2. There are 5 fundamental factors for a good learning environment…
Sound Strength Speech Clarity f7
The Learning Environment
125 Hz
Air temperature Air QualityLighting ErgonomicsAcoustics
13. 95% of people with ASD struggle to process
information from several senses at once which can
be manifested at either hypo or hyper sensitivity to
sound smell, sight, taste and touch.
14. But the most significant influence on behaviour is Acoustics
15. Challenge :
How do we establish reasonably adjusted acoustic
criteria (robust, practicable) to ensure that the acoustic
design does not place people with disabilities at a
disadvantage?
Reason: To improve access to the mainstream
classroom by disabled children.
Requirements (England and Wales)
Public Sector Equality Duty
(Accessibility Strategy
Protected groups must not be
placed at a disadvantage,
Reasonable adjustments
New build schools
New build
+ refurbishment
‘People with disabilities,
including those with a hearing
impairment, must not be
placed at a disadvantage by
the design of the Building’.
New build + refurbishment
18. New SEN provision
“For the purposes of this document, children with special hearing or communication needs may include
children with...” (0.4)
• Permanent hearing impairment
• Fluctuating hearing impairments caused by conductive hearing loss
• An auditory processing disorder or difficulty
• Speech, language and communication difficulties
• Visual impairments
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD)
• Being on the autistic spectrum
• Recommendation: where English is not first language
28. Thank you
You are cordially invited to:
Designing for SEN
11:30am – 1:30pm, Thurs, 23rd Jan
Media City, Salford
shane.cryer@ecophon.co.uk
Editor's Notes
There are many considerations when looking at the priorities of the education environment. Five key internal considerations, identified by the EFA, which should be prioritised are: lighting, ventilation, temperature, ergonomics and of course acoustics. All 5 are key and if any one of these aspects is inadequate, then the building is likely to be insufficient to meet the demands of modern teaching.
(If you have time it is interesting to challenge Architects to name the 5. They will generally think firstly of lighting, be it daylight or artificial, and often thereafter may not consider the other factors).
At this slide we can clearly see the correlation between sound pressure level and heart rate.
Here we have the situation with the acoustically treated room with a shorter reverberation time. Both sound pressure levels and heart frequency now are on a lower level.
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder can vary widely in their abilities which is why it’s a spectrum. 50% having a learning disability with an IQ of lower than 70 but the spectrum also includes HFA and Aspergers Syndrome which is thought to affect about 70/1000 people.
Students can exhibit heightened visual spatial function often shown in the fields of engineering, architecture and the sciences and includes some of the most talented and creative minds that have shaped our world to date including Darwin, Einstien, Mozart, and bill gates and steve jobs
So what we need to do is create environments that nurture all students by really understanding and responding to their needs….
Research published in the International Journal of Constructed Environment has shown that reducing noise levels and reverberation in spaces for children with autism improved their attention spans (in some instances tripling it) and reducing response times by up to 60%
Therefore acoustic control should vary according to the level of user-focus required. For example study spaces should have a higher level of acoustic control and be low-stimulus and then gradually adjusted to more lively environments
Students can be particularly sensitive to low frequency sound such as vacuums or simply the hum of building services can be disturbing
One of the most significant changes revolves around the widening of the SEN criteria. Previously, this section dealt only with hearing impaired students, some 42,500 in mainstream education in the UK. As you can see, this has changed dramatically for the better.
BB93 used to be concerned only with the frequencies 500Hz to 2000Hz shown as Tmf. This has now changed for new build learning spaces (the first column) and refurbishments are now included (the second column), albeit slightly less onerous. However, it must be remembered that BB93 is a minimum standard and we should try to meet the highest possible standard to give our students a fighting chance, as encouraged by the Equalities Act.
Why is it that low frequency sound can pass through masonry walls, or out of a car stopped at lights, but you lose the vocals and higher frequency stringed instruments?
Vowels are low frequency sounds. Can any one guess this sentance by just using the vowels?
How about if we swap the vowels for consonants?
Explain: However, whilst consonants carry the information, they have very little energy. Even the Victorians new that getting the s,t and d sounds beyond 9m using the normal voice (the traditional depth of a classroom) would strain the teachers voice. The lower frequency vowels however, will reverberate around a room like a snooker ball on a table, if not absorbed.