The experience of practitioners who have worked with autistic children in Sensory Rooms. Part 3

This is the third instalment of our discussion of the work of by Dr. Katy Unwin, Dr. Georgina Powell and Dr. Catherine Jones of the Wales Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University.

The researchers conducted interviews with ten practitioners. They identified six themes reflecting beliefs about Sensory Room (SR) use with autistic children.

These were

1. SRs benefit behaviour, attention and mood.
2. SRs have distinct properties that facilitate benefits
3. The use of the SR should be centred on the child’s needs
4. They are most effective when the practitioner plays an active role
5. They can be used for teaching and learning.
6. However, they can present challenges.

Our first two instalments summarised the findings in themes 1 and 2 (see TFH Sensory Rooms Blogs). This part will discuss theme 3.

The use of the Sensory Room should be centred on the child’s needs.

The researchers considered this theme to be possibly the most important. One prevailing comment was that “They are all different so it’s not a one size fits all. Different things do different things for different children.”

The needs of the child were considered key determinants in the type of activity or learning experience that was provided withing the SR. Reference to the importance of Individual Education Plans (IEP) were made, with SR equipment being used to support IEP targets. Broader reasons for selecting or adjusting activities included the child’s needs and their ability, “We go with what we feel the child is looking for and depending on…the ability of the children, it can be structured or unstructured.” A flexibility of approach in recognising the child’s mood and awakeness on the day was also emphasised, “You don’t bring people in who are really, really tired and do lovely relaxing cloths and smells and then they leave sleeping, because there’s no point”. In summary, practitioners felt the child’s needs, capabilities and preferences determined how the SR should be used.

Since this paper was published in2021 there has been some further research suggesting that the mood of a particular child should determine how the equipment is used. SRs can either stimulate or calm and what works for one child may not work for another. It is very sensible to note preferences and dislikes on the IEP.

Citations:

Katy L. Unwin, Georgina Powell, Catherine R.G. Jones, A sequential mixed-methods approach to exploring the experiences of practitioners who have worked in multi-sensory environments with autistic children, Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 118, 2021, 104061, ISSN 0891-4222, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104061.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422221002109)

TFH, and indeed everyone working in the Sensory Room field, would welcome any comments arising from this article. If you have conducted or know of any research or observations on behaviour please let us know: John.t@tfhuk.com and we will post it.