ABSTRACT

Teachers with support from paraprofessionals look for ways to improve or enhance the educational learning experience for special needs children. A multisensory room provides students with a variety of disabilities equipment that allows them to calm down and focus on surrounding interaction and education. Each building throughout school districts should have a sensory room for special needs students especially those with disabilities on the autistic spectrum. Research suggests that the cost of creating a multisensory room is why most schools lack sensory rooms. Funds from this grant would support the goal of updating the current multisensory room with supplies for the art area, adding a comfortable rug or floor mats, purchasing additional stress balls, bubbles, soft fairy lights and a new paint job. It is important for students to feel calm while spending time in the sensory room to de-escalate negative behaviors with positive reinforcement. Observations made during the use of the multisensory room in the school indicates that when students are given time in the sensory room they demonstrate the ability to self-regulate their behaviors, allowing the children to stay in class during seatwork, reduce the risk of any injuries to themselves and others, have less interruptions in learning, and reduce the number of behavioral referrals.