Etowah County, AL: Volunteers building sensory rooms in schools so SPED kids can "calm down"

Jan 18, 2019, WBRC, Birmingham, AL Alabama Power volunteers build sensory room at Etowah County elementary school http://www.wbrc.com/2019/01/18/alabama-power-volunteers-build-sensory-room-etowah-county-elementary-school/ ETOWAH COUNTY, AL (WBRC) - An Etowah County elementary school got some help for its special needs students. On Thursday and Friday, volunteers built a sensory room at John Jones Elementary School in Rainbow City. … Alabama Power often provides volunteers and equipment to built sensory rooms in public schools. “Alabama Power has provided all of the sensory items that you’ve seen, the tiles for the floor, the nesting, things that they can sit in, the fidget toys, the weighted blankets, a lot of just different items that they can use in the classroom,” said Tanya Clark, John S. Jones Elementary School Principal. Sensory rooms are designed for special needs students who may need to calm down. Some students use it as needed, and some who may be disturbed by loud cafeterias may use it as a place to eat lunch. … … “They provide a therapeutic environment for children with autism and other special educational needs. Rooms typically have stations with active areas, calming areas, and various types of sensory activities. Rooms often have dim lighting, soothing colors, vestibular swings, and weighted blankets and vests. Some students have designated times which they spend in the sensory rooms, others come to the rooms as needed, and many schools allow children who are overwhelmed by loud cafeterias to eat lunch in the sensory rooms.”