The iPad in the Snoezelen Room – Calming Apps

For this post I decided to write about two things I love: the iPad and the Snoezelen® room. For those unfamiliar, Snoezelen® is a treatment approach that combines a controlled multi-sensory environment with the enabling therapist approach. The Snoezelen® environment is very calm and the fact that the therapist can match the sensory environment to the needs of the client together with the enabling approach of the therapist leads to significant opportunities for learning. Each Snoezelen® room has a variety of different equipment and when I started working with the iPad, I immediately realized its potential to integrate into the Snoezelen® environment.

Huff n’ Puff app: blowing on the screen causes objects on the screen to move or float away – the pinwheel turns, paper flies away, etc…

Why does the iPad work so well in the Multi-Sensory Environment (Snoezelen®) room?

The iPad is a tool that “enables”.  The combination of its relative simplicity and the immediate and significant feedback it gives support feelings of competency and unconditional success.  These are the same principles that contribute to the philosophy of the enabling therapist approach. There are other advantages that make it an extremely useful tool in the Snoezelen® environment, such as its portability.  It can be used anywhere in the room, in any position, according to the client’s needs or desires and it can be easily shared between participants in group activities. Because it leaves the room, it can also facilitate transfer of learning beyond the Snoezelen® environment. One of its strongest advantages is the number and variety of apps or activities that are available. There are apps for play, communication, and practicing skills. It’s a camera and a photo album…all features that open up many opportunities for joint activity.  And best of all, all these features are included in one device!

There are many apps that I call “Snoezi” apps because they are just that…calming, with unique and interesting visuals and calming music.  They feel exactly like the other devices in the room and because they are on the iPad they can be played with outside the Snoezelen® room as well.  These apps are great for any client but can be especially useful when working with people with visual impairment because of the significant and clear visual feedback.

Here are a few of apps that we like to use in the Snoezelen® room. They can be found in our app list under the Cause and Effect and Visual Impairment tabs.

Heat Pad  App Store / Google Play   

Draw Star App Store  

Pocket Pond App Store / Google Play 

Fluidity App Store 

Reactickles App Store 

Somantics App Store  

Heat Sense App Store 

iZen App Store 

Hidden Grid App Store / Google Play 

Kids Doodle App Store / Google Play

And one last app, by Inclusive Technology:  Helpkidzlearn, Sensory Room, a switch accessible story app about the Snoezelen® room.

Sensory room App Store / Google Play 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Enjoy! And as always we’d love to hear how you are using the iPad in the Snoezelen® room…