Lovinggood Middle School has a welcoming community that includes students with disabilities in every aspect of campus life. Students support and encourage those on the autism spectrum, mild intellectual disabilities, and severe/profound intellectual disabilities in a variety of classes. The Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education team decided to create a Sensory Room for disabled students in their community.
In mid-August, an unused office space was transformed into a relaxing and stimulating environment through various additions, including Bean Bag Chairs, a Treasure Chest of toys, a Cotton Ball Cloud with dimmable lights, a Busy Corner, Exercise Corner, Sensory Touch Table, and a mural on an accent wall. Students also contributed by donating stuffed animals.
A group of 59 students funded and led a project to create a special room for disabled students. They sold popcorn and raised $1,165.00 to purchase necessary materials. With the help of teachers, the room was completed in the last week of October and will be a valuable resource for the school community.
This type of room has documented benefits for students with disabilities, including improvements in cognition, sensory-motor development, behavior regulation, and mental focus.