When she first heard the term, Nancy Millspaugh admits she had no concept of what a “sensory room” was. The parent of a 13-year-old student with Down’s Syndrome at Rising Starr Middle knew that her son appreciated the low lighting and quiet environment of their home, but the idea of creating a similar sanctuary at school was new.
“It was intriguing,” said the Peachtree City mom. “When the big lights are turned off, it’s very calming, quiet and comfortable. My son is in the special needs department, and they go there a couple of times a week. It’s a good motivator for getting work done and he really likes going in there.”
This oasis of serenity at the Fayetteville school was the idea of Camille Jammes, the lead adaptive curriculum teacher who saw the need for such a space in her work with special needs students. Her goal was to create a sensory room for the 72 special education students, as well as for others the other 868 students who might need a place leave the stress of the classroom behind and refocus their energies.
“My department chair and I have been talking about it for years, and we wanted to do it not just for special ed students, but for everyone,” said Jammes, who has been at the school for six years. “This year, my principal gave me a full-sized classroom and the go-ahead to do what I wanted.”
The repurposed space features only soft, LED lighting in dark reds and blues. Weighted blankets and vests are available for those who need cocooning solace. Exercise balls, couches and cushions dot the padded floor. Speakers send out soothing sounds of the ocean and aromatherapy accents let students breathe in calming scents.
Mixed into the design are a few tables, a book corner and some special effects Jammes installed herself.
“To be honest, a lot of it is Christmas decorations I repurposed,” she said with a laugh. “There are strings of lights and blue nets hung from the ceiling.”
Teachers can schedule specific times to take students into the room, or they can use their discretion to send in a student who might just need a break.
“My class is severe and moderately disabled students and we go there several times a day when kids need to stretch or think about things other than academics,” said Jammes. “We also have an autism program that has small group sessions there every morning. Sometimes the kids will ask if they can go there; it’s their way of telling us they need a break or they’re getting too much stimuli.”
Since the room became a reality in the fall, Jammes says she and her fellow teachers across the school have noted a dramatic decrease in negative behaviors and an increase in positive ones. “There’s a lot of research around sensory rooms and how they can really help de-escalate a kid on the verge of a meltdown,” she said.
Principal Nancy Blair agrees, noting, “The sensory room has proved very beneficial for all students.”
Millspaugh credits Jammes in particular for making the sensory room a reality. “She’s the reason they have it,” she said. “She wrote grants and put it together. It speaks to her dedication and all the teachers in the special needs department that they made this happen.”
Jammes’ next project is to find a therapy animal that can enhance the students’ experiences in the room. “A full-time, emotional support dog would be great,” she said. “It would be an added benefit to these children, their families and our community as a whole.”
Information about Rising Starr Middle School is online at fcboe.org/Domain/24.
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