Page 28 - spaces4learning, July/August 2020

spaces4learning SENSORY ROOMS
SENSORY ROOMS MAY HELP EASE THE ANXIETY STUDENTS FEEL FROM COVID-19
The stimulating environment of a sensory room may heighten awareness, provide a sense of security and comfort, improve creativity, promote mental and physical relaxation, and even decrease aggressive behaviors.
By Cecilia Cruse
SENSORY ROOMS ARE QUICKLY BECOMING AN important element of learning space design, and for good rea- son: They can prove to be effective at helping students with anxiety or sensory processing issues to calm down and relax, so that students are better able to focus and learn.
Some children, such as those on the autism spectrum, can easily become overwhelmed by touch, movement, sights, or sounds. Spending time in a calming sensory room might help them build intrinsic self-regulation skills to support better fo- cus, attention, and behavior.
However, a sensory room isn’t just for students with special needs. The prevalence of anxiety is escalating across all student populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A calming sen- sory room offers a quiet space to regroup, which might help students manage their responses to stress.
This article will examine what a sensory room is and why it’s important, especially in the era of COVID-19. It will also offer ideas for creating a calming sensory room in your own school.
Why Create a Sensory Room
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control show that one in 54 children has been identified with autism spec- trum disorder, a number that continues to rise. Many students on the autism spectrum have sensory processing issues that
make them overly sensitive to touch, light, and sounds.
Sensory processing disorders can affect other students as well, not just those on the autism spec- trum. In fact, research suggests that between 5 percent and 16 per- cent of children exhibit symptoms.
Time in a calming sensory room, incorporated as part of a regular school schedule, may give students opportunities to recharge and regroup. In turn, this helps promote intrinsic self-regulation, which may reduce the likelihood that students will experience meltdowns and other inappropriate behaviors as they learn to advocate for their own sensory needs.
A sensory room often includes gentle lighting and soothing sounds, along with furniture that helps define spatial boundar- ies (such as chairs with higher backs and sides) to help children feel secure in their physical space and sensory tools that help promote self-regulation.
Students can’t learn if they’re upset, distracted, anxious, or overstimulated. A sensory room might help them regulate their emotions, so they can focus more effectively. In fact, a study of how sensory rooms in Muskegon County, Michigan, affected students’ readiness to learn found that students were 56 percent
28 jUL/AUG 2020