Snoezelen () or controlled multisensory environment (MSE) is a therapy for people with

autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

and other

developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

brain injury Brain injury (BI) is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors. In general, brain damage refers to significant, undiscriminating trauma-induced damage. A common ...

. It consists of placing the person in a soothing and stimulating environment, called the "Snoezelen room", a form of sensory room. These rooms are specially designed to deliver stimuli to various senses, using lighting effects, color, sounds, music, scents, etc. The combination of different materials on a wall may be explored using tactile senses, and the floor may be adjusted to stimulate the

sense of balance The sense of balance or equilibrioception is the perception of balance (ability), balance and Orientation (geometry), spatial orientation. It helps prevent humans and nonhuman animals from falling over when standing or moving. Equilibrioception ...

. The person is usually accompanied by an aide or therapist. Developed in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

in the 1970s, Snoezelen rooms (snoezelroom) have been established in institutions all over the world and are especially common in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, where more than 1,200 exist. There is no evidence that Snoezelen is effective for the treatment of dementia.

Term

The term is a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

formed from a blend of the Dutch ('to snuffle, to sniff') and ('to doze, snooze').

Approach

Ideally, Snoezelen is a non-directive therapy, controlled by the client and not by the therapist. It can be staged to provide a multi-sensory experience or single sensory focus, simply by adapting the lighting, atmosphere, sounds, and textures to the specific needs of the client at the time of use. There is no formal focus on therapeutic outcome—the focus is to assist users to gain the maximum pleasure from the activity in which they and the enabler are involved. An advantage of Snoezelen therapy is that it does not rely on verbal communication and may be beneficial for people with profound autism, as it may provide stimulation for those who would otherwise be almost impossible to reach. Snoezelen therapy relates to the interdependence of both the space (the physical environment) and the "client-centered" approach of the practitioner (the human environment). The specially designed sensory physical environment together with the input of the "enabling practitioner" initiates changes in arousal by affecting the relaxation process, reducing anxiety/pain (both physical and emotional). It aims to maximize a person's potential to focus on his own free will and to engage on a motivational stimulus (object, activity or person), and thereby to improve communication and functioning. The defining principles of the MSE help the practitioner to focus attention on the basic elements of this approach. The following are the principles. # The experience takes place in a specific physical environment. # The attitude of the practitioners is "client-centered". # Stimuli must be controlled according to the client's needs. # The MSE is a medium for communication. # The sensory environment is neither positive nor negative. # The practitioner relies on the client's point of view. (Shapiro, 2010)

Research

Research on the benefits of Snoezelen treatment is scarce, with variable study designs.Chung JCC, Lai CKY. Snoezelen for dementia. ''The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews'' 2002, Issue 4. Art. No.
CD003152
. A small research study carried out in Brussels compared the behavior of nine adult clients with profound autism in both classroom and Snoezelen settings. Though individual results varied, the study claimed a 50% reduction in distress and stereotypical behavior, and 75% less aggression and self-injury in the Snoezelen environment.

Usage

In 2021, multiple Snoezelen rooms were opened in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. The first Snoezelen was opened to the public in the region of

Algarve The Algarve (, , ) is the southernmost NUTS statistical regions of Portugal, NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities (concelho, ''concelhos'' or ''município ...

. It was created by the

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

organization Espiral de Vontades which in 2017 started therapeutic treatment for the elderly. Early reception to the room was positive. The next room was created in Póvoa de Santa Iria by the Senior Club. They were testing it for a month before revealing it to the public, and also got good reception from patients. It is being used to calm patients with dementia, and also to release stress from patients as a result of

COVID-19 lockdowns During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of Non-pharmaceutical intervention (epidemiology), non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar socie ...

References

External links

Report on the use of a snoezelen room
at

Jackson Memorial Hospital Jackson Memorial Hospital, also referred to as Jackson or abbreviated MJMH, is a non-profit, tertiary care hospital, and the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's School of Medicine. As of 2021, it is the largest hospital in t ...