Midway through the first year of our elementary school's faculty-developed Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program, we were still relying on the principal's office to manage removed students. As a staff, we realized we needed an instructional space, designed for students' social-emotional and behavioral needs, that was accessible throughout the school day. A space our functional special education teacher had created in her classroom gave us an idea. We needed a sensory room.
A sensory room (sometimes called a "zone room") is a designated area within the school where a student may receive or exclude sensory input and work on self-regulating behavior. For instance, let's say we're trying to figure out how to help Sarah, a student with autism who experiences meltdowns in class. She usually enters the sensory room very upset and refusing to interact with the teacher. Sarah will sit in the rocker and put a weighted stuffed animal on her lap. After a short time, Sarah is calm enough that the special education teacher can debrief with her about what caused the meltdown.
Although it was easy to see how students would benefit from a space designed for unwinding from emotions or developing coping skills, implementation posed challenges.
Finding the Space
Our building is one level with several wings. Because our district recently transitioned to a one-to-one computer program, our defunct computer lab was an ideal space for a sensory room. The room is centrally located to all classrooms and the principal's office, which allows us to limit the time an upset student, who might be loud and disruptive, is in the hallway.
If you don't have any empty classrooms, you may be able to create a sensory space within classrooms or underused areas of your school.
The sensory room at Monroe Elementary.
Staffing the Room
Staffing the sensory room can be the most difficult and costly challenge. We wanted a licensed special education teacher with expertise in social-emotional needs, behavior disorders, and autism. Finding a licensed special educator is not easy, especially mid-year. Initially, one of our veteran special educators assumed a leadership role in designing the room and developing a schedule for repeat student visitors and a recordkeeping system to document which students entered the room and why. This veteran special educator worked closely with one of our special ed. student teachers, so that she could transition to leading the sensory room when she finished her internship.
Staffing your sensory room with a licensed special educator means continuously minding teacher schedules and absences. When we need a substitute, or simply coverage for a period, we have to juggle schedules to ensure students get consistent, professional support.
Stocking the Room
Our room is stocked with items to help students achieve calm, focus on the present, and process sensory information. Swings, trampolines, and hammocks help with balance and movement. Weighted items, such as vests, blankets, or stuffed animals, provide calming pressure. Finger fidgets and alternative types of seating can decrease stress and increase concentration. Timers limit the time a student uses an item or cue a student to change their behavior.
Many of these items already existed in our classrooms. If your school or district can't find or fund sensory room materials, we suggest reaching out to your community school organization or local businesses.
Establishing Clear Procedures
Consistent routines and procedures support any student's learning. That's why we developed a clear process for when a student needs unscheduled access to the sensory room:
- The teacher completes a short form stating the student's behavior and possible reasons for the behavior. Then, the teacher calls the special educator to the classroom.
- The special educator quietly enters the room, retrieves the form, and exits with the student. The special educator does not talk with the classroom teacher because this may escalate a student's behavior.
- The special educator walks the student to the sensory room, limiting or avoiding conversation.
- Upon entering the room, the student is given a set amount of time to decompress. The special educator may set a timer to cue when that time has ended.
- After the student is calm, the special educator and student may discuss the behavior, identifying possible antecedents and ways to self-regulate.
- The special educator then walks the student back to class. To avoid disruption, we suggest the special educator not discuss the student's behavior with the teacher right away.
Our students have begun to recognize when they need the sensory room. They'll initiate the process by requesting permission from the classroom teacher, and then willingly progress through the five steps.
Not every student using the sensory room is there because of an immediate incident, which can make maintaining consistent procedures a challenge. We are always revamping our forms to ensure that we are collecting the correct data for goals on individual education plans, 504 plans, or PBIS. We frequently face the issue of accommodating students in the room who are working on social, emotional, or behavior goals when a student in crisis enters. For now, we are returning those students working on goals to the classroom so that the special educator can assist the student in crisis.
Before we created our sensory room last year, students who needed to leave the classroom to reset their behavior got a change of scenery (the principal's office) and little else. Now, they have a safe space to grow their repertoire of regulation strategies. They are learning that even when things seem bad, they have agency and our unwavering support.
