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The Snoezelen room is a unique multi-sensory therapeutic environment (MSTE) useful for all ages. The room provides stimuli to the primary senses – sight, sound and texture using lighting effects, color, sounds, music, and tactile surfaces to address some of the issues caused by sensory problems. Stimulating our senses helps us to learn and fosters personal awareness.
Multi-sensory rooms have been established in institutions all over the world and offer an enriching and stimulating environment for so many people. Spending time in the room increases sensory sensitization. Users reduce over-stimulation from everyday stimuli that may be common triggers. In the Snoezelen room they are exposed to stimuli in a comfortable and safe environment. Continual exposure to these elements reduces their anxiety when presented with potential anxiety-creating situations in their lives.
This unique environment shows both behavioral and physiological improvements for children and adults with learning and intellectual disabilities. These can include an increased sense of self-control, awareness, alertness, concentration, increased exploration and creative behaviors, improved attention span, brain arousal, mental and physical relaxation, and a reduction in challenging behaviors. Furthermore, the room provides new ways of encouraging learning, motor and cognitive development and improving language and social interaction skills.
Unlike more rigid therapeutic tools, the Snoezelen is endlessly versatile and flexible and can be individualized to the needs of the different clients depending on their sensitivities to lighting, tactile input, and sound levels. One of the main concepts of the Snoezelen is that it is an entirely client-centered experience. Individuals are allowed to choose where to go and what to do with no demand situations.
Multi-sensory therapeutic environments benefit people with the following conditions: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Profound Multiple Disabilities, Developmental Delay, Learning Disabilities, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Hearing Impairment, ADHD, Pervasive Developmental Delays, Mental health challenges, Traumatic Brain Injury, Anxiety, Stroke, Coma, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia.
The Snoezelen can be especially beneficial to people on the Autism Spectrum. Most treatment for these individuals involves helping them adjust to society's rules and expectations, but in a Snoezelen room, they get to create an environment tailored specifically to them. The room is a unique space for them to interact with an array of sensory experiences. It is designed to allow individuals to customize their experience by choosing which sensory experiences they wish to use.
What makes the room unique is that it can be set to a calming and serene atmosphere for those who experience sensory overload, or it can easily be turned into a colorful and active play area if the person needs more sensory stimulation. When calm and organized, a person can interact and communicate more efficiently, and this can alleviate frustration. It will help the person focus and prepare for therapy.
The Snoezelen is a non-threatening environment and is conducive to the self-regulation of behavior. Caregivers and therapists can control the level of stimulation for the user. Individuals can explore and relax in an environment where there is no pressure to achieve and experience sensory stimulation at their own pace. There may be improved focus, cognitive development, and sensory development as well as great benefits from these calming effects. The Snoezelen Room offers the community a wonderful environment to encourage sensory sensitization.