What is a sensory room and why is it important?
The resources required for special education students to thrive in a school setting are often overlooked. While most schools have designated teachers and classrooms for special education students, that is often not enough. This past year, I created a sensory room for the special needs students at my high school. Many autistic and special-needs individuals struggle with sensory issues and hyper or hypo-sensitivity. Furthermore, many students have disabilities that prevent them from communicating what they are feeling or what they need, so it is difficult for them to remain in a calm mental state. School can be a difficult place for individuals with sensory issues due to the loud noises, such as large amounts of people talking or bells. Additionally, there are a lot of bright and vibrant colors which can be extremely overstimulating and make it extremely difficult for students to focus. This can be called sensory overload, which is essentially your brain not being able to quickly process all this overstimulation. Sensory overload can be very common among autistic individuals. This is why sensory rooms are crucial to creating safer learning environments.
Sensory rooms are spaces filled with calming attributes, such as relaxing lighting, sound machines, sleeping spaces, and more. Sensory rooms can be very therapeutic to individuals experiencing sensory overload, and can provide a sense of comfort and relaxation. It's important for a space like this to be provided at schools, so that special-education students can feel comfortable in an educational environment.
Creating your own sensory room
While it may sound overwhelming, sensory rooms do not have to be difficult or expensive to make. The first step is identifying a space that can be used, which can truly be any size. After that, it's all about adding calming and relaxing items, such as bedding, toys, stress balls, and games that would catch the interest of the age group the room is intended for. If you are ok with adding in a few more complex steps, you can even paint the room a neutral color that won't cause overstimulation (grays, beiges, etc.). The main idea is to keep the room simple, but effective. Avoid busy pictures and posters, as well as bright colors. Below is a list of things you can include in your sensory room:
Bedding/Lounge
beanbag chairs
futon
pull-out couch
blankets
pillows
tents (for privacy)
fun chairs
Lighting
LED strip lights
hexagon lights
fairy lights
light projector
standing light tubes
lava lamps
Activities/Toys
stress balls
fidget toys
kinetic sand
tactile walls
coloring books
interactive games
Other
light-up tables and chairs
white noise sound machines
whiteboards/chalkboards
shelving/organizational items
I have also included pictures of the sensory room I recently created for inspiration.
Balling on a Budget
Sensory rooms can be made with any budget. In order to save money, you can look into reaching out to certain sensory toy companies or your local hardware stores for donations. You can also re-purpose items found around thrift stores or even your own house. DIY projects are also a great way to spruce up your space. I decided to make my own tactile wall for my sensory room using a large corkboard and various-textured items I found at the Dollar Tree (pictured below).
