New sensory room helps students succeed

Harrisonville Elementary School students now have a new space to help them succeed in school thanks to a grant from the Variety Children's Charity of Greater Kansas City. HES special education teacher Sara Doherty saw the need for a Sensory Room at the school and submitted a grant.

Doherty said, “Sensory needs are tricky. Finding what sensory input a student needs to feel calm is as unique as the student themselves. What works for one student may have the opposite effect on another. What settles one, might make another more amped up. The sensory room has so many different sensory options, it gives us a way to find what a student needs. The room itself is a calm escape from the typical controlled chaos of an elementary school. When you walk in, everything outside of the room melts away. You hear the sound machine, see the colorful lights, and can feel so many different textures. Additionally, it's a fun space! Every kid and adult that walks by and sees it is fascinated by it!”

The Sensory Room includes a bubble tube, mini sensory mats, a cuddle box, weighted stuffed animal dog, tap lights, a breathing pal, white noise machine, sensory swing and so much more.

“Our special education students in the SEAL (Social Emotional Autism Language) room have individual scheduled breaks in the room each day. Our students in our Life Skills program have a daily group break in the room. For these students, it breaks up their day and allows them to calm and reset. It is not just our special education students that are getting use out of this room though!” said Doherty. “We have students across the building who are earning breaks in the Sensory Room through good behavior. Our principals and focus room facilitator are building in breaks for kids that need sensory input or a way to disconnect from the stress of school. This room is very helpful for students who come in and are having a rough morning. They can use the room to get calm and reset for the day.”