Recently Equity-One had the opportunity to visit Yeshivah Beth Rivkah Colleges at their St Kilda East campus. This is an Orthodox Jewish Community School, teaching children from Kinder to Year 12 about the values of Chabad, and embracing Yiddishkeit, one’s Jewish identity. Yeshivah represents the firm belief that every child deserves an equal education, regardless of any disabilities or external disadvantages.
As a proud supporter of this school, Equity-One has donated towards the creation of the Sensory Room. This space is located within the campus grounds, supplied with the latest Occupational Therapy tools and equipment to assist students.
As you enter, the right wall is lined with panels of textured carpet material and sequins, designed to give children a stimulant to focus on and physically engage with. Another eye-catching feature is the sensory swing, surrounded by padding on the walls that children can safely swing and bump into, allowing them to broaden their spatial and bodily awareness, build core muscles, and to feel safe and calm in the feeling of an enclosed space. The sensory blanket/sack is also particularly useful to children who require emotional support, and simply need a hug. This device can be wrapped around a child snugly to create the feeling of a hug, allowing them to feel the comfortability and reassurance of being embraced.
Other devices include a trampoline, hula hoops, fidget toys, padded flooring and art supplies. All of which can assist in stimulating a child who has trouble with processing or development, engaging their senses by touching varying textures and seeing ranges of colours. On the other hand, this equipment can help to de-stimulate, specifically with children who have a tendency to become overwhelmed or have trouble focusing, providing a central focus point to calm them.
These innovative devices are designed not only to assist children with learning or developmental difficulties, but also those with physical limitations. Padded floors and walls, as well as the sensory swing, allow children who are not fully body-abled to experiment with different movements in a safe environment.
Students who benefit from using this space have the opportunity to bring in Occupational Therapists they have personally worked with, which prevents children from having to stray from routine and their usual regimen. Having the Sensory Room embedded into the school campus itself, available at ready access during class times when the student requires it, relieves families of the strain of rushing to different corners of the city for appointments. Ultimately, this allows a smooth transition for students in and out of class, and families between school and their child’s external activities.
It was a pleasure to see this incredible space in person, and we look forward to continue supporting Yeshivah’s students beyond the classroom.
To learn more about Yeshivah, click here
