Sensory room

History

Equipment

Sensory rooms are often stocked full of many different types of equipment. This equipment is used to assist students in focusing on the present moment and to better process sensory information. Stocked equipment may be provided for balance and movement (trampolines, balance bars, swings), calming pressure (blankets, stuffed animals), or fidgeting behavior (fidget spinners, puzzles).

Multi-sensory equipment is a vital and effective part in the treatment of sensory disorders with children and adults alike. Some examples include: projectors and effect wheels, bubble tubes, music equipment, fibre optics, vibrating devices, aroma diffusers and sound equipment. Many schools have "Sensory Kits" which are personalized items of sensory stimulating equipment that are meaningful to the owner. These kits are held in Sensory Rooms as bins, boxes, bags, etc. to be used for preventative purposes and for any crises that may occur. These kits are also used to help children create self organization skills that can increase cognitive processes and future life skills.

Sensory equipment can help develop key life skills including vocalization, gross motor skills, color recognition and tracking. Examples include sensory rooms, sensory pools, sensory bathrooms, and sensory gardens.

They are also sometimes called multi-sensory rooms, white rooms, or quiet rooms.

Benefits

The benefits of sensory rooms are multifaceted and have been shown to help individuals of all ages with varying levels of cognitive and physical abilities. There are many benefits of sensory rooms. One benefit of sensory rooms is that they are an effective way for individuals to manage their stress levels.

Other benefits include: improving focus, encouraging communication and socialization, improving balance and motor planning, encouraging sensory exploration, promoting sensory integration, and enabling calmness and helping to improve self-regulation.

Sensory rooms are beneficial in public and private settings. They are often used in pediatric clinics and schools, hospitals and nursing homes, and individual family homes.

They can also help to manage negative thoughts and emotions. Sensory rooms can be beneficial for those that have a history of aggression, because they can be useful in de-escalating aggressive behavior. Adults that have an intellectual disability can use multi-sensory environments to allow emotional exploration and the chance to seek different kinds of stimulation, which can possibly be therapeutic. Relaxation is an important aspect of sensory rooms, and the different variables of multi-sensory rooms can possibly help reduce different kinds of problem behavior in patients. Hospice care patients can benefit from using sensory environments because they can enhance their end-of-life experience. These environments introduce a variety of new and familiar routines that include the eight different senses.

Dementia

One way sensory rooms are being utilized is with patients with dementia. Sensory information is helpful in improving the quality of life for people who have dementia and potentially other memory problems. A recent study testing various forms of multi-sensory therapies found that there were positive effects for those with issues with agitation. They were able to help reduce agitation but there was no deeper healing from having dementia patients spend time in a sensory room. Not all studies were in support of using sensory rooms for those with dementia. Another study found that the use of sensory rooms was not able to bridge the gap between academic information and implementation of new information. This impacted the view of nursing home staff and they became reluctant to let the residents use them.

References

References

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12. (2013-12-04). "Use of a Sensory Room on an Intensive Care Unit". Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services.
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16. (2018-02-08). "The benefits of sensory modulation on levels of distress for consumers in a mental health emergency setting". Australasian Psychiatry.
17. (2017-01-31). "An evaluation of the use and efficacy of a sensory room within an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit". Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.
18. (January 2010). "Multi-sensory rooms: Comparing effects of the Snoezelen and the Stimulus Preference environment on the behavior of adults with profound mental retardation". Research in Developmental Disabilities.
19. (2016-01-25). "Exploring Sensory Experiences and Personalization in an Inpatient Residential Hospice Setting - Oksana K. Niedzielski, Gary Rodin, Debbie Emmerson, Job Rutgers, Katherine M. Sellen, 2016". American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
20. (2014). "Benefits of sensory garden and horticultural activities in dementia care: a modified scoping review". Journal of Clinical Nursing.
21. (2004). "Non-pharmacological interventions in dementia". Advances in Psychiatric Treatment.
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