In this paper we describe the knowledge building process
involved in creating The Lab, a technology-enabled
‘learning community’ of young people with Asperger’s
Syndrome (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA),
and their parents. We use Vygotsky’s (1978) culturalhistorical
approach to analyse social engagement through
material, individual, and social interactions and the
emergence of a ‘third space’ (Gutierrez, 1999 & 2008) as
a particular kind of ‘zone of proximal development’ in
developing an effective learning environment. We
speculate on the centrality of the sensory and perceptual
differences of AS and HFA people as contributing to a
better understanding of the role of embodied imagination
and creativity as essential aspects of their ‘difference’ and
their distinct patterns of social and cultural relations.