Bellavista School, a leading independent school and non-profit organisation (NPO) catering for school going children who have barriers to learning, has collaborated with HUBO Studio, an award-winning architectural studio with a focus on schools and paediatric medical spaces, to launch The Sensory Box – an affordable, inflatable, portable multi-sensory therapeutic environment (MSTE) – the first of its kind..
A MSTE contains equipment and materials designed to stimulate the senses through light, sound, touch, and smell. It is used by therapists in various disciplines, including but not limited to occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language therapists, remedial therapists, educators and psychologists and supports the treatment of a wide range of challenges including autism, developmental delays, brain injuries, ADHD, anxiety, and other neurological disorders.
The Sensory Box, as a MSTE, provides a safe, focused, and intentional space for therapeutic intervention in which the client can control their sensory input. Through conducting therapeutic sessions inside a MSTE such as The Sensory Box, the likelihood of achieving the therapeutic goals is increased with the help of an enabling therapist.
Designed according to the same principles as other MSTEs, The Sensory Box offers a different but more affordable alternative to MSTE’s that are built on-premises and are immobile. It can be used in both urban and rural settings, measures just 3 x 4m, and is inflated in just 40 seconds – instantly transforming the space into a MSTE. Deflated, it fits into a car boot for ease of transportation.
Bellavista School opened the first school based multisensory therapeutic environment in South Africa – a state-of the-art MTSE – on its premises in 2015. The school collaborated with the Beit Issie Shapiro Centre, a global leading developer and provider of innovative therapies for children and adults with disabilities in this venture, and has subsequently trained its staff as trainers in the Issie Senses Methodology, the key to effective intervention in the space. Since then, several MSTEs have been installed across the country – with a significant impact felt by those who have accessed this intervention. However, this type of facility requires a significant investment, which limits the reach and scale of MSTE to people in South Africa.
Asher Marcus, founder, and lead designer of HUBO Studio goes on to say: “Inspired by the work at Bellavista School and their vision to take this multisensory modality to wider communities, we had a dream to make the incredible results that were being achieved at Bellavista accessible to all people, through the creation of a portable and affordable pod. We used our spatial understanding in combination with the professional knowledge of Bellavista’s team of experts to create an organic form, based on nature that transports you to a different dimension. It excites us that any space – even a garage – can be transformed into a wonderful sensory space quickly and easily.”.
A prototype of the Sensory Box has already been in use at the Bellavista School and, as Alison Scott says, “In the hands of a skilled therapist, the innovation offers us an extension of our current room, affording more clients access to the deeply impactful intervention. When we see and know the results achieved in the room, we are compelled to share the MSTE further and the Sensory Box may just be the way to reach everybody who could benefit, young and old, school going or not.”
The Sensory Box was created using biomimicry – a method that emulates the designs and ideas found in nature, to create optimal solutions to challenges faced by humans. The Sensory Box mimics nature’s retreat to safe spaces for regulation, such as a tortoise retreating to its shell. It creates a womb space.
The price point of The Sensory Box core package is a monthly rental model of R 5,950, or alternatively, it can be purchased at a once off cost of R 158 900 (T’s & C’s apply). The core package includes the inflatable pod, soft play mats, ball pond walls with mesh and balls, input control unit featuring various audio and visual inputs through lights, projectors, speakers, and fibre optic cables. It also includes training and supervision with qualified and experienced professionals at Bellavista S.H.A.R.E. on the use of MSTEs for one individual.
Bellavista’s next training sessions are scheduled for 15-17 and 29 March 2022. Attendees will receive 21CPD points. Bookings can be made via the website www.bellavista.org.za/bellavista-share.
Story submitted by Little Black Book
