Introduction:

Parkholme School, of Peel District School Board, has a goal to “provide an individualized

program that assists all of [their] students to develop communication skills, life skills, and functional

academics along with opportunities for integration into the community (Peel District School Board,

n.d.). A significant element of the Parkholme curriculum is to provide “programs offering a strong

sensory component” (PDSB, n.d.) for students who require intensive sensory support. This is

partially done through regular visits to Parkholme’s Snoezelen Room. In addition to describing the

elements of the room, we must understand how the Snoezelen Room accommodates the sensory

needs of students with ASD. We form the basis of this understanding by acknowledging how

sensory information is typically processed and how that process compares to the sensory experiences

of individuals with Autism. Furthermore, an analysis of the room’s features, as they relate to meeting

the needs of hyposensitive and hypersensitive individuals, will assist us as educators to develop

future considerations when supporting students with ASD who have sensory processing difficulties.

Experiential Aspect of the Snoezelen Room:

The Snoezelen multi-sensory environment (MSE) at Parkholme has been equipped with

sensory features that fit the needs of students with sensory challenges. The room contains several

soft and spongy surfaces, such as white bean bags and a floor covered with blue gym mats. There is

a white hammock-like swing that students can sit in to experience side-to-side or front-to-back

movement. The walls are white in colour with portions of them coated in mirrors. There are several

light and sound features, as well. A digital projector reveals colourful or calming scenes which can

be customized to suit the preferences of the students using the space. Music can be added for

students who enjoy auditory-based sensory experiences. The overhead lights can be turned off while

ambient light, created by fibre optic thread and lit bubble tubes, create enough illumination for the
features of the space to be navigated. Students can bring a transitional sensory toy with them into the

room, if needed, but generally the room is used as it has been set up (Fitzpatrick, personal

communication, February 22, 2018). The features of the Snoezelen Room at Parkholme are typical

of other professionally-designed Snoezelen MSE’s, as learned from Lisa Tran’s discussion in

Teachmag’s online article, Snoezelen: A Special Environment for Sensory Challenges. See Appendix

for pictures of Parkholme’s Snoezelen Room.

Sensory Considerations and the Snoezelen Room:

Sensory Integration occurs when the brain works to effectively organize the sensations

experienced by both the body and the environment, making it possible to use the body effectively

within our surroundings (Tate, 2018). Integrating, or combining, all the information we get from our

senses occurs successfully when we are able to quickly take in sensory information, organize it in a

way the makes sense, and use it to function effectively in everyday activities (Pathways, 2016).

Sensory integration relies on five components that, when combined, work to create a cohesive

sensory experience (Tate, 2018). This occurs when the mind and body are aligned in a way that

allows the brain to perceive sensory input, orient the input in a way that allows us to decide what

needs our attention and what we can discard, interpret the sensory information using generalized

past experience, choose an effective response once the sensory input has been interpreted, and

execute an appropriate reaction based on the previous four components (Tate, 2018).

Sensory Processing Disorder, common in students with ASD, is observed when the

communication pathways from the brain to the body are disrupted in a way that limits the detection,

regulation, and interpretation of sensory information from the environment or the body (Tate, 2018).

When this occurs, an individual displays atypical behaviours and ineffective use of the surrounding

environment (Pathways, 2016). For students with Autism, this atypical behaviour results from either
a hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sensory information (Tate, 2018). According to the Ministry

of Education document, Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder,

“some students are very (“hyper-”) sensitive in one or more sensory areas and may be more

comfortable in environments with reduced levels of sensory stimulation. Other individuals are under

(“hypo-”) sensitive and seek enhanced sensory experience” (2007, p. 49). According to Lisa Tran, an

ASD occupational therapist, a Snoezelen MSE “has the extraordinary power to soothe the overly

excited or stimulate the typically unengaged” (2009, para. 2). Tran further explains, “participants

select and receive sensory input (tactile, visual, and auditory) through the different objects in the

room, allowing them to claim their independence and experience the immediate consequences of

their actions” (2009, para. 2).

Parkholme’s Snoezelen Room contains a hammock-swing that lets students combine

vestibular and proprioceptive sensory experiences in one. Students use their proprioceptive senses to

navigate body position, balance and motor skills (Tate, 2018) while getting in and out of the swing,

and use their vestibular senses to feel the direction, speed and movement of their bodies in space

(Tate, 2018). Navigating the bean bags and floor mats also creates opportunities for students to use

their vestibular and proprioceptive senses. The low-light environment allows students who are

hypersensitive to light to enjoy a less intense visual sensation, while those experiencing

hyposensitivity can direct their visual attention toward the pinwheel-motion lights, fibre-optic light

threads, or the tubular bubble lights. For tactile sensory input, hypersensitive students can lay in the

weightless hammock-swing, or rest on soft bean bags; while those seeking increased tactile input can

explore the room through touch, grasp the dangling light threads, or push buttons to change light

sequences and colours. Music can be used to enhance the environment for those seeking intensified

auditory sensations. In some cases, with students who are extremely hypersensitive to noise, sound-
cancelling headphones may be used in the sensory environment (Fitzpatrick, personal

communication, February 22, 2018).

