Guide to Multi Sensory Environments

Music

Stimulating: Faster upbeat music helps the individual feel more awake and alert and can help make you feel more optimistic and positive. This helps uplift the emotions. You can also link this music to physical activities to encourage movement and motivation, this would be beneficial to physical health. Using physical activity alongside music will help the user receive plenty of proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation, which will be alerting and help focus. Calming: Research suggests that slow jazz music can help the body relax, it is said to activate the alpha brain waves which helps calm the mind. It proposes that it helps reduce anxiety and also stimulate productiveness. Having a slower tempo of music can help quiet the mind, relax the muscles leading to a soothing and relaxing sensation. There is a method called sound healing which helps reduce anxiety by using the power of music. Sound healing uses the vibrations from the music to help relax the body and mind. Meditation music is carefully created to help provide sensory values. This can be things such as classical music , Gregorian chanting , primordial sounds and nature sounds. You can also use meditation music to help unwind, relax or even to assist to sleep. There is a wide range of meditation music available. Find a playlist that best supports the user, this can have lyrics or not, be their favourite music or just be in the background.

Idea: If the user is actively seeking physical activity or proprioceptive feedback, music can be used with exercise. This can be done with all ages, adapt it to be done seated if required. Find a video to follow online, be creative and make it up, or maybe the user can help with this. Aromatherapy can be used alongside music to stimulate other senses. Smells and music can stimulate memories, try this with reminiscence.

Developmental: The exciting bit of music is that you can use it to help the users engage with a range of activities to help build and develop their brain, confidence, social skills, movement, language and math skills. You can choose a piece of music that links best to your goal. For example, head shoulders knees and toes. This is helping the individuals engage with touch, physical movement and speech as they can be encouraged to say the words. This helps the user develop sequencing and self-awareness skills, for example, they will be engaging with their body and acknowledging where their head is in space giving them the body recognition. Using music in reminiscence can help trigger memories, try music quizzes, these can be as simple as required and with help develop cognition.

RELAX

12

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online