Topological Reading of Movement Connectivity in Sensory Integration Space for Autistic Children

Abstract

This article describes how autistic children experience space dedicated for sensory integration (SI) therapy activities and how the idea of topology enables a thorough reading of their experiences. A topological approach is used to investigate the SI activity space through the narratives of children’s activities. Rather than considered as a collection of elements, SI space is seen as a space of a connected sensory tour based on the child’s movements in different SI therapy scenarios. Every scenario has different operations that show how children move within the environment as a form of responses involved in the SI process. This article illustrates how connectivity occurs based on the narratives of space experienced by the child. Exploration of scenario sequences and their operations in detail may develop an understanding of the comprehensive spatial experiences and thus expand our knowledge of spatial design for individuals with autism.