Achi news desk-
They had waiting lists almost two years long and a desire to help them all, so Horizon Health occupational therapists Laura Dooley and Sarah Morrison began to dream of a way to see more children with sensory processing or mental health needs in a bigger way efficient.
“There was just a cumulative waiting list for kids who needed sensory assessments because of, you know, different diagnoses or sensory processing challenges that can be related to mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions,” Dooley explained. “And I think what we were just trying to find was a different way of providing the same level of service and care, but in a way that was more timely because some of the families and the those children stay as an extended period of time.”
Five years later, they have opened Horizon Health’s first sensory room, with funding from the Chalmers Foundation.
The room is full of tools, toys and equipment to help children who may struggle with anxiety, autism or who have not been diagnosed but find it difficult to be in different environments or carry out certain normal actions.
Horizon Health’s first sensory room. (Source: Laura Brown/CTV News Atlantic)Some items – such as weighted blankets, fidget toys, or thick cutlery illustrated with construction equipment – are simple, but can be very useful for some children.
“Some kids are really looking for tactile input in their hands and that’s how they focus in school,” Dooley said. “And so a lot of us have seen pop-its and just different types of fidgets, it’s become trendy but for certain kids it’s really a big support for them to be able to focus.”
Dooley and Morrison explain how a blackout tent can help with a child or teenager who is overwhelmed by sensory stimulation – and a trampoline can encourage a child to use their energy, something they can’t always do while in the classroom.
“Everyone is different. Everyone processes the world differently,” says Morrison. “What are their interests, what are their strengths, and how can we include those in their day to day activities to make them happier, more comfortable, more motivated to do the things they need to do and” u feel “
Horizon Health’s first sensory room. (Source: Laura Brown/CTV News Atlantic)The Chalmers Institute’s health and wellness program has donated more than $100,000 to fund these types of initiatives. Dooley and Morrison pitched their idea and got the money last year.
The CEO of the Foundation, Charles A. Diab, said that 40 percent of the applications through that program are related to mental health. Another 40 percent is related to food safety.
Referrals to the sensory room come from teachers, therapists and GPs.
The team hope to see and assess 100 children a year using the sensory room. Someday, they hope to increase capacity so they can see even more.
