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FEATURE
TEACHING & LEARNING
Reflective sensory practice
In the third and final article in the series, Jo Grace examines the use of sensory circuits and sensory rooms with learners with SEND.
efore I go any further, I’d like to state for the record that both sensory circuits and sensory rooms are wonderful things. But, just like the settle jar I described in my previous article, both can be used in ways that minimise or maximise their potential impact. As with the settle jar article, what is important for you is not to get a step-by-step guide from me, because however great that might be there is no one-size-fits-all answer for these types of approaches. The important thing is to be reflective – to question.
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SENSORY CIRCUITS A sensory circuit contains a series of activities designed to offer stimulation to the senses. Having our sensory needs met helps us to feel safe and secure. A well-designed circuit can enable a child with sensory differences to have their needs met and reach a state where they feel calm and able to engage in learning. Brilliant! But ... keep in mind that is one circuit, designed for one child, specific
to their needs. It is not a routine you lead your whole class through. You may have a fantastic circuit that helps Ben to calm, but excites Nila, worries Muhammed and bores Isaac. A question to ask if you are using sensory circuits with a group is: How could I personalise this to the needs of each child? There is another question that is worth asking with regards to sensory circuits, which is: Why does this child need a circuit in school? There are different answers to this question which will lead you to different conclusions. But here is a narrative I have heard which I find worrying: “The classroom is a difficult place for Ben, his needs aren’t met there. He can cope for a while but then he has to go out and do a circuit or two.” The idea is that once he has done the circuit Ben has effectively topped up his internal battery and can go back into the classroom to learn until such time that he needs to recharge. Whilst it is great that Ben has somewhere he can go to recharge, wouldn’t it be better if he could remain in the learning environment and not need time out? Interestingly, often some relatively
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small adjustments and permission given for low-level access to ongoing stimulation are what is needed. These things look a lot less impressive than a circuit. They are less Instagram-able! Which leads me on to multisensory rooms.
MULTISENSORY ROOMS In 2019, I carried out a research study into the use of multisensory rooms in the UK. Within that study I asked settings about their motives for installing a multisensory room and one of the most common answers was a desire to impress. for ‘wow factor’. Whilst there is nothing wrong with impressing people it is concerning that the answers were not about meeting the needs of the people who would be using the rooms. A multisensory room, of whatever variety, is a place where the environment can be adjusted to offer different forms of sensory stimulation. One of the respondents to my study described her school’s sensory room as the only place where her students could learn. That speaks to the power of getting them right. However, overwhelmingly, my respondents reported that the potential in
