By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
JACKSON Fitzsimmonds is one of many Pakenham Consolidated School students to benefit greatly from the school’s multi-sensory room.
The foundation prep student has cerebral palsy and his full-time aide, Donna Fromhold, said the multi-sensory room has had a great influence on special needs students, like Jackson, since it has been introduced.
“The children, when it (multi-sensory room) was first built, wanted to be in here all the time but now only if something’s going on in the classroom and they’ll ask if they can come over here if they need a bit of down time or for a reward,” Donna said.
“If they’re doing the right thing they can have a reward and go over to the sensory room and do something great over there.”
The aim behind the multi-sensory room, which was introduced to Pakenham Consolidated three years ago, is to provide children with special needs a safe and positive environment in which they can monitor themselves.
The multi-sensory room at Pakenham Consolidated caters for students from prep to grade 6 and is divided into several sections based on colours.
The ‘blue’ area is for cars and construction, ‘yellow’ is for arts and crafts, while ‘red’ is the mobile area equipped with balls and tunnels.
There are also areas to watch television and use the interactive whiteboard, and even a space to have a rest.
Karin Andrews works as an aide in the sensory room and said it has had a significant influence on the behaviour of the students.
“It’s been very successful since we’ve implemented it,” she said.
“They know they’ve got a safe place to go to.”
The multi-sensory room is always staffed and students may visit it by their own choice or after a teacher’s recommendation.
“It is also up to the students and the aides to decide together how long they would like to spend in the room.
“It’s always staffed, I work in there three days a week and Beth (aide) works in there the other two, so there’s always a staff member there,” Karin said.
“And whether they need five minutes or they need an hour, whatever it takes.
“It’s non-judgemental if that’s what they need and then they just transition back into the classroom and it’s so smooth.”
Jackson loves school and the introduction of the multi-sensory room has made it even more enjoyable for him.
His mother, Melanie Oliver, said the room not only gives Jackson a reprieve when he gets tired, but also allows him to meet new friends.
“Even just if he needs a bit of timeout from the classroom because it’s a bit busy or too much for him he can come down here,” she said.
“He can make friends here and in the classroom, so he gets to know everybody.”
Donna, who spends every school day with Jackson, agrees with Melanie and can’t speak highly enough of the positive affect the multi-sensory room has had on Jackson.
“He’ll have different children come up to him and he’s made so many friends at the school,” she said.
