Developing coping skills with sensory rooms
Sensory processing is the way we perceive, process and organise the information we receive through our different senses. This includes smell, sight, hearing, touch, taste and movement. We all experience sensory input on a daily basis in different environments and when completing different activities.
Sensory processing is the effective registration, organisation and response to sensory input. For some individuals, they may experience difficulties processing sensory information and may have aversions or hypersensitivity to certain stimuli, may not register certain stimuli or may seek certain sensory experiences.
What is a sensory room?
A sensory room is a space that is specially designed to help individuals develop and explore their senses through a range of stimuli. Incorporating stimuli such as smells, objects, colours, sounds, movement, textures and lights, sensory rooms allow individuals to experience potentially uncomfortable senses in a safe environment.
A sensory room works by helping individuals to regulate their brains' negative reactions or overreaction to external stimuli by developing coping skills. As every individual is going to have different needs and reactions to external stimuli, each room should be unique to the subject.
What are the benefits of sensory rooms?
Sensory rooms are a fantastic way to help individuals living with developmental challenges , sensory sensitivities, sensory processing disorder or autism by providing them with a range of experiences they might not otherwise have access to. These experiences come with some great benefits, including:
● Helping individuals increase awareness of their surroundings
● Assisting cognitive development
● Helping individuals self-regulate their behaviour, emotions and increase focus
● Helping individuals increase visual, auditory and tactile processing.
● Providing a calming and regulating effect
● Helping improve motor skill development
What are the different types of sensory rooms and what are they ideal for?
While each sensory room is going to be unique regarding how they’re designed to assist users, they will still fall into two categories: calming and interactive. Both categories provide vastly different experiences to the user and their needs.
Calming sensory room
A calming sensory room is designed for individuals who are overwhelmed and oversensitive to external stimuli. The room is designed to encourage regulation, relaxation and calmness to help the individual develop coping mechanisms in a safe environment. An example of calming stimuli would be soothing sounds that are played in the room. The soothing sounds not only help to produce a relaxing effect for the individual but can also assist in sensory development.
Interactive sensory room
An interactive sensory room is designed to help individuals who experience under-stimulation. Some individuals can easily become withdrawn and non-responsive to external stimuli and require assistance with interaction. The room helps by engaging the individuals with specific stimuli that also encourage coping behaviours. Interactive rooms may have aspects such as an interactive floor system that can captivate and draw out the individual through moving images. These rooms are designed to be fun, and with other systems, such as games and interactive wall panels, they can assist in developing interaction skills.
Sensory rooms are a fantastic tool to help individuals with developmental disorders learn to cope with external stimuli in a safe and risk-free way. They also provide a number of other benefits that can go far beyond just coping, often providing skills that will help individuals thrive in other aspects of their lives. If you want more information on the benefits of sensory rooms or our other therapy options, get in touch with our team today.