Sensory Rooms Help Make Sense of the World

You can see it, taste it, touch it, and hear it!  From the sight of bees whizzing by and the sound of airplanes overhead to the way rain feels on the skin, the world around us is alive.  Our senses allow us to experience life, be ready for sudden changes, and to respond in adaptive ways.  We know what is happening when our bellies react to a sudden dip in the road or what to do when the lights go out during a thunderstorm.

Many individuals, however, are unable to effectively process what they see, hear, feel, and smell.  For children and adults with sensory disorders, normal everyday sensations are often confusing and produce anxiety or, at the worst, induce pain and panic.  These individuals may be oversensitive or unresponsive to sensation.  Either type of response interferes with the normal interactions with people and materials that are necessary for learning and active participation in daily life.

Thanks to generous support from the Huenefeld Family Trust, Toyota (TEMA/Erlanger), and the Sutphin Family Foundation, Redwood created Northern Kentucky’s only sensory rooms, one for children and another for adults.  Sensory rooms allow children and adults to explore, experience, and control sensory input provided by projectors, bubble lights, and panels that disburse light patterns; soft, vibrating, and textured mats/pillows; and devices that emit varied pitch, rhythm, and spacing of pleasant sounds.  These stimulating and calming activities increase alertness, concentration, relaxation, tolerance to sensory input, understanding of cause and effect, and so many other benefits.  Importantly, individuals carry these skills over from the sensory room into their daily lives.

One child, for example, experienced difficulty with play, social interactions, communication, and was overly sensitive to light, sound, touch, smell, and taste.  He became distressed with changes to routine, responded with frustration and irritability, and withdrew from activities with other children.

The use of Redwood’s new Sensory Room helped him decrease sensitivity to to the typical sensations that are a part of every day life.  As he made gains in sensory development, staff noticed and nurtured his increased concentration, alertness, appropriate responses to sensory input, and participation in classroom activities.

This preschooler is just one of 200 children and 170 adults who have benefited from Redwood’s sensory rooms since their establishment in 2009.  Word is spreading.  Other families, organizations, and individuals have learned of the sensory rooms and are requesting tours to see how they can develop a sensory room at home or in their setting.

To find out more about sensory rooms, contact Redwood’s behavior specialist at (859) 331-880.