Courtesy Professor Talerico.

Three OT students who staff the sensory room.

Faculty and students within the occupational therapy program at Utica University have created a space where members of the campus community can destress and relax by tapping into their senses. The sensory room is located in Gordon 272 and is open to all students, faculty and staff at the university.

Unveiled this semester, the sensory room offers a calm environment full of ambient lighting, soothing visuals and multi-sensory technology. Individuals on campus in need of a mindful minute can stop in during the weekly open hours posted on the door, sign in with their name, review safety procedures and enjoy the assortment of cushioned seating and gentle sensory stimulations.

“Part of occupational therapy is we look at how people function in their environment and we look at how their sensory systems are functioning in their environment,” said Cicily Talerico, professor of occupational therapy. “There’s a lot of research out there that shows these multisensory rooms are very calming and you can use them with a lot of different populations of people.”

An assortment of multi-sensory equipment is stationed in the room, including a bubble tube with “multicolored features,” vibrating chairs that “hook up to the speaker” and a swing. An LED light tunnel, a stargazer that projects the night sky onto the ceiling, and a visual projector are other features of the room. 

“There’s different pieces of equipment in there for all seven senses,” Talerico said.

A variety of people can benefit from sensory stimulation, including those with dementia, mental health issues and developmental disorders. According to Talerico, sensory rooms are often used in children’s hospitals and memory care units where patients can receive helpful “sensory input” when under stress or trauma.

“A lot of times people go in there agitated or frustrated or have a lot of anxiety and they will go into the multisensory rooms and they will calm,” Talerico said. “It just helps calm their sensory systems so then they’re able to function again in their environment.”

 The initiative to open the sensory room at Utica University began over a year ago. Talerico said the department was in part inspired by the growing presence of sensory rooms in local hospitals, which led to seeking support for the project.   

“What we did is we had an initial fundraiser,” she said. “We raised a couple thousand dollars from our alumni to help support the sensory room. It took about a year for us to get it.”

Several students in the occupational therapy program have been trained on how to use the sensory room and host open hours for the campus community. The room also hosts autistic students from the Kelberman Center in Utica once or twice a week and provides a place where faculty can teach classes. 

“I enjoy using the sensory room, let alone providing the ability for other students on campus to use it,” said Mackenzie Bonyak, an occupational therapy student who operates the sensory room. “It is a place where anyone can reduce stress, get work done or get any sensory input they may need throughout the day.”

In addition to being able to use the fun, glowing equipment, Bonyak said a great part of the sensory room is the happiness it brings to those who use it.

“My favorite thing about the sensory room is the joy it brings to many students,” she said. “And how excited they get when walking through the door after seeing the lights and equipment.”