Our Sensory Room at Beverley House

If you didn’t know already, we're now based at Beverley House on Shipton Road, in Clifton. Now that we are all settled into our charity home, we want to tell you all about our new sensory room and all the benefits of this new facility at The Island.
What is a sensory room?
For those who have never heard of a sensory room before, this space is designed to help any individuals with sensory differences. It aids vulnerable children and young people to self-regulate as well as develop coping mechanisms.
We are aware that each child and young person is different, which is why we have taken the time to carefully select the correct lighting, soft toys and other sensory items which can be tailored to suit the needs of those we work with.
What are the benefits of a sensory room?
There are some brilliant benefits to creating a sensory room. These advantages include:
- Enhancing learning through play – our sensory room is designed with both learning and fun in mind. The room encourages children to develop senses and problem solve which engages different parts of the brain
- Sensory stimulation – our sensory room can help children explore the environment around them which positively effects the ability to react, understand and interact with everyday life
- De-stress – our room aims to provide comfort for vulnerable children and young people. The room is a safe space which our mentees can use to develop themselves in an authentic and meaningful way
- Developing communication skills – for our mentees, especially those with Autism or on the spectrum, communication in verbal and non-verbal forms can be difficult. The sensory room can help focus the brain and allow withdrawn children to become engaged
- Improvement of movement, balance and spatial orientation – sensory rooms can develop visual processing abilities
What else is in our York-based sensory room?
As mentioned, we have a variety of different lights and objects in our room to support the children and young people that we work with. We have hand-selected specific items for the room for the following reasons:
- Blankets and soft toys – these items help with what is known as ‘Proprioceptive’. Proprioceptive means the orientation of the body in space. Children, especially those who are autistic, can often feel disconnected from their bodies. That’s why they can often crave physical sensations to help centre their body, hence having soft toys and blankets to feel and touch
- Lights – those with autism learn best through visual work. That’s why flashing lights or fluorescent lights can be a bit problematic. The Island’s sensory room has soft and dim lighting helping children to focus better
- Correct Audio – just like for us adults, a soothing CD can do wonders for relaxation purposes. The same can help children that are on the spectrum. Having calming music running in the background can help calm the brain’s experiences
We hope you have found this post useful. We're looking further develop our sensory room, including bringing in new materials and equipment so that the children and young people that we work with can continue to thrive. If you would like to support our work you can send us a donation or set up a monthly standing order by clicking here.
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