The Snoezelen room is a novel treatment room that provides controlled multi-sensory stimuli that are gauged to the needs of the individual. The treatment is given by practitioners who have an accommodating treatment approach.
  
The word snoezelen comes from two Dutch words, snuffelen - that describe a dog sniffing an object and doezelen that means to doze or to relax. This word expresses the combination that is achieved in a Snoezelen room between a physically relaxing environment that is enchanting and safe and sensory stimuli that encourage the child to take an interest in his environment.

What is a Controlled Multi-Sensory Stimulation Environment?
A controlled multi-sensory stimulation environment is an environment in which the quality, quantity, magnitude and duration of sensory stimuli are controlled by the practitioner in keeping with the patient’s response.
  
The Snoezelen room is padded with white mattresses on all sides and is fitted with visual objects, such as a large pillar of bubbles that change color, a revolving disco ball and a projector of colored lights. The room is also fitted with sensory objects, such as a hot water mattress, vibrating pillows, a variety of balls of different size and textures, bells and a plethora of games. These objects stimulate the patient’s senses of sight, hearing, feeling and motion and serve as a bridging device between the patient and the practitioner.

What is an Accommodating Treatment Approach? 
A treatment approach that places the child in the center. The practitioner neither guides nor instructs the patient in keeping with a preconceived program but, rather, adapts the pace of the treatment and its nature to the needs of the child patient.
  
The goal of the accommodating practitioner is to find the right degree of balance between calm and activity within a safe and protected environment. This approach encourages the child to play an active role in the course of the treatment, to initiate activities and to express himself freely and comfortably.

Who is the Treatment Geared for? 
The novel method of treatment in the Snoezelen room is geared for children with sensory modulation impairments, communication impairments (autism), children with mental retardation, hyperactive or hypoactive children, children with ADD and so forth.

Treatment in the Snoezelen Room
One can choose between two possible treatment types:

A personal treatment method:
One practitioner and one patient are in the room at any given time.
Frequency: according to the recommendations of the professional team, a minimum of once a week as part of a fixed schedule.
Duration of treatment: approximately 40 minutes.
Time of activity: Between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays
Every few weeks the practitioner will hold a personal meeting with the parents and together they will monitor the progress of the treatment.

Dyadic method - child and parent together:
This method is identical to the personal treatment method aside from the fact that the parent is present in the room and plays an active role in the treatment.
Dyadic treatment endows the parent with new tools for communication with his child by means of their shared experience in the room.
This method of treatment is highly recommended to parents who seek a different, creative and special way of drawing nearer to their child.

For information please contact Matan Ben-Tulila - the coordinator of Snoezelen treatments
at 02-539-1919 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .