While sensory rooms have been used in special education for some time, Northside Elementary School in Siloam Springs recently put one together that can be used by all of its students. The room includes a bubble wall, peapod bed, pressure roller, push wall, hammock swing, and trampolines. Educators say the goal of the sensory room is to create a space where young children can go to get away from overwhelming stimuli and process their feelings before they have a breakdown.
Siloam Springs Elementary School Adds Sensory Room
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The push wall in the sensory room allows students to push on the wall to expend some of their extra energy.
courtesy: Michelle Paden
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A student lays down in the peapod while watching a video of an aquarium.
courtesy: Michelle Paden
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A student uses one of the trampolines in the sensory room.
courtesy: Michelle Paden
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One of the items in the sensory room is a bubble wall that students can watch to take a mental break.
courtesy: Michelle Paden
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The sensory room at Northside Elementary School has dimmed lights and soft music in addition to various items that appeal to students' senses as a way to calm them.
courtesy: Michelle Paden