With these funds we will be creating sensory rooms for one of our high schools and one of our middle schools. This project aims to serve some of our students with special needs, by providing them with a sensory room that will serve as an outlet for students to express and manage their emotions and to engage in multi-sensory therapy. We have a number of students who have a need to access sensory items, particularly for emotional and behavioral management. We serve students with a variety of disabilities including Autism, intellectual disability, down syndrome, emotional disturbance, speech/language/auditory impairments, and physical impairments. Our schools believe that ALL students, despite their backgrounds or disabilities, have a right to a free and appropriate education. 

With the funds, we are hoping to purchase a number of items for two schools (ideally two of each large item) including weighted blankets, matting, bean bags/padded seating, tactile activities (e.g. kinetic sand, textured textiles), balls (e.g. stability balls, tactile/soft balls), sound devices, lighting (e.g. lamps, Christmas lights), therapeutic devices, etc. Many of these items can be crafted and funding will also go towards purchasing the items required to make sensory items (e.g. rain sticks). Donations of any of these items would also be appreciated and accepted. 

Examples of some home-made sensory rooms can be viewed here:

http://www.southpaw.co.uk/sensory-room-design-23-w.asp

http://www.goteamkate.com/blog/help-us-design-a-sensory-room

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