them.
Main Results:
- Individuals with sensory processing disorder perceive environments differently.
- Six sensory categories (sight, touch, hearing, taste, smell, motion) were analyzed.
- Auditory and tactile triggers were most problematic; unexpected sounds and noise were key issues, while nature sounds offered relief. Tactile sensitivity varied with textures, space, and temperature.
Conclusions:
- Inclusive design principles benefit all users of a space.
- The findings provide practical information for design professionals, educators, and the public.
- Integrating sensory considerations enhances environmental usability and comfort.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Gestalt Principles of Perception
989
Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...
989
01:26Introduction to Special Senses
7.2K
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
7.2K
01:15Sensory Modalities
3.6K
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
3.6K
01:31What is a Sensory System?
100.5K
Sensory systems detect stimuli—such as light and sound waves—and transduce them into neural signals that can be interpreted by the nervous system. In addition to external stimuli detected by the senses, some sensory systems detect internal stimuli—such as the proprioceptors in muscles and tendons that send feedback about limb position.
100.5K
01:22Design Consideration
503
Designing a structure involves a series of considerations, primarily the material's ultimate strength, calculated through tests that measure changes under increased force until the material reaches its breaking point or limit. The ultimate load, where the material breaks, is divided by its original cross-sectional area, resulting in the ultimate normal stress or strength. The ultimate shearing stress is another significant factor taken into account.
The factor of safety is another key...
The factor of safety is another key...
503
01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
10.9K
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
10.9K