Enhancing children’s self-initiated creativity
During a period of research in different autistic schools, an insight was highlighted that “self-initiated creativity in autistic children remains a problem.” This simple insight led to the comprehension that adding simple creative interventions to daily objects could improve this ‘access to creativity over time’.
Products were created to embrace this skill and specifically designed so the children’s mistakes or experiments were not comparable but just exploration. The project concluded in a series of products and play workshops, which successfully initiated the children’s independent creative thoughts. The main outcome was design workshops and feedback leading to positive learning that had previously not been embraced.
During visits to local SEN schools the pupils’ thoughts would often wander during lessons. The pen lids allowed the children to easily access the pen, eliminate a swallowing hazard and created bubbles in the classroom, illustrating to the teacher who was distracted…quietly. This worked to great effect within the confines of an autistic school.
“It was wonderful seeing my child engage differently in the world, creating abstract objects and random things”.
Parent of participant
KOKUYO Design Award: Winner 2005