People on the autism spectrum have a different perception of the environment than neurotypical people and often require support in various activities of daily living. Assistive technology
can support those affected, but very few smart-home-like technologies exist. To support people
on the autism spectrum in their autonomy and safety and to help caregivers, a smart home and
interior design environment was developed. Requirements were gathered by employing a holistic
human-centered design approach through interactive workshops and questionnaires to create a
useful and user-friendly solution. From this process, requirements for a comprehensive solution (the
SENSHOME environment) emerged. These requirements include a set of functionalities tailored
to the needs of people on the autism spectrum, such as a crowd warning that informs when many
people are in a certain area (for example, the entrance), an automatic light regulation system, or a
daily life planner that supports task completion. Furthermore, inclusive furniture elements such
as a refuge seat or a table with dividers can support wellbeing, autonomy, and safety. This paper
demonstrates a consequent and considerable participatory research approach and the story from
the target group and context of use through design requirements to the initial design solution of the
SENSHOME environment.
