Social participation of families with children with autism spectrum disorder in a science museum

Abstract

This article describes a qualitative research study undertaken as a collaboration between museum and occupational therapy researchers to better understand museum experiences for families with a child or children impacted by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inclusion for visitors with ASD is an issue that museums are increasingly considering, and the social dimension of inclusion can be particularly relevant for this audience. The construct of social participation, used in occupational therapy, provides a promising avenue for museum professionals to think about inclusion. Social participation situates social and community experiences within the context of peoples' diverse motivations and the strategies they use to navigate environments. This study took these multiple factors into account when observing families' museum visits-including analysis of their motivations for visiting, environmental features that influenced their visit, family strategies used before and during the visit, and the families' definitions of a successful visit. Learning more about these factors that are associated with social participation can inform future efforts to improve museum inclusion for families with children with ASD.

Wayfinding Experience of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder within a Museum Context

“…They reported that environmental features helped facilitate social participation of families' visits such as "interactive exhibits that were multi-sensory", "spacious exhibit halls with many options for engagement", and "clear signage related to wayfinding or sensory information" (Lussenhop et al, 2016, p. 129). They also mentioned the benefits of signage and sensory related information that informed visitors of areas with loud noises which allowed families to make an informed decision on whether they want to enter certain exhibits or not (Lussenhop et al, 2016). This research is one of the few studies which discusses some aspects of wayfinding and associated environmental elements that may help and benefit visitors with ASD when planning to go to a museum.…”

“…A similar study by Lussenhop et al (2016) aimed to understand the museum experience of children with ASD in collaboration with occupational therapy researchers. The authors highlight key factors in their findings associated with social participation.…”

Expanding Accessibility: Sensory Sensitive Programming for Museums

“…Additionally, Lussenhop et al. (2016) identified that clear exhibit signage which informed families of any loud or bright exhibits may be of benefit. Not all activities may need new or adapted signage, but an assessment of program labels and signage requiring modification has the potential to improve the quality of one’s SSP program.…”

“…For our SSP, registration was particularly important to create an accessible environment of reduced noise and crowd size (Lussenhop et al., 2016) a critical sensory consideration (Silverman & Tyszka, 2017). Based on our experience, additional considerations for identifying an event cap could also include factoring in registration attrition.…”

Empowering Families Through Research-Based Museum Exhibits on Child Development: Impacts on Parents and Implications for Researcher- Museum Partnerships

“…Research partnerships bring developmental scientists into museums; these scientists can engage families and museum staff to discuss findings on child development with individuals who could most benefit. Prior research on research-museum partnerships showed that parents of children who participated in a research exhibit reported positive experiences, that they learned something new, and found the research to be relevant to their own lives and the museum experience (Lussenhop et al, 2013(Lussenhop et al, , 2016. However, this feedback may have been driven by demand characteristics, given that participating families were recruited by indicating a desire to provide museum feedback and that interviews were conducted in person with museum staff and the researchers.…”