A sensory room is used to help calm or stimulate an individual through the use of the senses.
1. Lighting-A good sensory room will have controllable light sources and light therapy. Most importantly, make sure there are absolutely no fluorescent lights (they are bothersome even to people without sensory processing disorders)! Color cubes,fiber optic light sources, rope lights, and/or low wattage pastel colored light bulbs are all good ideas. Additional visual accommodations and equipment can include: play tents/huts, lava lamps, bubble columns, wall water fountains (or tabletop), and liquid light projectors.
2. Proprioception- Sensory rooms beg for good proprioceptive input! (Click here for an in depth understanding of proprioception) Anything which will allow the individual to be "squished" or "hugged" will give the deep pressure input their bodies crave. You can use therapy balls to roll on top of them, weighted vests and blankets, big floor pillows, bean bag chairs, lycra swings, and hammocks. Deep pressure input applied correctly and at the proper time will calm, relax, and soothe even the highest energy kids! You will also want your sensory room to provide opportunities for activities which give muscles and joints significant use and pressure. Some great ideas are: scooter boards, moon shoes, jumpolenes, tunnels, hippity hop balls, mini trampolines, squeeze/fidget toys, and things to climb or hang on.
3. Tactile-Tactile experiences will be the easiest to supply in your sensory room. However, popular tactile input activities will include: playdoh, funny foam, "gak", "glop" (see playdoh recipes) , zyrofoam, textured balls, tactile walls, boards and books, and/or textured puzzles, coloring over textured materials, fingerpaints (regular, or using pudding and/or Kool Aid mix, etc.), koosh balls, use of various materials (i.e., satin, carpet swatches, silk, lambswool, washcloths, cotton balls, etc.).
4. Auditory- soothing sounds! They come in all types of mediums; sound pillows, sound eye masks, CD's, tapes, nature sound machines, white noise machines, indoor wind chimes, etc. Nature sounds, white noise, classical music, or meditation type music are the most popular choices for calming, organizing input.