>>> SIGHT, SOUND, TASTE, SMELL, TOUCH, AND PAIN.
THOSE SENSATIONS ARE NOT EXPERIENCED THE SAME WAY BY ALL
PEOPLE.
RECOGNIZING THAT, THE HOLYOKE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM RECENTLY
LAUNCHED A PROGRAM CALLED SENSORY SUNDAYS.
ONCE A MONTH, THE MUSEUM IS TRANSFORMED INTO A PLACE THAT IS
CALMER AND LESS STIMULATING SO THAT SENSORY-SENSITIVE CHILDREN
CAN ENJOY THE MUSEUM, TOO.
I DISCUSSED DETAILS WITH LAUREN BOYCE, OPERATIONS MANAGER, OF
THE HOLYOKE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.
>> WE WERE JUST IN THE MUSEUM ONE DAY AND IT WAS A QUIET DAY
IN THE MUSEUM AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND I WERE JUST TALKING
TO A MOTHER THAT WAS THERE.
SHE WAS TELLING US ABOUT HER SON.
HE WAS REALLY SWEET, BUT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE I'M SO GLAD
IT IS CALM TODAY.
SOMETIMES WE COME HERE AND IT IS TOO MUCH FOR HIM.
WE DON'T KNOW IF HE IS GOING TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH ANYTHING.
HER MOTHERLY INTUITION TOLD HER THERE WAS SOMETHING EXTRA.
WE WERE THINKING WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ONCE A MONTH FOR THESE
KIDS TO COME AND PLAY.
YEAH, THAT IS HOW WE ENDED UP AND IT SNOWBALLED FROM THERE.
I WROTE UP A PROPOSAL, WE SENT IT TO THE BOARD AND THE BOARD
LOVED IT.
>> SO HOW DO YOU DEFINE SENSORY SENSITIVE?
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF WHAT THAT IS?
>> RIGHT.
WE USE THE TERM SENSORY SENSITIVE, TO BE SENSORY
SENSITIVE TOWARD LOUD NOISES, BRIGHT LIGHTS, ANYTHING THAT IS
EXTREME.
WE HAVE A SENSORY SEEKER FOR THE KIDS WHO NEED TO BUMP AND CRASH
AND MOVE IN ORDER TO GET THE INPUT A TYPICALLY DEVELOPING
PERSON WOULD GET WITHOUT HAVING TO BE SO, YOU KNOW, HARSH.
>> MORE STRK -- STRUCTURE, A PATH ALONG THE WAY.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A MUSEUM, YOU MIGHT NOT THINK MUSEUM ARE
NOISY.
BUT FOR A CHILDREN'S MUSEUM THEY ARE OFTEN QUITE LOUD, QUITE FUN
BY THE NATURE OF KIDS RUNNING AROUND DOING WHAT THEY DO.
WHAT ABOUT THE EXHIBITS AND THE SPACES?
ARE YOU ADAPTING THOSE IN ANY WAY?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
>> YES.
SO WE HAVE BRIGHT LIGHTS THAT WE COVER WITH SPECIAL SHADES THAT
ARE SPECIFIC TO FLUORESCENT LIGHT TO GET THAT OUT OF THE
AIR.
WE HAVE AN AMBULANCE AND BACKHOE THAT HAVE SPINNING LIGHTS.
WE TURN THOSE OFF.
I MAKE SURE THE NOISE ON THE AMBULANCE IS TURNED OFF.
WE UNPLUG THE KEYBOARDS AND THAT KIND OF THINGS.
>> WHAT DO YOU HEAR FROM PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS WHO ARE SENSITIVE
TO LOUD NOISES OR JARRING THINGS?
HOW DO THOSE KIDS REACT?
WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THOSE PARENTS?
>> I MEAN, AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, ONE OF THE REASONS
THIS PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT IS PARENTS THAT HAVE KIDS WHO CAN'T
HANDLE THOSE THINGS DON'T TAKE THEM TO THE MUSEUM.
>> USUALLY.
YEAH, THERE IS SOMETHING A KID WILL DO THAT IS NOT BAD, BUT MAY
AFFECT THEIR CHILD DIFFERENTLY.
THAT IS WHY WE WANTED TO DO THE PROGRAM SO MUCH.
>> I THINK IT IS INTERESTING THE WAY THAT YOU ARE APPROACHING
THIS.
YOU ARE TAKING WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE MUSEUM AND JUST MAKING IT
MORE INCLUSIVE, IT SEEMS LIKE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> YOU HAVE LIQUID TILES.
>> YEAH.
>> TALK ABOUT THOSE.
HOW ARE THOSE HELPFUL FOR KIDS WITH SENSORY CHALLENGES?
>> THOSE ARE GREAT.
I LOVE THOSE TILES.
I WAS SO GLAD TO GET THOSE.
