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What if you could see your classroom through the eyes of autistic students?
The Effect of Cluttered Walls on Autistic Kids |
| Over-decorated walls distract both autistic and neurotypical students, a 2017 study found. |
| Edutopia |
| What if you could see your classroom through the eyes of autistic students? A 2017 study came close. Researchers used eye-tracking software to follow the gaze of dozens of neurotypical and autistic students—ages 5 to 13—as they watched a 5-minute video lesson on Irish folklore. Half saw a teacher speak against a blank background, and half viewed the same teacher in front of a busy wall festooned with posters and other artwork. No one passed the clutter test. Students largely maintained their focus in the no-decoration condition, but lost it entirely when they had other things to look at: Neurotypical students spent over 30% of the lesson scanning the wall behind the teacher, while autistic children wall-gazed for more than half of the lecture. The findings should be applied with caution. While many studies confirm that too much visual complexity distracts students—and may have a larger impact on those with ADHD and autism—kids tend to thrive in the middle. Wall displays “should be designed to provide a lively sense to the classroom, but without becoming chaotic,” wrote the authors of a 2015 study: “As a rule of thumb, 20 to 50% of the available wall space should be kept clear.” Focus on hanging student work, anchor charts, or subject-relevant posters—and consider using window shades to reduce glare, which can be particularly distracting to students with autism and other sensory sensitivities. |
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