VIDEOS: School for autism opens sensory room
A Sensory Integration framework for therapy places emphasis on the child’s ability to organise his or her brain so that it will work more efficiently at learning new skills.
THE Johannesburg Hospital School opened the doors to Sam’s Sensory Room, which is named after Samuel Finn, on July 31.
Roderic Finn, who cut the ribbon at the opening, explained how his son, Samuel Finn had been diagnosed with autism in 2015 at the tender age of two. It was then that he saw his child’s need for therapy and the impact of the therapy and more importantly, a sensory room.
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Roderic explained that he works in the private sector and has the financial means to send his son to a school with a learner teacher ratio of three or four to one. Scholars receive multiple therapy sessions throughout the week. Roderic and his wife, Claire, felt compassion for the thousands of children with autism who do not have access to such therapy and such state-of-the-art sensory rooms.
He then embarked on an initiative to raise money for the school to upgrade its sensory room. Roderic climbed the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales and sent out a plea to family, friends and colleagues at home and abroad to sponsor him and make donations.
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The Johannesburg Hospital School is a state run autism-specific school with a current population of 338 learners aged three to 21. Classes comprising six to ten learners are taught by one teacher and one teaching assistant. The school only has three occupational therapists and three speech therapy posts.
“The tremendous contribution he made was then matched 100 per cent by ABSA bank, for which Roderic worked at the time. As a sign of appreciation for the immense contribution Roderic made, we have the named the room after his son, Sam,” said occupational therapist at the school, Lizelle de Nobrega.
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Di Warburton who is the Operations Manager for Nemtek electric fencing, conveyed that one of their employees also has a child with autism. As a result their CEO and two other directors graciously contributed money to buy items for the sensory room.
Research indicates that up to 96 per cent of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder experience sensory challenges. These challenges include difficulties in registering and paying attention to sensory stimuli. Another difficulty includes the inability to modulate sensory input and therefore regulate emotions and behaviour and, finally, the capacity to integrate all of the above and organise sensation appropriately for use in all daily activities of life, is also challenged.
The brain receives input from the following senses:
· Visual system – pertaining to sight/vision.
· Auditory – related to sound.
· Tactile – touch sense.
· Gustatory – related to taste.
· Olfactory – pertaining to smell.
· Vestibular – directs the processing of gravity, movement of the head and balance skills.
· Proprioceptive – related to body position and movement.
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder have difficulty interacting with their environment. This has a negative impact on their ability to engage, learn and develop necessary skills. Learning takes place through the appropriate use and integration of the senses. Such sensorimotor interaction provides the foundation for the development of independence skills and higher cognitive functions.
A Sensory Integration framework for therapy does not focus on developing specific higher order skills but rather places emphasis on the child’s ability to organise his or her brain so that it will work more efficiently at learning new skills.
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