WE USE THOSE FOR OUR OBSTACLE COURSE UPSTAIRS WITH THE THEORY
BEHIND YOU HAVE KIDS SOMETIMES THAT HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY AND
THEY JUST WANT TO -- IF THEY ARE IN A LINE AND TRYING TO GO INTO
AN OBSTACLE COURSE AND WANT TO TOUCH THE PERSON NEXT TO THEM OR
FIDGET, THEY CAN STEP ON THE TILES AND SEE THE DIFFERENT
COLORS MOVE.
IT IS WAY TO GUIDE THEIR ATTENTION APPROPRIATE.
>> IT KEEPS THEM BUSY AND ENGAGED.
>> IN THEIR SPACE.
>> KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN KIDS ARE
EXCITED THAT IS TOUGH.
>> FOR ANYBODY.
YEAH.
>> YOU ALSO HAVE -- I HAVE PLAYED WITH THESE AS AN ADULT --
MAGNETIC TILES.
HOW DO KIDS USE THOSE ON SENSORY SUNDAYS?
>> OH, MY GOSH, I HAVE SEEN SOME CASTLES YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE
THAT GET MADE WITH THOSE.
YEAH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM OUT.
THE STRUCTURES THEY CAN MAKE ARE INCREDIBLE.
SO WHETHER IT BE -- I HAVE SEEN A KID MAKE AN ENTIRE SCHOOLYARD
WITH MAGNA TILES.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE SENSORY TABLES?
HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE KIDS TO INTERACT WITH THOSE?
PEOPLE HEAR US TALKING ABOUT THIS, YOU ARE SAYING THEY ARE
SENSORY SENSITIVE, SO MAYBE YOU ARE EXCLUDING SOME STIMULATION
YOU THINK WILL BE JARRING OR UNNERVING, BUT YOU HAVE A
SENSORY TABLE THAT IS FULL OF STUFF FOR KIDS TO DO.
>> YEAH.
YEAH.
WITH THE WORD SENSORY, IT CAN MEAN ALSO YOU NEED TO TOUCH A
LITTLE BIT EXTRA TO GET THE SAME INFORMATION A TYPICALLY
DEVELOPING PERSON WOULDN'T NEED SO MUCH OF.
REALLY FEELING -- WE HAVE A SENSORY TABLE, I DYED RICE AND
PUT RICE, AND I PUT ESSENTIAL OILS LIKE LAVENDER AND
EUCALYPTUS, FOR THEM TO PICK OUT
AND FEEL AND USE THEIR SENSES.
>> YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, THERE IS SOMETHING
THE OPPOSITE OF THIS.
YOU ARE WORKING WITH A COMPANY THAT BUILT AND ON -- OBSTACLE
COURSE FOR YOU.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS OBSTACLE COURSE, NOT SOMETHING
YOU WOULD ENCOUNTER IN THE SCHOOLED YARD
>> EVERYTHING THEY DO AT HOPE IN MOTION IS GUIDED TOWARDS KIDS
LEARNING THROUGH PLAY.
PLAY IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.
THE THINGS THEY WILL HELP KIDS REGULATE THEIR BODIES BETTER,
GOING THROUGH HULLA HOOPS TO GET BODY REGULATION, TO HAVE AN
AWARENESS OF THE SPACE THEY HAVE AROUND THEM.
>> OKAY, THE CIRCLE AROUND ME AS OPPOSED TO LET ME TAKE UP AS
MUCH SPACE AS I CAN.
>> THEY NEED TO SOMETIMES FEEL ENCLOSED TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE
IN THE WORLD.
STUFF LIKE THAT.
BALANCE BEAMS ARE SOMETHING THEY SET UP FOR EVERYBODY.
THE BEST PART AT THE END IS THEY HAVE THESE LITTLE SCOOTERS THEY
CAN CRASH INTO LIKE THESE BIG BOWLING PINS.
SO IT IS JUST FUN.
IT IS A WHOLE BODY EXPERIENCE, SO I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS
NECESSARILY ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT A REGULAR OBSTACLE COURSE
WOULD BE.
REALLY, MEETING THE CHILD WHERE THEY ARE AND HELPING THEM AT
WHATEVER STAGE THEY ARE TO GET THROUGH.
>> I KNOW THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW PROGRAM.
HAVE YOU HAD FEEDBACK FROM THE PARENTS?
>> OH, MY GOSH, YES.
THEY ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE A COMMUNITY SPACE FOR THEIR CHILD
TO JUST BE THEIR CHILD WITHOUT JUDGMENT LOOKS OR OTHER PARENTS
AS EDUCATED IN HOW THEIR CHILD IS VERSUS A TYPICAL CHILD.
THE FEEDBACK SO FAR HAS BEEN PEOPLE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE
SOMETHING FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO COME AND DO.
>> TO BE CLEAR, THE MUSEUM IS OPEN AS USUAL ON THAT DAY, BUT
YOU HAVE MADE ALTERATIONS IN THE MUSEUM.
>> YES.
ALL ARE WELCOME.
WE DON'T REQUIRE ANY TYPE OF DIAGNOSIS.
THE FOCUS IS ON THE KIDS WHO WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COME --
>> OVERWHELMED IN THAT OTHER SETTING.
>> YEAH.