School sensory spaces are for everyone

Key points:

• Sensory spaces help educators support students as they learn to advocate for themselves and their needs
• Innovative solutions to meet diverse student needs
• Prediction: All schools will embrace sensory spaces
• For more news on sensory spaces, visit eSN’s SEL & Well-Being hub

When I was a principal, my assistant principal and I took over an unused classroom and built a sensory space in it. We created places where students could move around, and quiet areas where they could relax. Students were able to visit the sensory space whenever they felt they needed to “get some wiggles out” or otherwise regulate themselves.

One of my students at the time had an overwhelming need to move, and recess was not enough. His restlessness would get worse when he was nervous, and he had a great deal of anxiety around reading. Sometimes he would ask his teacher, “Do you mind if I go read in the wiggle room?” In the sensory space, he would prop his book on the handlebars of a stationary bike, and my assistant principal Nichole Schlagel or I would meet him there so he could read to us while he pedaled.

By the end of the year, his reading improved and his confidence increased to the point where he chose to stay and read with his classmates. He was so excited to show his teacher what he could do. His discipline concerns went down as well, because he was learning to regulate his emotions and advocate for himself instead of acting out.

“Sensory spaces have complemented our ability to support the unique needs of all students,” said Schlagel, now a principal. “They provide the opportunity for students to learn how to manage what they are feeling and needing at any given time. Students can start recognizing their needs and eventually do not need to rely on the sensory items or spaces that have been available to them. Our students become more confident and develop a deeper sense of self-resilience.”

Success stories like our student reading on the stationary bike, as well as schools’ reinvigorated focus on social-emotional learning in recent years, have led many educators to see the value in providing sensory spaces. Actually creating them, however, may feel like a daunting prospect to many. To help you get started, here’s some background about how sensory spaces support all students (and teachers), as well as some best practices for planning and creating your own sensory space.

How sensory spaces benefit all students

Sensory spaces, in the past, were mostly used in hospital, psychiatric care, or therapeutic settings, but in recent years I’ve seen them more often in educational environments. In schools, these spaces have mostly been considered tools for neurodiverse students, because they can directly support them in challenges they face at school. A student with sensory processing challenges, for example, may require extra downtime throughout the day to sort through all the information they’ve taken in.

A neurotypical student may be able to weed through all the information without extra downtime on a daily basis, but all students–all people–need additional support sometimes. They should all have the opportunity to visit a calming space, a social space, or whatever space they need when they need to self-regulate, even if they don’t need that support every day. Ideally, schools would have more than one sensory space. The goal is always to meet students where they are, and one space only provides one opportunity to meet them. This is no different than what we should do academically.

Every school has a continuum of services for students of varying abilities. A student may be highly gifted while struggling with autism. A student in general education may have physical challenges, and another student may need an aide with them throughout the day. I would encourage educators to think of sensory spaces in the same way you think of the continuum of services you already offer. What are the varying environmental needs of your students and what kinds of spaces do you need to meet them? 

Sensory spaces can meet the needs of many different students, but if 40 students are trying to use one chill space at the same time, the purpose of the room is defeated. A hallway hangout, on the other hand, could accommodate more people, as well as some social noise and other activity. Even in general instruction, a student should be able to say, “I’m paying attention, but I need to get some wiggles out,” and then ask to trade their seat for a wobble stool, a piece of soft seating, or a standing desk.

In addition to being tools to regulate students’ moods and emotions, sensory spaces help them learn how to do those things on their own, as well as how to advocate for themselves. Sensory spaces aid students in understanding where they need to be and how they can help themselves to accomplish whatever they want to do at any given moment.

Planning your sensory spaces

The first step to designing sensory spaces for your school is to set goals and make sure all stakeholders are on board. Goals for students might include getting wiggles out, calming, self-organization, sensory integration, individualized sensory input, self-regulation, control of emotions, or improved communication.

To help define the goals and guide further planning, seek out neurodivergent adults in your school who are comfortable sharing their thoughts. Also ask students what they need. Consult a cross-section of people from the school, including special education teachers, school psychologists, general-education teachers, wellness coordinators, and your principal, just to name a few. They’ll all bring in different perspectives, ideas, and even resources to help plan spaces that meet a variety of needs.

General education teachers, for example, might notice that their students seem really stressed before a test and suggest a space in their classrooms to help students relax. District-level staff might have suggestions for spaces that align with a larger district vision. I always advocate for creating sensory spaces for teachers, as well, because sometimes they need to self-regulate too, and they should have input into the space they will use.

Where to create a sensory space

A sensory space might be a quiet corner in the back of a classroom that students can visit to step away from classwork or take a break from interpersonal interactions. This kind of spot might include a bean bag chair with a canopy or some kind of nook furniture, along with a quiet sound machine to help reduce noise from outside the space.

Hallways can get crazy, so one kind of sensory space might be a spot between classes where students can sit and socialize. You could even install a little shell with acoustic panels to dampen the noise, along with soft or curved furniture to encourage socialization. In large enough hallways, you might even have places where students can sit and do work, perhaps with a table or some small desks grouped together, making it useful for intervention work during class time, as well.

Supporting teachers and students

With any new environment in a school, it’s essential to provide professional support. Teachers need to understand the goals of any sensory space, when students are able to access it, and how to use it. Spaces that are customizable and flexible can serve many needs for many students, and teachers and administrators should know how to adapt those spaces to meet different needs.

Introductory professional development might begin with the idea that sensory spaces are not a reward or a punishment. Students and educators should feel comfortable seeking out what they need before they become dysregulated. Sensory spaces are no different than the furniture, pencils, or manipulatives in a classroom: They are tools that students and teachers can access as they need them.

Once they have learned to use these spaces, educators will be prepared to teach students how to use them, too. For example, the time to visit a sensory space is before a student is so overwhelmed that they can’t handle their environment. Therefore, it may be appropriate sometimes to check in with a student to see if they need to visit a space, as trained educators may see triggers or other clues to a student’s emotional state that the student has not yet learned to identify in themselves.

When students need support, educators need to be there to meet them. Sensory spaces not only do that, but they help you support students as they learn to advocate for themselves and their needs, whether sensory or academic. In the end, the two go hand-in-hand. Students who are happy and excited to be at school are more successful academically, and academically successful students are happier and more excited to be at school.

About the Author:

Dr. Sue Ann Highland is the national education strategist for School Specialty. She can be reached at sueann.highland@schoolspecialty.com.