Davide Susca

Product Designer - Talent in Residence

Born in Verona in 1995, he began his new course of study in Industrial Product Design in Bologna in 2014. He subsequently enrolled at the Politecnico di Milano in the Integrated Product Design course, driven by the desire to enrich his studies and his knowledge in the field of design. He has always been intrigued by the relationship between form and function and by how an idea is created to become a finished project. During his master course at the Polytechnic he approached different design themes, and decided to develop a thesis studying the relationship between design and autism in adulthood.

Abstract:

One percent of the world’s population is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In recent decades, the number of autistic people seems to be steadily increasing, partly due to increased awareness and improved medical technologies and techniques developed to identify it. In Italy it is estimated, according to recent studies, that one child out of 88 is affected by ASD, for a total of over 500,000 people. People in the autistic spectrum present a wide range of symptoms, mainly involving the social and relational sphere due to difficulties in interaction, understanding social situations, empathy and verbal and non-verbal communication. Through this thesis, I aim to deepen my understanding of how autistic people perceive and interact with the outside world and the people around them, and how this condition can affect the daily life of people growing up. TThe focus in this thesis will be on adults with ASD, being a territory mostly unknown and less investigated by scientific research. Autism in adulthood has a strong impact both on the individual, who is moving towards a phase where expectations are higher and independence is fundamental, and on the family, which generally becomes less present in the person’s life. An important question that is usually asked and feared by the family of a person with disabilities, including autism, is how the person will be able to live independently and successfully on their own. Products designed with awareness and specific characteristics can play an essential role in improving and facilitating the quality of life of people with special needs. There are many solutions developed for children in the spectrum, ranging from toys to improve perception to therapeutic products involving light and sound. But it is as if autism is forgotten once the person gets older. As a life-long condition, autism does not stop after the person reaches the age of majority, and taking this into account to develop solutions that improve even the smallest aspects of everyday life is essential.