Embrace’s Support for Canadian Children Sensory Therapy Rooms / Snoezelan Therapy Rooms for Alberta & British Columbia

Background: 

Snoezelan Therapy Rooms, were developed in the late 1970s by two Dutch therapists; Jan Hulsegge and Ad Verheul. These gentlemen wanted to increase the enjoyment and sensory experiences for individuals living with intellectual disabilities. Their early work was overwhelmingly positive for both verbal and non-verbal patients. The term Snoezelen® was coined soon after, which is a contraction of the Dutch verbs “snuffelen” (to seek and explore) and “doezelen” (to relax).

Over the ensuing years, these sensory therapy rooms have proven to be useful in a multitude of settings. They are now commonplace in schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, dementia care units, and mental health facilities. In Alberta, for instance, over 50 of these rooms have been set-up in schools and hospitals around the province.

The rooms help to relax an agitated person and / or raise alertness levels of individuals who have sensory processing disorders. They do this by offering a relaxed atmosphere with pleasant surroundings, soothing sounds, captivating aromas, tactile experiences, vibration sensations, and gentle movement. Interesting light effects and comfortable seating allow the user to self-regulate by choosing the sensation(s) that he or she desires.

Snoezelen Rooms can help people to control their anger. Manifestations of anger such as spitting, screaming, shouting, hitting, and swearing can be diminished. Individuals with learning disabilities can also benefit from time spent in a therapy room. A soothing environment can affect cognition and / or physical functioning. Children who are autistic, however, may benefit most from these therapy rooms. The rooms provide a troubled student with a safe environment in which teachers or healthcare providers can carry out assessments and calming activities. In a busy public school, a sensory room might be the only place where an autistic student can escape from the noise and stress of crowded spaces.

Embrace Int. Foundation & Alberta Rotary Club’s Support for Sensory Therapy Rooms:

On three occasions the Canmore Rotary Club Charitable Foundation (CRCCF) has helped to finance Snoezelen Therapy Rooms. In the fall of 2019, in partnership with the Embrace International Foundation (Embrace), CRCCF donated $2,500 to the Canadian Rockies Public Schools (CRPS) for the installation of a therapy room at the Elizabeth Rummel Elementary School. Embrace contributed $2,500 for this purpose with the school also contributing approximately $2,500. In 2021 both the Rotary Club of Canmore and Embrace gave $2,500 to CRPS for the installation of a therapy room at Canmore’s Lawrence Grassi Middle School. As with the Elizabeth Rummel School, the Lawrence Grassi Middle School also contributed something in excess of $2,500 for their therapy room. This funding formula was also used to build a third therapy room at the Exshaw Public School – once again in partnership with the Rotary Club of Canmore.

Additionally, the Rotary Club of Banff partnered with Embrace and the CRPS to build a sensory room at the Banff Elementary School. Furthermore, the Sunrise Rotary Club of Lethbridge also partnered with Embrace to build a sensory room at Saint Paul’s school in Lethbridge. Embrace has played the lead role in building sensory rooms in Eden Valley and Picture Butte, Alberta.

In all cases, the rooms were greatly appreciated by faculty and school administrators. More importantly, however, the rooms have proven to be very popular with the students. They are used on a daily basis. At the Elizabeth Rummel School, which has a student population of about 300, between 25 to 30 students use the room each day and some students use the room 3 or 4 times per day. The average duration for a "visit" to the room is anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. This usage has proven to be quite typical in all of the therapy rooms that Embrace has thus far helped to build.

As previously stated, the school administrators and faculty at all benefitting schools, are hugely appreciative of this resource. Why? Because the kinds of issues (behavioural disorders) that sensory rooms help to mitigate seem to be on the rise. It is also interesting to point out that some of the teachers often sneak quick visits to the room to help them cope with difficult days. 

New Funding Opportunities for Sensory Therapy Rooms in Alberta:

Schools within the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) have recently approached Embrace to help with the establishment of therapy rooms in Calgary’s north-east. Embrace is ready and willing to take on this task. The total cost for each project has increased subsequent to the pandemic and now ranges anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 – depending on the size of the dedicated room and the number of therapy resources purchased. However, Embrace is ready to allocate $5,000 for three new builds with schools under the authority of the Calgary Board of Education.

To this end, Embrace is currently negotiating with several Calgary area Rotary Clubs to share in the expense of building three new therapy rooms in Alberta public schools.

Additionally, the Canmore Rocky Mountain ½ Marathon, 10K & 5K Race is a very generous and perennial supporter of Embrace’s efforts to bring sensory therapy rooms to Canadian schools. Without the support of the Canmore ½ Marathon much Embrace’s good work would not be possible.