 
Snoezelen Room at the Nanaimo Association for Community Living helps many clients
It’s a world like no other, where mesmerizing bubbles dance through the air, a waterfall of fibreoptic strands cascade from the ceiling, and a sound-sensitive light strand magically reacts to noise.
With the controls at his fingertips, Stephen Vaughan changes the dancing blue bubbles in one of the floor to ceiling cylinders to red. It’s his favourite colour.
Once a week, Vaughan, 24, escapes into the multi-sensory studio to unwind and enjoy some freedom from his powered wheelchair as he is mechanically lifted into a bath of balls.
Hidden beneath the spheres, he waits for Susan James, the Snoezelen Room attendant, to break up the darkness with the glow from the fibreoptic strands.
Then he melts into his surroundings as he listens to background music of his favourite High School Musical soundtrack.
Vaughan, who has cerebral palsy, is just one in a growing number of adults and children who use the Snoezelen Room at the Nanaimo Association for Community Living for an hour of relaxation and escape every week. The room has an instant calming effect on clients who have a range of different disabilities and disorders or for those who just need to unwind.
Research reveals multi-sensory environments offer visual, auditory and kinesthetic benefits and the non-goal orientated space allows participants to interact freely as they see fit without any expectations.
The soothing benefits has led the NACL to develop an early intervention program for children with autism, which will begin in January.
Read in Full:Â http://www.canada.com/Multi+sensory+room+offers+escape/3553915/story.html
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