Building Relationships in Sensory Rooms

Building relationships is what we all want. Someone to walk through our journey with us.

Sensory rooms provide the medium to encourage these relationships. Who couldn't have a fun experience to share again and again in a room like this. It doesn't have to be complicated and doesn't even require talking at first. Just share your experience with another and they may just share theirs with you. Having a room with multiple opportunities gives everyone a chance at making friends.

It's the experience and connection with another person is one benefit of sensory rooms. Trust and comfort will build over time spent in these rooms because of the relaxed, soothing environment. Once you have established trust, you are then free to use the room for therapeutic, educational or regulation. Consider sitting side by side instead of face to face. Go alongside the person and allow them to explore the room and the equipment. Embrace imagination and follow their lead to flow through the room.

Modeling use of equipment is great, but let the person determine for themselves how they would like to use the equipment. Allow them to chose one color over and over again or random sequence of colors for the sensory tubes, fiber optics or color wash. The fiber optic sprays are particularly fun to work with. They can be a weight when laid across parts of the body. Visually they are intriguing as they slowly change colors and the tactile activities are endless with the strands.

Not every session will be a grand success but keep trying and introducing the room in a different way, time or reason. You will find over time, the relationships built in this room will have a lasting impression on everyone involved.