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Devereux awarded $4,000 grant to create sensory room for youth with disabilities

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health was recently awarded a $4,000 grant to create a sensory room for youth with emotional, behavioral and cognitive differences at Devereux Pennsylvania’s Children’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services (CIDDS) center.  

The grant, from Macy’s, Inc., was used to purchase items including a bean bag sofa and chairs, yoga mats, massagers, music, fiber optic lights, and activity books for adolescent boys enrolled in a residential treatment program at Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS. 

Sensory rooms are designed to either calm or stimulate the senses of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other special needs through the use of special lighting, music and objects.  

“Our youth absolutely love their new sensory room and we are grateful to Macy’s for helping to make this dream a reality,” said Devereux Pennsylvania CIDDS Executive Director Carol Anne McNellis, Psy.D. BCBA. “The room has opened up a new world for the individuals we serve, providing a safe and calming space for them to go when they are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious.”  

Benefits of utilizing a sensory room

Sensory rooms provide a supportive therapeutic environment where individuals can self-soothe and regulate their behaviors and emotions. McNellis said additional benefits for the individuals we serve include: 

• Heightened awareness and alertness
• Improved focus and concentration
• Increased cognitive development
• Improved coordination and motor development
• Mental and physical relaxation
• Improved communication and social interaction 

“The sensory room has something for everyone,” McNellis explained. “Some of our youth will sit in a bean bag chair and listen to a sound machine or soothing music to relax, while others will engage in more interactive activities, such as drawing, coloring or putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The benefits are endless.” 

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