Feature Article June 10, 2004
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A great day for NAEC - Snoezelen Room opens
Imagine living in the world of the sensory impaired being unable perhaps to see, hear, speak or move. A recent ad for disinfectant claimed that the average person touches over 300 surfaces every 30 minutes. While that statistic may or may not be accurate, it highlights how narrow the world is for someone who may be confined to a wheelchair or limited by an inability to communicate.
The world will be made a little broader for children with sensory impairments with the opening of the new Snoezelen room last Thursday June 3 at North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne.
The Snoezelen room provides a safe environment in which children can experience gentle stimulation of the primary senses without any pressure or expectations.
The room has been specially outfitted with interactive features such as a Bubble Tube and Catherine Wheel, which allow participants to select and control the patterns. A hanging leaf chair cradles the body and provides a gentle, swinging motion to encourage relaxation.
The Snoezelen movement started 15 years ago and today there are thousands of installations in over 37 countries. Snoezelen has been proven to benefit children with a variety of disabilities; in fact the NAEC installation came about because Cindy Matson, who was working with a student with multiple delays, noticed great improvements in her students ability to relax and learn after monthly sessions at the Snoezelen room at Prince Charles in Napanee.
Without Cindy Matson it wouldnt have happened said NAEC Principal Ed Yanch, adding, She educated us about Snoezelen.
Still, although staff at NAEC became enthusiastic about the idea, the room would cost over $35,000, and at the opening last week, Bob Doyle, one of the people who was most instrumental in securing the funding, was acknowledged and thanked. Doyle is owner of the Belleville MacDonalds, and had to take the proposal to the Ronald MacDonald Foundation twice, as it was turned down the first time. Doyle said he was very glad to have been part of the project, and that it was his way of giving back to the community.
Even after the foundation approved a grant for $25,000, that still left around $13,000 to be raised, and the school went to the community for support. The remaining money was raised through a variety of events, such as a silent auction organized by Wendy Thompson, owner of the Interior Zone and head of the Parent Council, which raised over $6,000. One of the most creative ideas was a LARC (Lennox & Addington Resources for Children) sleepover during March break, in which parents paid for their children to be looked after.
The opening was attended by community members, staff and representatives of the Limestone Board. The Snoezelen room at NAEC is only the second one in the Limestone Board, and will also be used by students from Sharbot Lake and its feeder schools, and Denbigh PS.
Some training of staff still needs to be done, but it is expected that the room will be up and running in the next two weeks definitely before the end of the school year said Mr. Yanch.
