Katya Diaz

Born in El Salvador, after finishing her bachelor’s in Industrial Design she moved to Qatar where she work in QBIC Fab Lab and obtain her Fabacademy certification. After 3 years she decides to continue her education in Design & Engineering and moves to Milano to study at Politecnico di Milano. Passionate about designing products with social impact Katya explores Digital Fabrication alternatives to design and develop products that are accessible and usable to as many individuals as possible.

Abstract
Autism or ASD is a spectrum disorder that is characterized by persistent deficits in interaction or communication and restricted interest. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has risen from 1 in every 150 children in 1992 to 1 in every 44 in 2010, the cause is unknown. The research and attention usually focus on children excluding adults with autism. To support individuals with ASD this project focuses on developing open-source products that can improve the condition of adults and children by providing a family of products that can be manufactured locally to promote interaction with others while performing gardening therapy. Research has proven that Horticulture and gardening therapy benefits individuals including those with developmental disabilities and physical disabilities. It is commonly used to enrich the lives of many people with cognitive challenges. The family of products has been redesigned and shared openly in such a way that they can be easily reproduced with digital fabrication tools around the globe.