Have You Heard Of Snoezelen Multisensory Stimulation Rooms?

Perhaps you have ever heard of the Snoezelen rooms. Or you’ve probably come across the concept of “multisensory stimulation” more than once. In this article we are going to describe the origin and roots of this peculiar type of room, before delving into how they can help us.

The term Snoezelen has its origin in the union of two Dutch words. On the one hand we find Snoffelen, which means to sniff, and on the other Doezelen, whose translation would be something like relax or doze. Therefore we are faced with an association of two actions that seem different from each other. Something like achieving relaxation through stimulation. Find and enjoy the pleasant part of stimulating our senses.

Snoezelen wards arose to work on developmental disorders

The Snoezelen concept arises as great ideas and the implementation of solutions originate. It arises from the need to act. Faced with statism and lack of action in a certain aspect of life. It arose, in this case, from the frustration of seeing how people with different developmental disorders were intervened and the desirable results were not obtained.

The intervention did not go beyond pure care work. However, Ad Verheul and Jan Hulsegge, the fathers of this revolutionary concept, did not stop there. They created this new way of working with a certain type of population that we will now comment on.

Since, of course, there is a type of population to which this type of therapy is especially beneficial. Above all we are talking about people whose ability to relate to their environment is very limited due to the limitations imposed on them by what they suffer. People with special needs, dementia and autism benefit the most from this method.

Sensory stimulation allows us to generate basic responses

Stimulating some people, through the different sensory channels, can help them. This stimulation, supervised and controlled by a professional, will generate new responses in the person. Basic answers that otherwise would hardly be given.

In this sense, it is necessary to know the case of the person before starting to work with him. Each person is absolutely unique and different from the others. The way you work with each one will depend on the idiosyncrasies of your particular case.

Professionals have to know their patient very well in order to get the best possible benefit from this new way of intervening. There are people who need to “wake up. ” People who have suffered, for example, brain damage that has left them totally disconnected from the world around them.

When we stimulate and there are responses, we generate new neural connections

This procedure is also useful for people who remain connected to the world around them, since they pay great attention to it, but are not able to communicate with their environment. These people will greatly benefit from this therapy. As long as it is possible to “wake up” what is asleep, the stimulation will be taking place and new neural connections will be generated.

For this reason, it is essential to carry out an individualized and detailed follow-up of the person. Since we have to be able to perceive the imperceptible. The clinical eye must be quick, precise, and knowledgeable in the matter it is observing. We cannot escape even the smallest detail.

We have to perceive what the patient likes. What is pleasant to him. To which stimulus he responds the most, to which sensitive channel he is most attentive… It is arduous work that requires a lot of observation. A kind and heartfelt observation from our patient.

Trust and harmony are essential elements in sensory stimulation

Therefore, the Snoezelen rooms will be perfectly equipped to carry out this therapeutic practice. In addition, the material will have to be prepared and adapted to be able to generate this type of sensory experiences. Experiences that will encompass all of our senses. Sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste. We will seek to generate a very human environment. An environment in which trust, respect and care for the person take place.

This place will be a pleasant place, a special and unique retreat. A space full of harmony and warmth that will undoubtedly penetrate the person’s skin and somehow settle inside. How pleasant and beautiful melodies go through and reach the soul.