Philosophical Structure

The philosophical structure in a Multi Sensorial Space is made up of the five points that researcher O’Brien developed and came up with. It is important to take these five points into consideration when dealing with a sensory environment due to the fact that that could help improve the quality of life of these individuals that suffer from profound disabilities such as Cerebral palsy. The five accomplishments consist of Respect, Choice, Capabilities, Community presence and relationship.

It is important for the individual suffering from the disability to be respected. When shown respect the individual will feel like he/she is would have more control while in the Multi Sensorial Environment and this would result in the individual using the sensory room and equipment in the right way. Respecting the decision of these individual would also help them integrate with society and the environment in a calmer and more confident way.

Unfortunately in society, these individual do not have a large ability to choose things for themselves. However while in a sensory environment it is important to give them the choice to choose their own equipment, lighting and activities as this would help the individual feel more independent and responsible. It is important for therapists to find out what could motivate these individuals so that they could use this motivation to make them take part in any activity be it educational or a relaxed activity. Giving these individuals a sensory room in any kind of community is also a plus. It is important to focus on community presence due to the fact that some individuals would like to take part in activities outdoors while others might prefer taking part in activities in a normal sensory room.

Sensory rooms are important spaces where sensory activities could take place to help individuals that suffer from profound disabilities. When thinking of a multi sensorial space it is very important to consider these five accomplishments due to the fact that they could help the development of the individual’s skills, education and confidence. 

Reference list:

Fowler, SF, 2008. Multisensory Rooms and Environments. 1st ed. America: Scope (Vic) Ltd.

Snoezelen. 2016. Pennyman Primary School. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.snoezelen.info/category/europe/. [Accessed 31 May 2016].

Live Case, Snoezelen Success:

Stockton elementary school in America is home to around 500 students. This school is Chicago’s northernmost school for children that suffer from disabilities. In 1989 a speech therapist named Sandler described the school as a friendly place with supporting parents. However she also stated that the school would be an even better place if a Snoezelen room is added to the premises as this would help expose these individuals to regular Snoezelen sessions. At the beginning of the design process a consultant from a Snoezelen company quoted Sandler with a typical figure of 40,000, however Sandler was prepared to pay much more so that he would be able to provide these children with the best Snoezelen room possible.

 

Thanks to Sandler’s attention to details and ample budget, the room created managed to please all of the senses while consisting of modern technology and equipment. The rooms equipment is all remote controlled, dimmers are available for the light provided and each piece of equipment has its own individual switch. This helps the individual choose their favourite equipment which also helps them to become more independent and confident. The results of this room have exceeded all expectations. This room has helped reserved students to explore the environment while integrating with various activities, while hyperactive children are able to relax and calm down while they are enjoying this sensorial space. This room also provides a space for education and the students are able to learn how to interact with others and also communicate with others.

Sandler also shares an experience that she had during this process. She says that there was this little girl who would never speak at school and she described her as “selectively mute”, however during an activity while in a sensory space, this little girl suddenly grabbed the microphone that was situated in the room and began to sing. This shows us that these sensory spaces do have an effect on all kind of individuals and could help them improve any skill needed. Fortunately the positive results are not only being seen while these children are taking part in activities during their time in this space. After one year Sandler and other teachers of the school realised that some children had improved their communication skills while others had improved their behaviour. Since these children have become used to the multi sensorial environment within the school, they have become accustomed to the standard procedures such as dimming the lights and using the equipment in the right.

For many children suffering from a disability, simply learning a normal routine is a big deal. Multi sensorial class rooms would help these individuals to learan these routines in a simpler and more entertaining way. The impact that the Snoezelen room within the Stockton elementary school has had is a clear indication that these rooms can work wonders for these children.  

Reference list:

Snoezelen. 2016. Stockton Elementary School. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.snoezelen.info/success-stories/stockton-elementary-school/. [Accessed 31 May 2016].

Snoezelen. 2016. Pennyman Primary School. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.snoezelen.info/category/europe/. [Accessed 31 May 2016].

Social Integration: Henry’s story.

Social Integration:

The ability to integrate with society and other people help the individual suffering from the disability to build important relationships with friends, family members and helpers/therapists. Unfortunately the practice of socialization is can be quite hard if the individual is self-conscious about his or her ability to communicate.

There are various ways to help improve the socialization skills of these individuals. First the teacher or parent of the individual must contact therapists to evaluate the child’s behaviour. These therapists introduce creative activities of building self esteem and confidence which could help the individual suffering from the disability overcome various situations. A therapist is also encouraged to teach and train helpers to encourage other to accept these individuals when out in public and amongst groups. Caregivers are also encouraged to look for opportunities to engage the child such as the use of laughter, education and the encouragement of overcoming difficulties. They are also encouraged to allow the individual experiment and explore the environment individually.      

