In the College of Education and Health Professions' Speech and Hearing Clinic, a new sensory room is set to benefit practicing healthcare professionals, students, and members of the community thanks to a gift from the Schmieding Foundation.

This new facility, which has now officially opened after a year of planning and construction, will operate as a research and training space for students and current professionals in multiple health-related disciplines (nursing, communication sciences and disorders and occupational therapy) to learn and grow, and as a service for families in Northwest Arkansas who have children and teens with sensory integration needs. 

The Schmieding Foundation Sensory Room features a wealth of state-of-the-art sensory and observation equipment that will help provide faculty and students with an ideal space for assessment, intervention, and research participation. Bubble tubes, mirrors, fiber optics, a sensory swing and more will all be used during intervention sessions to improve sensory processing.

"This new sensory room offers many opportunities to further the understanding of sensory processing differences and evidence-based therapeutic strategies to our students and families," said Michele Kilmer, assistant professor of nursing and founder of the Access for Autism program. "The room was designed to provide services to all age groups and can be modified to accommodate the individual's specific therapeutic needs."

"We are most excited about providing a hands-on experience for caregivers to learn and practice sensory strategies to incorporate into the client's daily routine, thus augmenting the value of therapy offered by researchers and faculty," she added.

Consistent time in sensory rooms can help children improve sensory processing and teach them to self-regulate and focus. Due to a significant lack of training and trained professionals, families can end up on long waitlists for assessment and intervention for their child.

The sensory room represents a unique partnership opportunity between the College of Education and Health Professions' nursing, occupation therapy and communication sciences and disorders programs. Together, hundreds of graduate students across the three programs will directly benefit from training in the room each year.

In addition to the abundance of opportunities for student training and research, faculty members anticipate being able to create training videos for students and professionals who work with children and teens with sensory integration needs. These videos could benefit programs and professionals across Arkansas and beyond.

In May 2023, the Schmieding Foundation gave $100,000 to develop a new sensory room and purchase equipment that would enhance student training resources and support research excellence.

From left, Dean Kate Mamiseishvili, Schmieding Foundation president Lance Taylor, and Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy department head Fran Hagstrom cut the sensory room’s ceremonial ribbon.

"We are pleased to partner once again with the University of Arkansas to create the Schmieding Foundation Sensory Room," said Lance Taylor, president of the Schmieding Foundation.  "The Sensory Room should help students in the College of Education and Health Professions gain additional experience and also help children throughout Northwest Arkansas by providing an expansion in evaluation and therapeutic services."

The new Schmieding Foundation Sensory Room will begin operations this summer, with training already ongoing for faculty and graduate students.