June 2, 2019, Cleveland (TN) Daily Banner: Cleveland City Schools raising money for sensory room http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/cleveland-city-schools-raising-money-for-sensory-room,99167 Cleveland City Schools is hoping to help students with disabilities by “piloting” a new sensory room in one of its schools. …. “This is a trend we are seeing at a lot of schools, and a lot of schools are seeing success with it,” Stone said. ... Stone said rooms like this are especially useful for children with disorders like autism, who are sensitive to outside stimuli. However, he said it will be beneficial to any students needing to “engage in various therapies and get some of that energy out” during the school day. ... This school currently has 61 students with disabilities, including 13 with autism, registered for this fall. Stone said the room is expected to be used by other students as well. … The room includes equipment like inflatable exercise balls to work on balance, special lighting to calm students, whiteboards to draw and work on motor skills, a punching bag to let out aggression, a platform swing to practice balancing and more. “Students with autism … can build up so much tension with sensory overload, and this allows them to work out that tension,” Stone said. “We feel it will be really beneficial for our kids.” … Because of all the specialized equipment going into the room at E.L. Ross, Stone said the project is estimated to cost $10,000. He asked the Rotary Club to consider donating to the cause. …
