Description: The project “Personalized Interactive Urban Maps for Autism (P.I.U.M.A.)” aims to help people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) move and live within cities by means of a new digital service that provides interactive personalized maps. The main goal is to understand how people with ASD represent and orient themselves in urban spaces, what kinds of “spatial needs” they have, and what kind of support would be useful for them. Autism is characterized by a tendency toward social isolation, implies the need to find reassurance in repetitive routines and difficulties in being able to cope with unexpected events. These characteristics require peculiar ways in spatial representation and making it necessary to have an appropriate tool to orient and move in urban space. The project aimed to provide support especially to adults with medium or high autism, or Asperger's syndrome. Orientation support for these people can have a high impact on autonomy, facilitating the transition from a state of (partial dependence) to a state of autonomy.
Location: The project is developed in the city of Turin (IT).
Period: 2017-2019
Partners: Università degli Studi di Torino (IT) and Fondazione Compagnia San Paolo (IT).
Users contribution description: The FirstLife civic social network map was adopted in the project, enriched by the users themselves with features developed specifically to facilitate orientation in urban space for adults with autism. The effectiveness of the technological tools used was evaluated through the use of qualitative and quantitative measures.
http://piuma.di.unito.it
