The Lacey A. Collier Sensory Complex at Escambia Westgate School - One Like No Other!

ADA LIFESTYLES

459 Saw Mill River Road, Ardsley NY 10502

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The Lacey A. Collier Sensory Complex at Escambia Westgate School is one like no other. The school serves more than 200 of the 7,000 students with disabilities in Escambia. This multi-sensory complex which was completed in 2005, is the largest of its kind in the world.

The complex is based on the Snoezelen complex, which uses colors, lights, textures, and music to elicit responses from people with disabilities. Upon entering the complex’s atrium, visitors are greeted with relaxing music, plants and twinkling lights. In the jungle room, you immediately feel that the carpet is textured. There are also swings and a set of stairs that lead to a swinging bridge into artificial trees.

The school reports that swinging is a very sensory activity that many of their students enjoy/crave. There are also vibrating bubble tubes and fiber optic strands for kids to look at and touch along with iridescent plastic balls in a “ball bath.” There are also soothing aromas located around the facility that are pumped into the rooms to intensify effects.

Many of these children with disabilities seem to respond extremely well to the services provided at Westgate. One mother states that her son is legally blind but when she brings him to the school he is able to follow the lights. 

Many of the teacher’s report that these sensory effects help the students to be more focused. They also say that a lot of lower-functioning kids seem to be very motivated by the environment and are eager to participate and learn.

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