New Snoezelen Room installed at SLHS

Oct 14, 2010

Photo: Josh Goodfellow and Tammy Steele at the new Snoezelen room at Sharbot Lake High schoolAfter two years of fundraising efforts an official ribbon cutting ceremony opened the new Anoezelen Room at Sharbot Lake high school on Oct. 12.

The 7x15 foot room offers a controlled multi-sensory environment designed specially for students with developmental disabilities, autism and attention deficit disorders.

It will be used by the students in the school-to-community class, providing them with a safe and controlled environment that offers them visual, tactile, audio and aromatic stimulation.

The goal to acquire the room was the brainchild of Josh Goodfellow, an educational assistant in the school-to-community class who has been working at the school for three years. In February 2009 he put forth a proposal that was accepted by the Community Foundation of Kingston who funded the initial $2000 of the $15,000 project.

After that Josh, with the help of many volunteers, spearheaded a number of fundraising events in the school and the community, which enabled the school to purchase all of the equipment before school ended last year.

The room was constructed courtesy of the Limestone District School Board during the summer break and Josh himself installed all of the equipment housed in the room. The room was just completed and has already been used by students at the school.

Inside the room are various pieces of equipment through which the students can freely interact and receive various types of sensory stimulation. These include a vibro-acoustic chair which moves to music, an interactive spiral sensory panel that students can freely manipulate, an interactive maxi-bubble tube (in the photo), an aroma diffuser, a fibre optic light spray, and two projectors that project different visual environments on the walls.

Josh is thrilled with the new room and sees his students benefiting greatly. “For some students the environment provides the stimulation that they need and cannot get from a regular environment, and for others it provides redirection and a chance to calm down and become more focused. It enables them to concentrate and do better work.”

In years past, students at Sharbot Lake traveled to North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne to use the Snoezelen room there, which logistically was difficult and only allowed for infrequent visits. Josh continued, “With our own facility right here all of the students who can benefit will have ongoing access to the room.”

Tammy Steele, one of two teachers in the school-to-community class, added that the room will also be offered free of charge to others in need in and around the community.

“For those in the community with special needs this room can fulfill an important need that is often unavailable in a rural communities. It offers users a safe and self-directed environment from which they can greatly benefit.”

Josh Goodfellow lit up the maxi bubble and activated the film projector, which spread glowing stars all over the four walls and added, “I have had the benefit of seeing first-hand how much this room can really help students.”