Photo: Inside MEDIATE. Courtesy of the University of Portsmouth.

A multi-sensory environment for children with autism goes on display at Portsmouth’s Aspex Gallery later this month.

MEDIATE, which stands for Multi-sensory Environment Design for an Interface between Autistic and Typical Expressiveness, is a play space that allows children with autism to have fun but also gives psychologists an opportunity to gain new insights into how they experience the world.

The hi-tech play space is the brainchild of a team led by Portsmouth University.

"One of the real difficulties with autism is the inability to feel you can control your own environment," said Paul Newland, part of the design team at Portsmouth University. "What’s unique about MEDIATE is the multi-sensory integration - three senses dialoguing with each other."

Photo: Special cameras make it seem like the screens are touch-sensitive. Courtesy of the University of Portsmouth.

So how does it work? A child enters the black hexagon-shaped space. Inside the lighting is low but colourful. On the floor are sensors. When the child steps on the sensors the sound of a footstep, amplified, reverberates around the space. After a while the sound morphs into other noises like choral voices, all triggered by sensors hidden underfoot.

Two of the six interior walls are big TV screens. A series of cameras project a silhouette of the child on to the screens. As the child moves closer the image gets bigger.

Other cameras enable the screens to react to touch. If the child touches the screen, it will react in different ways making bursts of colour or rippling shapes.

Paul says the best response is when children who have visited MEDIATE come out and encourage others to explore their world.

Some children have been so fascinated by the environment that they have been reluctant to leave and anecdotal reports suggest that many leave the space feeling calmer.

Photo: Standing or jumping on sensors underfoot creates different sounds. Courtesy of the University of Portsmouth.

One parent of a child with autism spoke in praise of MEDIATE. She said, “The child will have complete control over the environment – and an autistic child living in today’s world has no control over anything they do. Even though we might like to think we give them choices – we don’t.

"But to have an environment where they can actually manipulate their feelings without resorting to biting their hands, head-banging, expressing challenging behaviour – I just think it is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for any child."

Paul hopes that one day MEDIATE will be available in care centres that specialise in helping children with autism and even believes it might be possible to create a scaled down version that children could enjoy at home.

MEDIATE is a collaborative research project involving universities in Portsmouth, Barcelona in Spain and Hilversum in the Netherlands. The full evaluation of MEDIATE will be completed at the end of April 2004 when psychologists will give their verdict.

To find out more about MEDIATE visit the Aspex Gallery between March 27, 2004 and April 17, 2004 or click here to visit the website.

There will be a public preview at the gallery on March 26, 2004 and a Public Gallery Talk on April 1, 2004 at 7.30pm where Chris Creed and Paul Newland from Portsmouth University’s MEDIATE design team will talk about their involvement in the project.