Henry’s Story:

Henry is an 18 year old who suffers from various disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy and visual impairment. Henry looks forward to his visits to the multi sensorial rooms. Henry finds the areas of lighting activities as his favorite environment. Henry managed to explore the bright light stimulation of fiber optics through the use of vision and tactile awareness. According to his caregivers, Henry found the changes from dark to light and from red to yellow to be the most visually stimulating and this helped him to focus his visual attention for longer periods of times. These activities helped Henry integrate with his school mates and helped him take part in school activities with more confidence. Thanks to his improved skills in colour visualization Henry took the lead role of switching the bright infinity lights as part of the story during drama classes.

Henry developed his skills from those of awareness and attention to include the abilities to choose his own equipment and learn how to use the switch to control the lights. This story shows us that multi sensorial rooms can have a huge impact and immense value in terms of personal development and empowerment.   

Reference list:

senmagazine.co.uk. 2016. Sensory adventures. [ONLINE] Available at:https://senmagazine.co.uk/articles/articles/senarticles/sensory-adventures. [Accessed 28 May 2016].

cerebralpalsy.org. 2016. Socialization. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/information/socialization. [Accessed 28 May 2016].

The History and Approach of the Snoezelen

During the 1970’s two Dutch therapists, Jan Hulsegge and Ad Verheul experimented with a sensory tent at an institute. The aim of this was to increase sensory experiences for individuals that suffer from disabilities. The results that emerged from a weekend fair were positive and this led onto bigger things and projects.

The first Snoezelen in the UK

After different fund raising events, Joe Kewin teamed together with his team worked hard to design multi sensorial Snoezelen centre at Whittington Hall in the UK. The Whittington hall was a large place which was dedicated to helping adults which suffer from different disabilities and opened its first Snoezelen in 1987. Thanks to this huge project the Whittington Hall became the pioneer in early research and became the first Snoezelen environment in the UK.

The growth of the Snoezelen beyond the UK and Holland

1.       1992: First Snoezelen room opened in Canada

2.       1992: First Snoezelen room opened in the US

The Snoezelen concept has grown year over year and can be found in over 40 countries around the world.

Snoezelen in New Settings

The Snoezelen concept has evolved and has been proven useful in different settings. It is now common in different places such as schools, churches, community centres and many households. The Snoezelen technique can help learning development, relaxation and raise alertness levels. Since its conception the Snoezelen concept has improved the quality of life of many individuals.

Recent Snoezelen Projects

1.       2005: Snoezelen facilities in Florida. This complex boasts an 11,000 square feet area which provides equipment for children in need of sensory equipment.

2.       2008: Sensory room in a church for the first time and since then 35 more clubs have been installed in churches.

3.       2015 – The large project of designing and installing 5 Snoezelen rooms at Texas Children’s Hospital and surrounding campuses 

Snoezeelen concept in a class room 

Whittington Hall

Reference List :

snoezelen.info. 2016. History and Approach. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.snoezelen.info/history/. [Accessed 23 May 2016].

Benefits and Application of the Snoezelen Concept

The Snoezelen concept is suitable for all ages. The Snoezelen rooms offer a relaxed atmosphere with various sound effects, pleasant surroundings, tactile experiences and gentle movements. Interesting lighting effects allows the individual to self regulate by choosing sensations. The sensory room provides an environment for interaction and engagement.

As said earlier the Snoezelen concept could be used for different ages and abilities such as:

1.       Snoezelen for early years

2.       Snoezelen for Challenging Behaviour

3.       Snoezelen for Occupational Therapy

4.       Snoezelen for Learning Disabilities

5.       Snoezelen for Mental Health

6.       Snoezelen for Autism

7.       Snoezelen for Brain Injury

8.       Snoezelen for the Elderly

The sensory rooms and Snoezelen technique would help the individual suffering from the disability to calm down and relax. The Snoezelen concept for learning disabilities is a very complex area of support. Clients for this area may have a diverse range of diagnoses that impact their life. These individuals may have a difficulty to understand, communicate and processing information which makes learning and engaging with others very difficult. Support in a sensory room mainly focuses on helping the individual to be independent.

These sensory rooms are spaces that are tailored for the individual suffering from the disability to meet their specific needs such as therapeutic and educational equipment. The use of projections are considered as one of the main pieces of equipment in these rooms due to the fact that they show various multimedia to suit the learning needs of the individual. Story telling could also be used in a multi sensorial environment. While telling a story, tactile items could be used to help the individual feel part of the story. For example if one is telling a story about the sea to the individual suffering from the disability then tactile items such as shells and sand could be brought in. Different aromas and effects such as the use of fans to create a breeze could also be used to help the individual enjoy the story more.  

As said earlier a Multi Sensorial Environment could be used for various abilities and the limits of using an MSE are with the imagination of the facilitator or therapist and the possibilities are endless. 

