Growing evidence positions the built environment as an active component of the developmental experience of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this population, architectural elements such as lighting, acoustics, spatial configuration, and sensory stimuli are consistently associated with learning processes; however, empirical evidence quantifying these relationships through proxy informant instruments remains scarce, particularly in Latin American urban contexts with infrastructure gaps. This study addresses that gap by examining the association between neuroarchitecture, understood as evidence-based sensory design, and learning in children with ASD attending therapeutic centers in the district of Comas, Metropolitan Lima. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and correlational design was adopted. The final sample comprised 98 proxy informants, family members with daily and sustained contact with children with ASD, recruited from four therapeutic centers in Comas (zones 3, 5, 6, and 8), following an instrument validation process that included a pilot test with 15 additional participants. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire of 24 Likert-scale items with five response options, organized around two variables and six dimensions. Content validity was established through expert judgment by five architecture specialists. Construct validity was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (KMO = 0.744; Bartlett’s sphericity test: χ2 = 665.96, df = 276, p < 0.001). Instrument reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.844). Given the non-normal distribution of the data across all constructs (Shapiro–Wilk, p < 0.05), Spearman’s rho coefficient was used for inferential analysis. A positive and statistically significant association was identified between neuroarchitecture and learning (ρ = 0.599, p < 0.001). Dimensional analysis revealed a hierarchical pattern: the strongest association corresponded to cognitive processing (ρ = 0.492, p < 0.001), followed by social interaction and communication (ρ = 0.460, p < 0.001) and sensory regulation and adaptive behavior (ρ = 0.460, p < 0.001). A total of 99.0% of proxy informants perceived adequate neuroarchitectural conditions and associated adequate learning outcomes. The findings confirm that neuroarchitectural design is significantly associated with the learning of children with ASD, with cognitive processing emerging as the dimension most sensitive to spatial conditions. The evidence supports the formulation of preliminary design orientations that prioritize sensory stimuli management, spatial legibility, and programmatic differentiation of therapeutic environments, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 11.
Contreras-Montalvo et al. (Tue,) studied this question.