The human brain is designed to produce and regulate responses to the body’s sensory experiences — those things we touch, see, smell, taste and hear. For most people, this is a regular and typically overlooked part of their daily experience. But for an individual with a developmental disorder, the way the brain processes these experiences can be a significant source of distress and discomfort. In some cases, the brain may over-react to these sensory stimuli. Other times, it may not react enough. An inability to regulate certain sensory stimuli can cause various negative behaviors, such as acting out, fighting, meltdowns, spinning, rocking, or hand-flapping, as well as problems with information processing and development. One increasingly popular method of treating and overcoming sensory issues is using a sensory room, also called a multisensory environment. These “safe” spaces are designed to provide a place for individuals with sensory issues to decompress and confront a variety of sensory stimuli in a way that will ultimately help them learn to cope with everyday experiences.

The children receiving services through the Opportunities, Inc. Early Intervention Day Treatment (EIDT) program would significantly benefit from a professionally engineered multisensory environment. The EIDT program is operated by early childhood specialists. It serves children with developmental disabilities and developmental delays, or a medical condition that puts them at risk for a developmental delay. EIDT includes comprehensive evaluation, preventative, therapeutic, palliative, rehabilitative, and habilitative services prescribed by a physician for children ages birth to six years. For these children, a multisensory environment would provide a place for them to go when a meltdown occurs. While it can be a calm space where they can regain control of their emotions, a sensory room can also provide a low-stress, fun environment for an individual to work through their emotions and reactions to certain stimuli. While they cannot necessarily take away their brain’s sensitivity to certain stimuli, they can train their brain to overcome its sensitivity and develop coping mechanisms that will serve them well in the world beyond their sensory space. It is anticipated that regular use of the multisensory rooms by children in the EIDT program will improve focus, develop or reactivate senses, encourage socialization, promote cognitive development, and improve motor development.

The multisensory environment will consist of two rooms. One room will be used to calm and reduce agitation using gentle light, soothing sound, relaxing smells, and textures. The second room will be used to stimulate users by providing exciting visuals, music and sounds, invigorating smells, and textures to explore. Each child using a sensory room will have learning goals and outcomes linked to the room’s use. The child’s progress and achievement will be evaluated and documented in the child’s Individual Treatment Plan.