Best Sensory Resources

What is a multi-sensory environment? A multi-sensory environment is a dedicated room/space designed to block out noise control space, temperature and lighting. It is an artificially created venue that utilizes multi-sensory equipment to stimulate the senses and promote pleasure and/or feelings of well-being.

During their hospital stays, many patients are confronted with much that is unknown, unfamiliar and uncomfortable. When the patient is a child, especially one living with a chronic disease, the tests, surgeries, treatments and down time can weigh heavily, resulting in stress, anxiety and frustration -- not a good prescription for getting better.

An extensive PDF from 2008 of the "sensory connection program": that outlines how to set up sensory rooms in hospitals and schools and elsewhere. Great checklists with how to along the way good for anyone.

American Association of Multi-Sensory Environments- includes information about sensory, training, papers on multi-sensory environments. Mostly done by the founder of the assocation

An unusually large public response is building to the first evidence of a biological basis for Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Some say SPD impacts up to 13% of kids. Others say it doesn't exist as a distinct disorder. But tens of thousands are clicking on stories about the evidence, reposting them, and commenting.

Browsing through the hundreds of ideas submitted to The School We'd Like competition, a sensory or wildlife garden jumped out as a project which many teachers were calling out for, especially at special schools. But what are the secrets to creating the perfect sensory garden?

At this moment we have access to more instant information than at any other point in human history. Sensory overload is a common occurrence in modern life. We are inundated with an endless stream of ads, e-mails, tweets, and texts. Current technology offers us incredible opportunity for innovation at the expense of learning to cope with the information overload epidemic.

Sensory World is a brand new website; a virtual, interactive house filled with activities designed to stimulate learning and promote choice for people with learning disabilities.

Sensory design for all. This community is open to architects, photographers, designers, parents, educators, OTs, PTs, special education, physicians, mental health providers, aging specialists, manufacturers, design students and all interested in what may be one of the most significant melding of form and function in today's built environment.

Great design is about thinking outside the box. But sometimes, because of money, plan requirements, design specifications, or just plain space in the area to design.. it seems there is no-where to add sensory, interactive, evidence-based, or other great elements into your home, hospital, school, retail space, hotel (and on and on...)

Weighted blankets are often used as a therapeutic tool to help calm children who suffer from a sensory processing disorder. Sensory processing disorders generally accompany conditions that appear on the autism spectrum. The sensory disorders cause children to seek sensory stimulation or to "stim," which is characterized by such actions as...

Toy rating system for children of all abilities from the National Lekotek Center. Intiutive easy to use #UX and #UI Uses colors, categories and pictograms to help navigate site.
The National Lekotek Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting play for children of all abilities. Lekotek believes play is the way kids learn, develop skills and reach milestones. The Lekotek mission is to make the world of play accessible to all children, especially those who have special needs.

Toys and play empower children to reach their potential and increase inclusion within their families and communities. Lekotek has a network of 17 affiliates across the United States dedicated to working with children by utilizing toys and play to grow, learn and thrive.

Lekotek has combined experience working with kids and families, child development expertise and knowledge of toys and play products to develop AblePlay—a national outreach to provide information and evaluations on the developmental potential of toys and play.

AblePlayTM is a toy rating system and website that provides comprehensive information on toys and play products for children of all abilities. AblePlay was created so parents, friends, family members, educators, therapists and others can make the best decisions when purchasing products for children in their lives, especially children with special needs.

While some parents have on their lists the number of composition notebooks needed to go back to school, at least 25% of parents need to add "fidget toys" also called "manipulatives", "sensory devices" or more depending on the Individual Education Plan (IEP), personal preference, or sometimes name that the items are sold as.

European company. Help and advice Some of the equipment listed in this section also offers sensory input. For example, vibrations, sound, music and rocking. These may be used as part of a multi-sensory environment or used as stand-alone items, offering sensory stimulation.

SENSOLAB RCP is a sensory engineering agency that aims to understand user needs in order to design products, spaces, and services to better suit the rational or subjective needs of citizens. For cities, SENSOLAB's tools help tackle big, sometimes amorphous issues like their resident's quality of life.

Learn about the wide range of sensory rooms, multisensory rooms and sensory room equipment available from Experia USA, the leading sensory room designers.

Demand Design amazon store with many sensory and fidget items available at low cost.

Full section by the Occupational Therapy Association of sensory integration- includes tip and fact sheets, evidence based research, ongoing education, publications and more.

For many children with Down syndrome and autistic spectrum disorder (DS-ASD), sensory integration (SI) is one intervention to consider. Many times, the way a child with DS-ASD behaves or reacts is because he processes sensory information from the situation differently than other children.

Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Issues is a valuable source of information on raising a sensory child

tlc4schools - sensory room assessment and design, training, resources, equipment, products, insallation, fibre optics, bubble tubes

The winner of 2010's MOMA's PS1 Young Architect program, To provide inspiration for the BARGE 2011 Competition, here are some fantastic examples of sensory design and some of the more recent installations. As the name suggests, sensory design installations are meant to engage all of the senses.

Autism Speaks: A new study backs parent reports that sensory integration therapy improves daily function in children with autism. The research, led by occupational therapists at Philadelphia’s Jefferson Schoo

Early Intervention and Autism, Early Learning Skills, Light Effects, Multi-Sensory Rooms, Rewards and Reinforcers, Sensory and Tactile, Sensory at Home, Visual Impairment,

If you happen to be in Japan from now to March 31, 2013, make sure to check out one of Japan's most stunning displays of light called Winter Illuminations at Nabana no Sato, a botanical garden turned light theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana.