Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation

Multi Sensory Environments, Sensory Stimulation

“There are no guarantees in life, except that everyone faces struggles. This is how we learn (and grow). Some face struggles from the moment they are born. They are the most special of all people, requiring the most care and compassion and reminding us that love is the sole purpose of life.”– Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
These are our Hidden Angels – teaching all of us life’s most valuable lessons.

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Therapy in a multisensory environment, a room that soothes

Source Journal Sentinel

June 25, 2012 – Six-year-old John Burks sits near a padded white mat in a white-walled room, waiting for it to be transformed into his own private party space.

Streams of red simultaneously gush through a pair of ceiling-to-floor vertical bubble tubes on each side of the room. A pile of fiber optic strands turn red and another cluster of green strands hang from the wall. Geometric patterns twirl and spin into endless kaleidoscope shapes. A silver disco ball glitters in the air as “Mr. Blue Sky” plays in the background.

John sits mesmerized as the room bursts into color. Initially oblivious to the music, he starts bobbing his head once the track switches to “Strange Magic,” another song from the Electric Light Orchestra.

This is all part of therapy designed for children and adults with developmental and cognitive disabilities at the Milwaukee Center for Independence. This room, called a multisensory environment, is a controlled sensory input concept developed in the 1960s by American psychologists. They appropriately called rooms like this “sensory cafeterias” to help individuals with attention, memory, learning, sensory or physical disorders.

Some of the children who benefit from being in this controlled environment have autism, cognitive disabilities, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or brain injuries.

“Participating in the multisensory environment gives them a way to engage in an environment and have control over the choices they’re making,” said Nancy Pickett, director of the center’s leisure, inclusion, fun and experiences, or L.I.F.E., program.

Pickett said many kids come in with overexcited systems, so giving them choices helps with brain organization.

The room provides auditory, tactile and visual stimulation in a safe, controlled environment, said Pickett, citing that the average body has 300 different touches in a 30-minute period, which may bombard or overload people with sensitive sensory systems.

Each day, about five to seven children and adults use the center’s therapy room, which opened in February. The average child who gets multisensory environment therapy is between 3 and 11 years old. Adults with developmental and physical disabilities between the ages of 18 and 60 also are part of the clientele.

“This is a stepping point to full-time employment,” said Pickett, pointing out that some adults, especially ones who grew up in institutions, use the therapy as they transition into a community.

Personalized sensory session

Sullivan “Sully” Ustruck, 5, who was diagnosed with a severe seizure disorder last fall and has had multiple brain surgeries, is wheeled into the room. His physical therapist helps him stand and walks him over to the bubble tubes.

His therapy sessions, usually three times a week, were interrupted by a recent seven-week hospitalization. He started multisensory environment therapy earlier this year with physical therapist Kathryn Cabral.

Sully does not use his right arm and left foot as much as his other limbs. Cabral is trying to get him to use the right arm, since he was right-handed before his diagnosis. Along with the multisensory environment he also is receiving physical, speech and neurological music therapy.

His mother, Melissa Ustruck, said his providers are good with communicating suggestions and notes about his therapy progress. “He’s a tough case. There’s no definitive reason why Sully is the way he is with all the seizures,” she said.

Cabral helps him walk back to the wheelchair. “This is his journey. This is what he has to do to get there.”

An exploratory environment

Kids can play with wheels and a cymbal attached to a board. Although this room is designed for self-direction, therapists push buttons for younger kids to slowly change their environment, coaching them to take risks in a safe place.

John’s occupational therapist, Sabrin Rizk, starts off with red and orange tones streaming into items so he feels alert after a nap. He’s being given therapy because of medical issues from earlier in his childhood.

The multisensory room is also known as the “Snoezelen room,” combining Dutch words meaning to explore and relax. Both of these terms play out in the room as individuals tend to explore their surroundings and wind down after being stimulated.

“Environments like this have shown to improve alertness and arousal and attention and in transferring skills he uses here to the classroom,” Rizk said.

Some children and adults need stimulation of their sense and awareness of body position and movement. They sit in a pool of balls for deep pressure, along with choosing a heated water bed and a vibrating mattress. John gravitates toward the pool of balls and playfully tosses one in the air.

Slowly, the brighter colors change from red to purple to more relaxing, soothing greens and blues.

Even the way in which things are turned on and off has a sense of organization, with a therapist slowly shutting everything off in reverse order.

Kris Barnekow, a professor in the department of occupational science and technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said a therapist’s guidance over the room is a key piece of the intervention.

“When there’s an environment where the child can really explore and . . . it’s very child-directed and child-centered because they are seeking stimulation or finding stimulation suitable for their system, I think that’s a very good approach that can often be helpful for children,” said Barnekow. Cost vs. benefit

Multisensory environments can be a key part of behavioral and physiological therapy. For example, stimulating senses in a controlled fashion is sometimes the only way to increase the brain’s synaptic connections – the electrical impulses between nerve cells – for people with cognitive impairments, according to the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation.

The foundation funded half of the $40,000 project, with donations coming from Don and Sallie Davis and CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.

Emily Levine, executive director of the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, said it isn’t clear whether multisensory environments are needed to achieve the goal of helping a child relax, as there are other options of stimulating the senses without spending a lot of money.

“There isn’t evidence that shows the Snoezelen room is better. Is there a lasting outcome to the child for the lasting experience, and that’s the part, it’s hard to say,” said Levine, pointing to the lack of empirical data. “Many occupational therapists use those and if they’re used appropriately, . . . it can be very calming and can get the child more ready to learn. It will calm them down or wake them up to the point of where they can participate better.”

The use of multisensory environments has been more popular in Europe and most of the research has been based on case and anecdotal studies, agreed Emilie Aubert, a professor in the physical therapy department at Marquette University.

“Because your sensory process is not something you can see and measure in a way, . . . it’s hard to set up really specific objectives to study them,” Aubert said. “Physical therapists and occupational therapists for 70 years have worked off, ‘If it works, then you do it again.’ ”

The simple pleasures and joys that children experience running, playing and enjoying a sunny day are sometimes not available for children with special needs. Due to limitations, they don’t experience or are unable to interact with their surroundings, limiting their sensory experiences.
Multi-sensory stimulation is as necessary for survival as food and water. Isn’t it our responsibility to help every child feel included and offer them an environment where they can experience simple joys in life?
About CDHAF

Inside a Multi-Sensory Room

PBS Special - The Hidden Angel

Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation

The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF) was created in honor and recognition of Christopher Douglas Fornes and Joyce Baye. CDHAF enriches the lives, health, and social well-being of people with cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges through the use of our Multi Sensory Environments™ (MSE). Our focus is on the design, development, implementation and education of our Multi Sensory Environments™ with the aim to enable productivity, inclusion, independence, and self-determination. Our approach is based on well-documented studies of neurological cognition and emotional development. We offer advisory and financial support for the establishment of integrated, publicly accessible Multi Sensory facilities and for basic research and … Continue Reading

 
  • Centre de Readaptation
    Montreal, QB Canada
    2009

  • West Montreal
    Centre de Readaptation

    Lachine, QB Canada
    2007

  • Children’s Home RTF
    Chenango Forks, NY USA
    2007

  • Alternative Day Programs – Centre de Readaptation
    Kirkland, QB Canada
    2009

  • Augusta Evans Special School
    Mobile, AL USA
    2007

  • Miami Jewish Home and Hospital
    Miami, FL USA
    2007

  • Central Wisconsin Center
    Madison, WI USA
    2009

  • Miami Jewish Home and Hospital-#2
    Miami, FL USA
    2009

  • St. John’s Nursing Center
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA
    2006

  • Extreme Makeover Home Edition
    Austin, TX USA (O’Donnell Family)
    2006

  • Southern Alberta Child and Youth
    Health -FLAMES House

    Calgary, AB Canada
    2009

  • Extreme Makeover Home Edition
    Hondo, TX USA (Craft Family)
    2006

  • Daytime Enrichment Activities
    Recreation

    Portland, OR USA
    2010

  • Cleveland, Tennessee Jr. High
    Cleveland, TN USA
    2010

  • Hondo, Texas Special Education
    Hondo, TX USA
    2006

  • Miami Cerebral Palsy Residential Center
    Miami, FL USA
    2006

  • Scarborough Village Alternative School
    Toronto, Ontario Canada
    2010

  • Anne Grady Center Pediatric
    Toledo, OH USA
    2010

  • AHRC – Seiff Educare
    Boemia, NY USA
    2010

  • Jewel C. Wietzel Education Center
    San Antonio, TX USA
    2006

  • Hospital Rivier-des-Prairies
    Montreal, QB Canada
    2006

  • United Cerabal Palsey – Birmingham
    Birmingham, AL USA
    2010

  • St. Peter’s Academy
    Benoit’s Cover, Bay of Islands, NL Canada
    2010

  • Lake Asbury Jr. High
    Green Cove Springs, FL USA
    2006

  • Allegany ARC
    Wellsville, NY
    2013

  • MCFI – Milwaukee Center of Independence
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
    2012

  • TLC – The Treatment and Learning Center
    Rockville, Maryland USA
    2012

  • M.O.R.G.A.N. Project
    Melbourne Beach, FL USA
    2011

  • Baycrest Hospital
    Toronto ON, Canada
    2011

  • Baycrest Apotex
    Toronto ON, Canada
    2011

  • EGF Polk County DAC
    East Grand Forks, MI USA
    2011

  • Colisano Children’s Hospital
    Syracuse, NY USA
    2011

  • Miami Lakes Therapy Center
    Miami Lakes, Florida
    2010

  • Anne Grady Center
    Holland, OH USA
    2009

  • A Society for Treatment of Autism
    Calgary, AB Canada
    2008

  • Southeastern Elementary School
    Rome, GA USA
    2008

  • Portage Collegiate Institute
    Portage La Prairie, MB Canada
    2009

 
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Evolution of the Legacy of a Hidden Angel

We are extremely proud of the pioneering role we played many years ago in bringing multi-sensory environments (MSE) to North America and raising their profile since 2005.  Today throughout North America, more and more organizations are implementing multi-sensory stimulating environments for individuals with special needs.  We are excited that this will allow us to be more proactive in providing guidance and training in MSEs.  Thus, we are proud to provide our MSE online training course free of charge for those wishing to learn more about this recreational space that provides therapeutic and educational benefits.  You can access the training at www.msetraining.com

Over the years our namesake, Chris has been the driving force behind the numerous initiatives to enrich the lives of individuals with special needs by providing:

• Design and financial support for over 100 MSE rooms
• Intellectual property for the development of a program for premature babies
• Equipment and expertise for the use of MSE with seniors challenged by dementia / alzheimers
• Online training focused on MSE methodology and best use practices
• Donations to support food for special needs children in impoverished areas
• Formation and co-management of an unprecedented program to train first responders in dealing with individuals with special needs
• Developing companion pets through sensory stimulation and life experiences
• Design and construction of the first MSE environment designed for individuals with special needs that incorporates life without limits and nature as the sensory component
• Ongoing support for a playground designed for individuals with special needs
• Provided Multi Sensory Room on Extreme Makeover Home Edition to the Craft Family (Hondo, TX)

The preceding and the following illustrate the multifaceted legacy of an extraordinary young man who, to quote Kubler-Ross – “taught us love is the true meaning of life”.

As we move on from the funding and installing of multi-sensory rooms (as the support from others grows), the foundation will continue to exist as an open knowledge-based organization providing guidance to facilities wishing to implement a multi-sensory environment (MSE) for children and adults with special needs.

The Foundation website will become an informational and training tool to provide research-based methodology and information, including MSE concepts, MSE designs, equipment uses, MSE benefits, and operational training. Organizations looking for funding will be directed to other charitable organizations that support the use of multi-sensory environments in education, recreation, and therapy.

In addition it will provide a free online training program to provide knowledge on best practices and the overall philosophy of MSE based on decades of hands on experience.


The sister organization to CDHAF, Hidden Angel Companion Pets will also be providing information on the benefits of companion pets for children with special needs and best practices in raising a pet to be a natural companion animal. Pets provide therapeutic benefits such as companionship, love, humor, play, exercise, a sense of power and outlets for displacement, projection and nurturance; Talking to animals and the tactile experience of petting animals reduces stress and enhances physical health (including lowering blood pressure and reducing heart rate) and longevity; Animals enhance psychological development, improve social skills, increase independence, and increase self-esteem; Animals can be a source of comfort and contribute to ego strength among children; The human-animal bond supports empathy development, the ability to form and express attachments, and the reaction to grief and loss; and Dogs help increase activity among those with disabilities, prevent childhood obesity, promote recovery after a heart attack, and encourage walking in the elderly.

Looking ahead, those of us committed to Chris foresee many more initiatives reflecting his life and impacting the lives of others.