Multi
Sensory Environments: The Benefits
Motivation to be involved in one’s daily
activities depends largely on the senses (Kristen Meyer). Cognitive
psychologists suggest that the main ingredient of the intellectual phenomenon
is sensory stimulation that allows a human being to apprehend through its
senses its environment and respond towards it.
Multi Sensory Environments improve the
development of thought, intellegence and social skills. Multi Sensory
Environments offer people with cognitive impairments and other challenging
conditions the opportunity to enjoy and control a variety of sensory
experiences.
These populations rarely, if ever, experience
the world as the majority of us do. Limitations of movement, vision, hearing,
cognitive ability, constrained space, behavioral difficulties, perception
issues, pain, and other problems create obstacles to their enjoyment of life.
Multi Sensory Environments provide opportunities for bridging these barriers.
Multi Sensory Environments generates a
relaxing and calming effect, but also activates different perception areas
aimed at basal stimulation for those who are neurologically impaired.
Time spent in a Multi Sensory Environment has
been shown to increase concentration, focus attention, improve alertness,
awaken memories, and to improve mobilization, creativity, social relations and
communications, and general awareness of the surrounding world. The varied
optical, acoustic, olfactory and tactile stimuli help hyperactive individuals
concentrate and focus better. Multi Sensory Environments have not only provided
alternative and powerful forms of sensory stimulation for individuals
previously isolated in their perceptual disabilities; they have also managed to
break into cultures within health and education, providing new ways of
encouraging learning, motor development, cognitive development, language and
social interaction skills.
Multi Sensory Environments can open up a whole
new world for individuals with cognitive and physical impairments. Providing a
stimulating environment can:
· Increase concentration and focus attention
· Develop or reactivate senses of hearing,
sight, smell, touch, and taste
· Heighten awareness and improve alertness
· Improve coordination and motor development
· Promote cognitive development by increased
brain function
· Lead participants to explore their environment
· Provide security
· Be an unrestrained atmosphere where
participants feel able to enjoy themselves.
· Improve creativity
· Stimulate the sensory building blocks
· Develop of a sense of cause and effect
· Develop language – more vocalization
· Promote social interactions
· Promote mental and physical relaxation –
Stress levels drop dramatically
· Result in more calmness and lower aggressive
behaviors
· Increase opportunity for choice and
self-determination
· Improve communication and sharing
· Lead to non-responsive patients becoming
communicatative
· Provide relief from pain and painful
physiotherapy
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