How can design contribute positively to the learning environment of children with special educational needs? (SEN) Chapter One – Overview of the history of special needs schools in UK 1.1 Introduction 1.2 How educating children with SEN has changed 1.3 Design in the first schools 1.4 Understanding the changes 1.1 The aim of this chapter is to give the reader an idea of the history of schooling children with special needs in the UK. Later, this report will expand to cover international establishments. Although there is plenty of information recorded which tells us how things were, this study will focus on documentation from 1955 onwards. It intends to give an overall idea of how children with learning disabilities were treated, …show more content…
(Scott, I, 2009). In both, they design diverse environments sensitive to issues such as colour and light. Colours need to be chosen from the neutral palette allowing teachers and children to take ownership of the walls with as much of their work as the see fit. Numerous studies have been conducted over the years on the effect of colour has on the mental and physical impact on a person. Assirelli, M.L. (2015) Designing environments for Children and Adults with ASD, Available at: http://www.autism-architects.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/06/MLA-Presentation-November-2010-low-res-pdf.pdf (Accessed: 24/11/15). Neutral colours, predominantly green and blue, can have a calming or relaxing effect on people on a subconscious level. Scott also feels that designs that have not considered the environment for Children with SEN, could have a detrimental effect on the ability of the children to learn. “The different way of teaching means that teachers are really using the environment as a teaching tool.’ It would seem an exciting challenge for architects to consider the environments they create to be potential ‘learning tools’ for children who learn best from the world around