Education is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Mainstream schooling does not necessarily meet the needs of all students. That’s where schools for specific purposes (SSPs) come in.
Who attends SSPs?
In NSW, schools for specific purposes (SSP) exist for students with additional educational needs due to:
- Intellectual disability
- Physical disability
- Autism
- Sensory processing disorder
- Behaviour disorders
- Mental health difficulties.
How SSPs help
SSPs create nurturing and supportive school environments to address the challenges their students face. That may involve:
- Smaller class sizes enable more personalised attention
- Individualised education plans
- Specially trained teaching staff who can adapt their teaching style to meet students’ diverse needs
- Access to on-site allied health professionals
- Fostering a supportive school culture that affirms each child and embraces their uniqueness.
Sensory rooms in schools for specific purposes
By their very nature, SSPs cater to children who have additional needs. Living with those additional challenges is not easy and can make children more susceptible to emotional dysregulation and sensory overload.
Sensory overload occurs when your brain feels overwhelmed by the information it receives from your senses (sound, sight, touch, smell etc). That can trigger anxiety, discomfort, restlessness, fear or an intense need to leave. In children, sensory overload may result in tantrums or meltdowns.
That’s hard for everyone. It’s a distressing experience for the child and it can be hard to manage for teachers, especially with so many high-needs children in the same class.
A calming sensory room provides a room to reset. These specially designed spaces offer a sanctuary for students who may feel overwhelmed or overstimulated by the school environment.
Benefits of a calming sensory room in schools for specific purposes
Calming sensory rooms are designed to soothe the senses so children feel better.
The room may feature:
- Darkness and black spaces between soft, vivid colours
- Illuminated sensory elements
- Soft seated
- Weighted cushions or blankets for proprioceptive input
- Gentle music
- Floral aromas.
These elements combine to create a soothing experience where children’s thoughts, breathing and heart rates settle down. That helps with:
- Sensory regulation – a wonderful change from the sensory overload children may experience in other parts of their day.
- Emotional support – children can retreat to the room when feeling anxious, frustrated or upset.
After spending some time in the room, students can return to class in a better frame of mind to focus, learn and relate well to others.
How can we help?
SSPs play a crucial role in the educational landscape, offering a tailored approach that meets the needs of students who may not thrive in traditional settings. Installing a calming sensory room can help to support students (and their teachers!) to improve their educational experience even more.
If you’d like to see how a calming sensory room could benefit your SSP, please contact us to book your free 15-minute starter session.