The Snoezelen Room is used to alleviate issues created when students have difficulty with

sensory integration and processing (Tran, 2009). The therapies that occur in these MSE’s are

intended to mediate behavioural issues that stem from sensory disorders (Pathways, 2013a).

According to Dr. Claire Giuffrida, an expert in occupational therapy, “the research does indicate that

providing these additional sensory experiences are related to [positive] changes in behaviour and

motor skill, and social development, and emotional development” (Pathways, 2013b).

Analysis:

Although the Snoezelen Room at Parkholme is bigger than the sensory rooms I had

previously seen on placement, it is similar in its set-up and features. This had me wondering what

the difference is between a sensory room and a Snoezelen Room. According to Globe Star, experts

in the concept of Gentle Teaching for individuals with ASD, “it is common for the term ‘Snoezelen

Room’ to be used interchangeably with other names, especially ‘Multi-Sensory Room’… But

fundamentally, they all refer to the same thing” (Globe Star, 2018). At first, the elements included in

the room appeared obvious and expected: White walls make the projection of digital scenery most

practical, the light features are uniquely eccentric, and bean bag chairs are a trendy addition. But,

after asking questions of the staff, diving into our course content more fully, and engaging in online

research, I began to appreciate that the room’s groovy vibe was not the main point of its existence.

By analyzing the features of the room, looking in-depth at the potential function for individuals with

special sensory needs, I discovered that each of the elements has specific sensory-supportive

characteristics that suit both the sensory-seeker and the sensory-averse. For example, a bean bag

chair can be used by the hypersensitive to relieve the weight of her body as she lies motionless in its
comfort, while the hyposensitive individual may push all his weight into the bean bag, rolling back

and forth in order to feel every bump and seam. Each element in the room has a purpose, meeting the

sensory needs of individuals anywhere on the sensory-processing continuum. The most valuable

aspect of my visit to the Snoezelen Room at Parkholme was the opportunity to see the features first-

hand and ask relevant questions of Parkholme’s staff. This first-hand experience triggered my

curiosity and provoked further research, resulting in a more complete understanding of the issues

related to sensory processing and the use of MSE’s to support these needs.

Future Considerations:

Through this examination of the Snoezelen Room at Parkholme I have become much better

prepared to support students with ASD who experience sensory processing difficulties.

Understanding the tendency to hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity will help me to recognize the

types of sensory issues a student may be experiencing and will assist me in understanding how to

intelligently advocate to meet their needs. I now understand how the elements of an MSE can be

customized to meet the sensory preferences of a student with ASD, delivering a soothing effect on

students who regularly experience feelings of sensory deprivation or sensory overload (Parkholme

staff, personal communication, February 22, 2018; Tran, 2009).

When supporting students with sensory needs, I can look to the MOE’s documents, policies

and procedures. Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

reminds us that “it is important to be aware of the sensory preferences or sensitivities of a student and

to determine possible elements in the environment that might have an impact on a student’s learning”

(MOE, 2007, p. 49). This practice signifies the importance of “providing a variety of sensory

materials and/or equipment that will mitigate a student’s particular sensory needs” (MOE, 2007, p.
50). One valuable way to in which this can be done is by advocating for the use of MSE’s whenever

it best suits the students I am supporting.

Conclusion:

Through visiting Parkholme’s Snoezelen Room and by engaging fully in our course content, I

have come to understand that individuals with ASD may have special sensory needs and that those

needs can be met by using a Multi-Sensory Environment. Although the Snoezelen Room is often

used as a relaxation chamber (Fitzpatrick, personal communication, February 22, 2018), I have come

to see how the environment is also a valuable learning space used to “improve the student’s

functional performance [and] enhance the student’s ability to interact with his or her physical and

social environments” (Tate, 2018). Multi-sensory Environments create opportunities for students

with special sensory needs to explore and learn in an independent fashion, but also gives students

who do not participate in traditional extracurricular activities an opportunity to interact with peers in

an appropriately physical way (personal communication, February 22, 2018). I have discovered that

the benefits of the Snoezelen Room are tremendous, and I have confidence that this experience will

be valuable in my career going forward.

 References

Globe Star. (2018). Snoezelen (multi-sensory) room. Retrieved from

http://globe-star.org/services/more-options-and-programs/snoezelen-multi-sensory-room/

Ministry of Education (2007). Effective educational practices for students with autism spectrum

disorders. Ontario: Ministry of Education.

Pathways. (2013a). Importance of sensory integration [YouTube video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=295&v=1_Iuj8dr9oY

Pathways. (2013b). How occupational therapy helps with sensory integration issues [YouTube

video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=24&v=4

jqtlwfw5M

Pathways. (2016). An introduction to sensory integration/processing [PDF file]. Retrieved from

https://pathways.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sensory-Integration-Brochure-English

20161.pdf

Peel District School Board. (n.d.). Towards independence; Parkholme [Pamphlet].

Brampton, ON: PDSB.

Tate, J. (2018). Autism spectrum disorders (asd) educ 16859; week 4 [PowerPoint presentation].

Retrieved from SLATE. Oakville, ON: Sheridan College.

Tran, L. (2009). Snoezelen: a special environment for sensory challenges. Retrieved from

http://www.teachmag.com/archives/1016
Appendix: Pictures taken at Parkholme Snoezelen Room