Sensory room benefits

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Sensory room benefits

  • October 28, 2026
  • Posted by: Emilie Flynn
  • Category: Uncategorized
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During the 2025-26 school year, a family from St. Michael Lutheran in Wayne, Michigan, made a generous donation to turn our old church nursery into a sensory room. Angela Swazey, the principal of St. Michael and the donors reached out to LSEM for assistance in designing the room and to order the items for the room. After a few weeks, the space was transformed into a sensory room equipped with swings, a crash pad, floor mats, a balance beam, bubble tower, and many other sensory tools.   

The room has made a huge difference in our school building. We have fewer instances of students becoming dysregulated. The amount of screaming or crying episodes has decreased. The sensory room can be used by any student in the building, not just our students with a diagnosis of autism or ADHD. Students must gain permission from their teacher and be monitored by an adult while using the sensory room. The response to the new space has been positive. One teacher reports, “This room has been a great outlet for many students. For one of my students, the room has been a safe place for where he can go to reset when he needs to do so. 

I am so thankful to serve in a place where congregational members understand the benefits of having a sensory room and a principal and a staff that understands that a sensory room is a tool to use to help students gain or maintain regulation.  All too often, people view sensory tools as toys and a sensory room as a place students go to get out of work.  St. Michael understands that the sensory room assists students so they can maintain regulation and be successful in school.