Snoezelen rooms

Multi-sensory rooms known as “Snoezelen” rooms offer a very calming, soothing, and therapeutic environment to children with developmental disabilities, the elderly with Alzheimer’s, or anyone with mental health or sensory issues. It is an environment that introduces sensory stimuli to the brain by using lights, sounds, water, and motion. It does so by engaging the senses in a way that can help a person with a disability learn to focus their thought processes.

Typical multi-sensory or “Snoezelen” equipment will focus on a particular sensation. A “Snoezelen” device that uses lights may incorporate the use of fiber-optics. Any child would appreciate this the same way an adult will appreciate a fireworks display. But a child with a developmental disability often conveys, expresses, and even reads emotions through their senses. Where a child is lacking cognitive process, it’s often the senses that allow a connection. And it’s that connection that can open up a new form of communication that can lead to that child making further strides in his or her development.

Children with developmental disabilities tend to do better in the home and school environment because the mind has been engaged through the senses. Our bodies and minds need exercise and many times, a child with a developmental disability does not get the mental stimuli needed. Most people think that a child with a developmental disability doesn’t the capacity to learn a great deal, so it’s natural to think that stimuli in any form may be too much to digest. But it’s not the amount of information, it’s the form. It’s like singing in another language. You might not understand the words, but the sounds might be appealing, or draw a positive emotion. Thereby calming the mind, making it crave more stimuli. But imagine you’re in another country, where everyone is speaking another language, in the same monotone voices. You become frustrated and thwarted and this can lead to depression and cause you to withdraw.

A child with a developmental disability is not much different than someone in a foreign land. Although their cognitive abilities may be hindered, they digest information differently. For instance, a child with Autism is often over-stimulated by the environment. Where two adults can have a conversation, they can drown out the noises coming from the streets, or sound of the radiator kicking on, or the sound of a fan blowing. A child with Autism has difficultly blocking out those sounds. Where we have a filter for this, for an Autistic child, everything gets in. This is why you see a child with Autism focusing attention on a squeegee ball, or lights, or they flap their arms. They’re looking for something to focus their attention on because everything else becomes overwhelming. A “Snoezelen” room would be a slice of heaven for a child with Autism, and a relief for their parents.