From Sensory Design to Regulatory Architecture: A Systematic Review of Inclusive Early Childhood Learning Environments for ASD, ADHD, and Down Syndrome

This study presents a systematic review and an integrative interpretive synthesis of the architectural literature addressing sensory–interactive design strategies in early childhood learning environments that support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down Syndrome (DS), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Following a systematic review conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, twenty-nine peer-reviewed studies were analyzed to examine how environmental design variables may influence sensory load, cognitive processing, emotional stability, and behavioral engagement across neurodevelopmental profiles. Rather than remaining within conventional descriptive approaches, architectural variables—including lighting, color, acoustics, materials, spatial configuration, and environmental controllability—are reconceptualized as regulatory dimensions shaping child–environment interactions. The synthesis suggests that identical environmental variables may elicit divergent, and at times conflicting, sensory–emotional and behavioral responses among children with ASD, DS, and ADHD, highlighting the limitations of standardized design solutions. Accordingly, the study proposes the Sensory–Interactive Architecture Framework (SIAF), an analytical framework that links neurodevelopmental response patterns with sensory–emotional regulation mechanisms and environmental design variables as regulatory dimensions. The findings indicate that effective inclusive design does not rely on generalized sensory interventions but rather on the deliberate regulation of sensory variability through more legible, graded, and controllable spatial systems, thereby promoting learning engagement, emotional stability, and adaptive behavior in neurodiverse children.