The gentle hum of an illuminated water column, touch and sound wall panels, and a soft lounge chair that vibrates with music. These are just some of the options available in a Multi-Sensory Room or Environment (MSE). Long popular in other parts of the world, MSE’s are now gaining ground in educational, rehab, and residential settings in the USA and Canada. Rapidly expanding technology and interactive options continue to transform the experience for all users, including those with special needs.
Typically, an MSE is a dedicated space or room that is designed to stimulate the senses through a controlled environment enhanced with individualized sensory equipment. Some of the goals and benefits of MSE’s include promoting relaxation and a feeling of well-being, focus and attention, understanding of cause/ effect, and social interaction skills. MSE’s are the perfect medium for those with multiple disabilities, including visual and/or hearing impairments, cognitive and dementia issues, and/or motor delays and impairments. With their sensory components combining touch, vibration, and movement with sight and sound, they offer something for all levels.
Components in a sensory room can vary widely and are usually selected based on the special needs or general population that will be using the space. A collaboration between educators, parents, equipment vendors, and other related specialists is helpful when planning an MSE. Here are just a few of the options available:
Bubble Tube
The clear plastic water column produces a steady stream of small bubbles, which coordinate with changing light colors within the tube. With an interactive Bubble Tube, the user presses a switch or panel, which changes the tube’s color and/or the speed of the bubbles’ vibration, helping promote cause-and-effect, turn-taking, and simple visual perception skills. In addition to the light, the hum and vibration of the tube are also often a source of attention and appeal.
Fiber Optics
These are light sources made of fiber-optic strands in a variety of options, including hanging curtains, wall or floor carpets, vertical sprays, or draped strands over a seating piece such as a bean bag cushion. In a semi-darkened room, fiber optics produces a soft glow that can promote visual focus and tracking, and when used in strands (usually grouped in sets of 100 or more) and draped across the body in a seat or in a swing, the weight of the combined strands provides deep touch pressure input on the body, which may help promote the relaxation/calming response.
Projectors
These devices are a fun method to project colorful images onto walls, ceilings, floors, or a soft space such as a draped parachute. Themed concepts such as shapes, planets, a deep-sea environment, or even customized pictures are displayed on a projector disc or wheel that gently rotates, producing a clear, slow-moving image across the desired surface. In a semi- darkened room, these oversized rotating images are great for calming, attending, and visual focus and tracking.
Vibro Acoustic Furniture
These lounging pieces, such as beanbags, recliners, wedges, pillows, or mats, have built-in speakers that allow the user to “feel” the music through vibration. Classical, drumming, and/or contemporary new age composers are often good choices for this equipment.
When considering an MSE, keep your space in mind. Obstructions such as excess light from windows, wall barriers (e.g., closet doors, cabinets/shelving), and/or ventilation (side HVAC units, etc.) should be covered, moved, or minimized as feasible. Additional electrical outlets may need to be installed, and lighting should be changed to a rheostat-controlled system for gradual dimming. Floor and/or wall padding may be needed for comfort and acoustics. Be sure to plan for a budget as well. A portable corner unit can start under $5K, but rooms can go $20K or more depending on the size, technology, and equipment. But the rewards- such as seeing a child with autism make eye contact or having an agitated adult client with dementia calm down- can make the investment in an MSE worthwhile indeed!
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