What in the world is a sensory room?

While doing one of my observations today, the class was interrupted by what sounded like a fight outside the classroom. Of course all student attention was immediately lost and everyone was wondering what was going on outside? (I'll admit it - I was too). My CT remaining very calm and didn't seem phased at all. Eventually, when he realized that the entire class was wondering what was happening on the other side of the door, he told us that his classroom was next to a sensory room, used to help special needs children when they have a tough day or a breakdown. The class lost interest in what many of them had probably already started recording for Snapchat at the 'fight of the year' and we went back to the lesson.

Now, I had never heard of a sensory room before so naturally, as soon as I left I looked it up.

Here is the article that I found, and would like to give credit to, as all of my knowledge has come from this:

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/schools/Sensory-rooms-help-calm-children-at-school-10890542

Duffy, Jamie. "Sensory rooms help calm children at school" The Journal Gazette, 13 Feb 2016.

Basically, a sensory room is a room filled with sensory items that children can play with. It is used in all grade levels, and the article said that even five minutes in a sensory room can help students calm down. I am not sure if all students are allowed in the sensory room at my placement school, but the article discusses a school where it is open to all students.

Apparently, students who come from less-supportive backgrounds don't have the resources outside of school to deal with mental health issues. They are less likely to have free time outside and don't have the opportunity to reflect on stress they made be experiencing. Rooms like this are specifically helpful in these communities because any student who is having any form of mental breakdown can spend 10-15 minutes in this room and center themselves.

Personally, I think this is awesome. I think this is where students should go when they get assigned ISS and I 110% think they should spend 30 minutes in rooms like these instead of being placed in handcuffs (reference to: https://www.today.com/news/video-emerges-boy-8-handcuffed-school-officer-facing-lawsuit-t36461). I think these rooms could especially be beneficial to adolescent students because we know they are going through so much and sometimes eight hours of sitting in a desk and keeping it all together just isn't feasible.

Stay tuned for my next exciting find!