Celebrating Sensory Spaces

April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to acknowledge and celebrate the unique needs of students on the autism spectrum. South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) is committed to creating learning environments that empower all students to succeed. That commitment is physically built into our buildings through our dedicated sensory spaces.

A sensory space, sometimes referred to as a sensory room, motor room or calming corner, is a designated area in a school designed to help students regulate their emotions and manage sensory input.  

“When students feel overwhelmed, it can be difficult to focus, learn or communicate,” says Special Services Coordinator Mary Watts. “Sensory spaces give students a safe place to calm their bodies and minds so they can return to class ready to engage.”

Many students with autism experience challenges with sensory processing. These may be hypersensitive (over-responsive) or hyposensitive (under-responsive). A “sensory diet” helps balance these extremes through personalized routines that teach students to recognize when they are becoming dysregulated and which tools help them reset.

Calming rooms are designed to reduce external stimuli and provide soothing input. Soft lighting from bubble tubes or fiber optics provides gentle visual tracking, which helps lower heart rates. Weighted blankets offer "deep pressure" touch, helping to ground the nervous system. Additionally, soft surfaces and noise-canceling headphones provide a break from auditory triggers. 

“We want students to learn that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and that they have the power to do something about it," says Watts.

Motor rooms help students satisfy their "vestibular" and "proprioceptive" needs (the body's sense of balance and position). Swings and rockers provide rhythmic motion that helps organize the brain. Climbing areas and crash pads allow students to exert energy and tactile paths that provide diverse textures for sensory exploration.

"The motor room allows students to get the intense physical input their bodies crave in a safe, structured way. It’s like a 'reset button' for a nervous system that is running too fast," says occupational therapist Allison Gilbert.

Sensory and motor spaces are designed to help students regulate, bringing their bodies back to a state of calm and focus so they can return to their peers ready to engage.

“We all need help regulating our nervous system from time to time,” says Gilbert. “Sensory spaces normalize taking care of your mental health.”

“I like when I got to help pick the day’s motor obstacle course for the room,” says Armstrong second grader Isaac Olson.

“Not every student experiences the classroom the same way and these spaces are one way we honor those differences,” says Special Education Supervisor Kristin Papin.

Our sensory and motor spaces are a testament to our district’s belief that when we meet a student’s physical and sensory needs, there is no limit to what they can achieve.