Making the sensory make sense

Abstract

[Extract] The physical space used to promote multisensory activity has attracted many names over the years. Some refer to snoezelen, multi-sensory rooms, sensory studios, sensory theatre and sensory trolleys. I prefer, though, to use the term multisensory environment (MSE)(Pagliano, 1999; 2001). Numerous reasons can be identified to help explain why the concept has spawned such diversity. These include historical and commercial factors, a lack of agreement as to what the term means, the need to design the space to suit particular clients and uses, technological innovations, new research regarding the senses and how the brain works, a lack of theory and a paucity of supporting research regarding the actual environment.