Strategie per la residenza di adulti con disturbi dello spettro autistico in Italia: casi di studio Strategies for Housing of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Italy: Case Studies

In Italy, the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) occurs in one of every 77 children aged 7-9 years old (Scattoni, 2019). Despite the lack of precise data on adult population (Vivanti, 2010), trends are certainly increasing. People with ASD have a high life expectancy with different level of autonomy in daily life, hence the need for a set of treatments and services dedicated to people without family support. In Italy, the housing solution for adults with ASD is not a much-debated topic yet in both its main aspects: on the one hand the public medical care and social assistance and, on the other, the specific design solutions. The paper discusses the results of the research on the housing solutions for ASD in Italy showing two recent buildings hosting residential and daily activities, identified as best practices. The first case is the center of the NGO Progettoautismo FVG, located in Feletto Umberto (UD): an existing building refurbished and redesigned (2018); the second project is a specialized center for ASD, a new building called Casa Sebastiano located in Coredo (TN), opened in 2017. The authors study and compare the two projects identifying the decision processes and the spatial, functional and technological solutions. The methodology combines different techniques: mapping the decisional process, studying the drawings, on-site visits and interviews delivered to national and international experts of various disciplines. The result of the analysis translates into a set of design inputs - guidelines - meeting the specific needs of people with ASD