An Interior Design pilot class at Seminole State College focuses on the needs of people with autism. The college hopes to continue the course as a regular elective. It was suggested by Bert Fonseca, an executive with the international development firm Skanska who serves on the college’s Construction Advisory Board.
His two children, Danny, 15, and Isabel, 14, have autism. The class is working on plans to redesign the kitchen and living room of their family home.
To keep the children safe, the students in professor Kathryn Rivera’s class have been discussing options such as locks that require a fingerprint to open, as well as induction cook tops that do not heat up unless a pot is placed on top. Magnetic boards or a chalkboard wall would allow Isabel — who loves to plan parties — to make changeable lists.
Read the whole article and view the video in the Orlando Sentinel at this link: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-autism-interior-design-course-20141026-story.html