An interactive and bespoke lighting system from Zumtobel Lighting is proving a real success for pupils with autism and other special educational needs (SENs) at the Yeoman Park School in Nottingham. Research suggests the levels of autism have increased ten fold in the last decade, but it is unclear as to why there has been such as dramatic increase or what causes it. At least 90,000 children in the UK now have it and there are 7,500 autism specific education places in the country. Nearly half of the 94 pupils at the school have autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). In addition, the pupils experience severe learning difficulties and/or challenging behaviours, meaning it's beneficial to provide suitable lighting that would inspire and motivate the students without over stimulating them.
The EMOTION TOUCH active light ceiling was installed experimentally to see how pupils would respond to the interactive lighting system. Clusters of recessed LIGHTFIELDS luminaires integrated into the system provide variable lighting and light colour depending on the environment required. Featuring a single control panel, up to 16 scenes have been easily programmed into the system, including a fibre optic starry sky and a soothing lilac tone to promote a calm atmosphere in the classroom. When pupils are required to be more alert the ceiling is simply made brighter whilst different settings indicate important times in the day for pupils, such as lunch and home time.
The nerves in an autistic brain allow for greater differentiation between stimuli, and are very sensitive to many stimuli that most people ignore, with flickering from conventional fluorescent lighting liable to induce seizures in autistic children.
Designed by Sotsass Associati, the LIGHTFIELDS luminiares were the perfect choice as the micro prism optic ensures only the light is seen, not the lamp. The prism optic also reduces direct and reflected glare whist enabling clear light to radiate down into the classroom. The slim, discreet design ensures the fitting remains unobtrusive against the ceiling.
Joan Morris from the school is extremely positive about the benefits of the system to the pupils, commenting: "The flexibility of the lighting levels and colour range the system provides is very useful as it means we can utilise the space for a number of tasks ranging from teaching to relaxation time without having to change classrooms. It's inspired more confidence in the students who find verbal communication difficult. The changes in the light settings allow them to be more aware of their surroundings and what is required of them without the need for speech."