Snoezelen Equipment

Snoezelen Room

Reference list:

snoezelen.info. 2016. BENEFITS & APPLICATIONS. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.snoezelen.info/benefits-and-applications/. [Accessed 22 May 2016].

snoezelen.info. 2016. SNOEZELEN FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.snoezelen.info/who-can-benefit/snoezelen-for-learning-disabilities/. [Accessed 22 May 2016].

Looking Into The Senses

Senses found In a Sensory Room

The world is full on sensory stimuli. Adding these stimuli to the Multi Sensorial Rooms would help the individual who suffers from the disability to relax and calm down. Most individuals are not able to respond properly to different stimuli and others could have lost the skill to respond due to accidents or different illnesses’. For these individuals the world could be a scary and difficult place full of different reactions to stimulation. This could result in inappropriate behaviour and individuals reacting in ways that others do not understand. That is why Multi Sensorial Environments are crucial for these individuals.

A Multi sensorial space may be used to educate or relax by adapting different sounds, lighting techniques to the needs of the individual. These rooms mainly consist of areas that help the individual to relax, develop learning skills, stimulate senses and help individuals during therapy.

The five senses which we are most familiar with:

1.       Vision: Provides us with details about what we see

2.       Touch: Keeps us in contact with our surroundings

3.       Smell: We use the sense of smell all the time to identify many things

4.       Hearing: Provides us with details about the sounds we hear

5.       Taste: Gives us feedback on different types of tastes

Two senses with which we may not be as familiar are:

1.       Vestibular —this sense puts balance into our lives.

2.       Proprioception —this sense processes information from our muscles, joints, and other body parts to provide us with an unconscious awareness of the position of our body parts

Reference List:

snoezelen.info. 2016. What is Snoezelen®. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.snoezelen.info/. [Accessed 22 May 2016].

snoezelen.info. 2016. THE SENSES. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.snoezelen.info/the-senses/. [Accessed 22 May 2016].

The Snoezelen Concept:

The Snoezelen Concept:

The Snoezelen Concept developed in the Netherlands and in the 1970’s and since then the Snoezelen concept has been established all over the world. Snoezelen is a therapy for people who suffer from developmental disabilities, dementia or brain injuries. The Snoezelen technique consists of placing the individual in a relaxed and stimulating environenment. These environments are designed specifically to deliver various senses using different things such as lighting, colour and music. The use of different materials may also help to stimulate senses.

The Snoezelen rooms were initially set up as relaxation facilities, however over the years the Snoezelen activity began to take place in specifically designed sensory rooms. Originally the Snoezelen concept is an activity which takes place in an attractively lit room. These rooms give the individual a large variety of sensory stimulation to help trigger different sensations. However over the years the term “Snoezelen” has been misunderstood. The original idea and concept that Snoezelen was an activity that could take place anywhere has unfortunately been lost. Over the years Snoezelen has been focused as a sensory room rather than an activity. The idea of Snoezelen being a sensory room and not being an activity has been strengthened by various companies that have been selling and designing equipment for “Snoezelen Rooms”. People now use terms such as “multi sensorial rooms” or “multi sensorial environments” instead of using the term Snoezelen.

Unfortunately society now does not know the difference between the term Snoezelen and a Multi Sensorial Environment. The difference between these two is that one is an activity or therapy that could take place anywhere and the other is a room specifically designed for individuals that suffer from various disabilities.

Elements found in a Snoezelen Room:

1.       Shimmering curtain: Helps bring the fibre optics closer to the user.

2.       Projector: Projects simple colours and shapes which helps the individual relax

3.       Musical Water Bed: Bed adapts to the body shape and gives off muffled noises

4.       Snoezelen corner: a sensory corner were the activites can take place

5.       Talking Cube: encourages physical movement

6.       8 colour switch: promotes inclusivity, choice, control and accessible learning

7.       Wall Panels: can be used as a visual stimulus to teach cause and effect colour recognition

8.       Bubble Tubes: offering visual, audible and tactile stimulation 

9.       Wall and Floor Cushions: allows the user to safely and independently explore their environment

Snoezelen Room

Snoezelen Elements

Reference List:

snoezelen.info. 2016. ELEMENTS OF A SNOEZELEN® SENSORY ROOM. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.snoezelen.info/elements-of-a-snoezelen-sensory-room/. [Accessed 22 May 2016].

especialneeds. 2016. Multi-Sensory Environments. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.especialneeds.com/shop/sensory-motor-skill-tools/multi-sensory-environments.html. [Accessed 22 May 2016].

Fowler, SF, 2008. Multisensory Rooms and Environments. 1st ed. America: Scope (Vic) Ltd.

cdhaf.org. 2012. Multi Sensory Environments: A Short History. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.cdhaf.org/multi-sensory-environments-a-short-history/. [Accessed 7 May 2016].