Have you ever been at the mall on Black Friday? The crowds are pressing in, the loud conversations are blending with the incessant holiday music, and it’s hot. That feeling is called “sensory overload”: when your senses are overwhelmed by excessive input.
Sensory overload is something many of the students in our schools across Maryland experience, day in and day out. School is inherently a sensory rich environment, from classes to hallways, lunchrooms to gyms. The overload of sensory input, whether it’s noise, lights, or crowds, can be overwhelming for most students who have sensory processing disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, which more than 60% of our students are diagnosed with.
To help our students learn and make progress on their behavioral goals, it’s important that we create safe spaces where they can focus on regulating. That’s where the sensory rooms in our schools come in.
What are sensory rooms?
Sensory rooms are purpose-designed, enclosed spaces dedicated to helping students get control over their sensory input (lights, sounds, other people), aiding them in managing their feelings and behaviors. Rather than relying on a single solution, these rooms are tailored to the needs of the students who use them, incorporating a range of controlled sensory experiences—light, touch, and sound—that support both calming and engagement. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some rooms emphasize low lighting, soft seating, and predictable sound to reduce overstimulation. Others incorporate movement-based furniture, tactile elements, bubble tubes, or projection features to support students who need additional sensory input.
In our schools, we build our sensory rooms to fit the needs of our students, ensuring they have the tools and supports they need to regulate their feelings. At Sheppard Pratt School in Hunt Valley, for instance, Related Services Manager and Occupational Therapist Azi Atighechi, OTD, OTR/L, focuses on stocking the room with items parents can easily purchase to have at home. At Sheppard Pratt School in Gaithersburg, Education Director Jaleesa Morocco and Facilities Space Designer Sendy Gardner, AIA, have partnered with a company that creates furniture for behavioral health settings to pilot sensory-friendly equipment, including a giant bean bag and interactive elements.
When sensory rooms are treated as intentional environments rather than empty rooms with equipment, student behavior changes. It’s critical that rooms are developed to emphasize both safety and durability. Many of our students express their emotions physically; being able to safely self-regulate is important.
Once students are in the sensory room, they’re in full control. As Dr. Atighechi shares, “They know what their body needs. Everything in the room is available to them.” Calming items are available in a sensory box, and students can choose their music and lighting options.
Staff are trained by occupational therapists who specialize in emotional regulation so students have the support they need. And, sensory room time is scheduled for each student, ensuring students aren’t intentionally acting out to ‘earn’ time in the sensory room.
Making all the difference
What’s more: The sensory rooms are incredibly beneficial for our students. One student at Sheppard Pratt School in Hunt Valley, who was usually loud and vocal, has started removing his headphones to listen to calming music, smiling, and using tactile objects in the sensory room. Research shows that sensory rooms are an evidence-based approach: They’re effective for the autistic population and for regulating sensory systems. Multiple studies have shown that sensory rooms are useful tools for decreasing anxiety, increasing attention, and decreasing repetitive behaviors in autistic children and adults. Two studies also suggested that using sensory rooms can reduce the frequency of disruptive behaviors.
Your support helps autistic children thrive
As you can see, sensory rooms can make all the difference for the hundreds of students in our care. Students gain the skills they need to self-regulate their feelings and behaviors, positively impacting their ability to learn and thrive in school.
However, sensory rooms can be incredibly expensive to develop and maintain—and we rely on donor support to build these critical spaces for the children in our care.
You can help children thrive by ensuring that we have a dedicated sensory room in each of our schools and making a gift today.
- Your gift of $15 purchases black lights or squishy stress cubes.
- Your gift of $30 purchases a weighted blanket or glow-in-the-dark rug.
- Your gift of $50 purchases a galaxy or dinosaur projector.
- Your gift of $85 purchases sensory bubble tubes.
- Your gift of $150 purchases a calming recliner.