The creation of a sensory room is dependent upon the population that
will be utilizing the room. I had the opportunity to create a sensory room that
could be utilized by the students that are severely multiply impaired. The
sensory room incorporated lots of switches, allowing the students to activate
music, lights, and toys. The room also contained items that glowed in a black
light, a ball pit, and bubbles. Below I will attach multiple pictures with
descriptions to help explain what was included in the sensory room.
Water beads
Here are the water beads that glow in a black light. The water beads
were not purchased as glow in the dark water beads but were created. Here are
the step by step directions to create the glow in the dark water beads:
1. Take new water beads. Or water
beads that you let shrink back down to their original size. Place the water
beads into an empty tub or bucket.
2. Take a non-toxic highlighter
and break it open using a hammer.
Take
the inside spongy part of the
highlighter out.
3. Take the inside spongy part of the highlighter and cut it open using
scissors.
4. Hold the spongy part over the tub filled with water beads then dump
cups of warm water over the spongy part until all the yellow runs out of it and
it turns white.
5. Repeat the same process with about 3-5 highlighters (dependent on
the amount of water beads you have).
Little
Room
This was designed using glow in the dark string and random items. The
purpose is for the objects to target the sensory system and/or elicit movement.
The objects can focus on the visual, tactile or
auditory systems. The goal is
for the student to
attempt to grab, hit or visually track the objects
that
interest them. The students were placed
underneath the grate so that the hanging items
surrounded them. The items
ranged in height,
some were placed at tray level whereas others
were placed at
eye level (depends on what you
are going for).
The black
light was set up in
front of the
little room to make sure that all the
items would glow.
Bubbles
The sensory room contained a bubble
machine that was located near the black light. The bubble solution was a black
light solution allowing the bubbles to glow. A switch was used to activate the
bubble machine. The students were able to push down on a button to turn the
bubble machine on and off.
Ball pit
Placed Christmas lights on top and surrounding a ball pit. The students
would be set inside the ball pit allowing them to explore. This set up
encouraged the students to visually attend and provided tactile input.
Switch station
Here are some of the toys we placed on switches. The toys either played
music, had flashing lights or moved. Not pictured were Christmas lights that
were on a switch.
Sound beam
The sound beam converts the student's movements into music. The
position and the sensors can be adjusted to focus on the movement or abilities
that the student has so that he/she can be successful when using it.
Fan and feathers
To set up this activity you need a bed net, fan and feathers. The bed
net was placed near the black light and hot pink feathers were used to add to
the sensory experience. The students could turn the fan on using a switch and
the feathers would float around them inside the bed net. 
