Licking Heights Local Schools is proud to announce a new initiative to serve their diverse special education students–two sensory rooms at Licking Heights High School that students may use throughout the school day.
The rooms are supported by a $24,000 grant from Resource Opportunities, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. Funds will cover all necessary materials for the rooms, which will be available as a calm-down space for students.
Since many students in the special education program are susceptible to getting overstimulated by the noise and bustle of a typical day at high school, the sensory rooms are a much-needed and safe space where students can regulate their emotions and ultimately be more productive in the classroom.
“We are deeply grateful to Resource Opportunities for this generous investment in our students,” says Dawn McCloud, high school principal. “Our intervention team works tirelessly to meet the unique needs of all members of our special education population. These sensory rooms will provide our students with a safe, supportive space to manage their feelings, mitigate their stress and be the best learner they can be.”
Outside the high school, each special education unit classroom at Lima Ridge Elementary has a sensory room. Everest Elementary and the middle school plan to apply for grants to support the creation of a sensory room for their students, too.
Items in the high school sensory rooms include:
—Therapeutic rocking chairs
—Tactile wall panels with built-in sensory toys
—Soothing lights and vibrating LED bubble tubes
—Fiber optic light toys
—Cushioned and padded floor mats
—Decorative floor tiles
—Weighted vests, blankets and lap mats
—Sensory fidget toys
—Light-up aquarium lamps
—Noise-cancelling headphones
—Relaxing music lamps specifically designed for people with autism
—Individual trampolines
—Calming window curtains