What is a sensory room?

A sensory room is a place designed to be a safe space for children with physical and/or sensory needs but is also used to support children with communication and interaction difficulties and social, emotional and mental health needs.

How are sensory rooms used?

Sensory rooms provide a safe space to relax, de-stress and diffuse anxieties. They can be used for children with a wide range of needs and difficulties.

They can be used to stimulate or calm the senses — sight, touch and hearing — and provide a space for people with social integration disorder, autism and other special educational needs to explore and develop their sensory skills. 

They can calm pupils’ mood, improve focus, build social skills as well as cognitive and motor skill development.

They can also be used by other students as a relaxing zone or to develop skill sets.

They are proven to reduce the risk of crisis situations occurring which affect all students and help pupils manage their emotions in an effective, gentle way.

Sensory rooms at Julian’s

At Julian’s we have two sensory rooms, one at each site. They are used for individual children, pairs and small groups. The sessions are always supervised by an adult. They are timetabled in addition to being offered when beneficial/needed.