Reflective sensory practice

18 / FEATURE ➜ TEACHING & LEARNING

R e fl e c t i v e s e n s o r y p r a c t i c e

In the third and final article in the series, Jo Grace examines the use of sensory circuits and sensory rooms with learners with SEND.

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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.

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 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.

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

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

You may have a fantastic circuit that helps Ben to calm, but excites Nila, worries Muhammed and bores Isaac.

BIO

J O A N N A G R A C E

Joanna Grace is a Sensory Engagement Specialist, trainer, author and founder of ‘The Sensory Projects’. More information can be found at https://bit.ly/3bwHACw, including details of upcoming events.

their sensory room was not being realised. Together we identified barriers to effective practice.

I am often asked for advice on what equipment should go into a sensory room, or which company I would recommend, or how a sensory room should be laid out. None of these things rate in comparison to the logistical issues.

Through these articles I have talked about the importance of asking questions, of reflective practice, of not expecting a one-size-fits-all approach to work. With sensory rooms there are so very many questions to be asked, some of which spring from the room’s very inception but, for now, let’s focus on some positives!

AN IMPROVISED APPROACH CAN BE WONDERFUL

A blanket thrown over a table with a torch underneath it can achieve the same ends as the most amazing, all-singing, all-dancing multisensory room. So, if you do not have the budget for all the fancy stuff, an improvised approach to sensory adventures can work wonderfully.

20 / FEATURE ➜ TEACHING & LEARNING

The most important feature of multisensory rooms – all multisensory rooms – is the people.

Do not worry about what things look like, think instead about what looking at them is like. So, for example a piece of coloured cellophane might not look like much but looking through it is an amazing visual experience. The children can be great guides here, be led by them.

EMBRACE THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Researchers exploring the merits of sensory gardens, or simply the great outdoors, have found that being out in nature can be an effective way of meeting people’s sensory needs. Going for a walk in your local park might not look as spectacular as entering a space that looks like a movie set in the future, but it will feed children’s sensory needs and engender feelings of wellbeing in staff and students alike.

BLACKOUT

I asked people what the most important aspect of their sensory room was. I expected people to wax lyrical about the magic of bubble tubes, or the wonders of fibre optic sprays (both wonderfully entrancing objects of visual stimulation) but the top answer was darkness. The power of the sensory room in so many cases was that it was a place where teachers could create darkness, and then within that darkness points of visual focus.

Have a look around your classroom, where does the light come from? You may find installing blackout blinds would mean you could create darkness. I have seen some wonderful settings cut cardboard to fit the shape of their windows and then secured it in place using Velcro tabs.

Once you have your darkness what can you introduce to it? A small UV pen torch is a wonderful way of picking objects out and creating visual focus. And, if the budget allows, perhaps splash out on a magical fibre optic spray or a bubble tube, but do not think that these things are the be all and the end all of the magic of multisensory rooms because that lies elsewhere entirely. Nature can be an effective way of meeting people’s sensory needs

WHERE DOES THE MAGIC LIE?

The most important feature of multisensory rooms – all multisensory rooms – is the people. Everyone I spoke to in my research had received training in how to operate the rooms: how to switch it all on and off, how to create effects. But only one, just ONE, had received training on how to use the room.

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the magic of multisensory rooms lies in the hands of their users. In magic hands, a cardboard box and a torch can outshine the most brilliantly modern high-tech room, and in duff hands the £1.2m (yes, that much) super-immersive sensory suite is rendered useless.

If you are curious about what other questions you might ask about multisensory rooms, check out my training day, Multisensory Rooms: Myth Busting the Magic. And, for ideas for their usage, Richard Hirstwood is the man to go to (www.Hirstwood.com).