Ideas for setting up a playroom | Autism PDD
Great thread! We're setting up our son's play/therapy room in the next month, so it has been a helpful read.
Was sad to read about red being an "angry" color... our room will be yellow with red accents! 
However, red appears to be our son's favorite color by a large margin,
so... fingers crossed the interior design won't send him into a rage!
Would love to know what things you guys have in your children's play/therapy rooms. I am building a new house. I want to make my son's play/therapy room very interesting to him - a place he loves to be. I want to put a half door on it so that I can actually watch TV, eat, or just sit down for 5 minutes without getting up. It needs to be safe, but have plenty to do. A couple of things I know I want it the room is a swing, a ballpit, and a "fake" aquarium that we will put in the wall to keep him from turning it over and dumping the water out. We've gone through countless of these aquariums. He also has a small table with a small TV bolted to the table for his movies.
Ideas?
Thanks,
LJD
Just a few ideas off the top of my head:
How about a corner of the room that is for where he can calm down and relax? Like with a bunch of big warm pillows or something and maybe even painted a calming-type color. People had discussed this on another thread concerning a sensory garden (I think that's what it was) and I thought it was a great idea. I don't suppose you'd want a mini-trampoline in there? How about a light switch with a dimmer (also for calming)? Keep it simple enough not to over do anything and over stimulate him with TOO many choices, especially if he has sensory issues. Tents in a corner are also great for the kids large therapy balls to be rolled on or to sit and bounce on themself (like exercise balls) Nature sounds Music for background noise..... and check out the type of lighting you use (no flourescents)
Also dark colors on the walls might help too. Maybe a printed schedule that he can follow visually.
Tammy
Does your child REALLY need a "rote"? I, myself, TRY to shake things up a bit for AJ. There aint no way that I am gonna tell him this is what is happening AND for some reason it doesn't happen. Talk about "melt down" Ugh!
I concur about the mini trampoline. However, don't let him outta your site as it could be trouble...aka...dangerous
Pssssssst I also concur about the tent...Great Idea! AJ NEEDS time to spend by himself... especially when he feels the URGE to get rid of his PooPies.Tammy
I would also (depending on your child) take into consideration where the play room is in relation to where you might be the majority of the time if you are not in there with him so you have easy access to keeping an eye on him. Take into consideration where a door to outside is if he is an escape artist, and also take into consideration if he is a climber the type of furniture you arrange. I have heard of people putting up one of those peg/rock walls with mats on the floor. I would take extra padding on the floor into consideration especially if you have a head banger. I would (depending what you want the room to be used for specifically) - play room/ sensory room, or maybe a therapy learning type enviornment,.......... Consider having a table and chairs "work" station to do in home therapy with sitting to be focused to do puzzles / coloring etc.You could put in a sand table pretty easily by building a pvc pipe frame and using a bath tub liner supported by luggage straps. We just put a plastic mat under ours and that way I can vaccum up the mess when jason is done.I bought one of those chin up-pull ups bars at a sports store for .95 and hung it in the doorway. Then I went to Toy r Us and bought a swing. The bar holds up to 200 lbs and you can attach any kind of swing to it. Its very cheap, very easy, and you can easily remove the bar at any time.We just moved into our first house are also preparing my sons room to meet the sensory needs. One idea I have drawn out but not done is a sensory board. It will be a sheet of plywood with lots of sensory items nailed to it. Like blinky lights, squisy, noisy, rough, and shiny things. I will also incorporate skills to work on like shapes, colors, locks, string for tying ect in the board. Another idea not done I want is a small box like computer sized for him to partial lay in or curl up in. (he is small). I want to paint the inside black. Then put glow in the dark stars on the top and maybe old cd's. Carpet squares in the bottom with pillows and blankets. This idea is cheap cheap cheap too. Then in the basement we cleared a large path for riding toys, he goes when he needs to and returns when done! Just an idea!My big mistake was not setting up pics!!! Label everything with pics so when you do have it set up... tubs of toys are labeled. this makes clean-up easier and it won't be a dreaded place that is a mess that no one will want to venture into!!!
Another sensory thing to do, is buy a water table of sorts that you can change the sensory activity to rice or goop or other stuff.
Have you thought of a mini kids toilet somewhere in there too????
Instead of wallpaper, you can cut out the alphabet in sandpaper and put onto wall so it is a sensory/tactile way of learning how to draw letters. I did this a an integrated daycare and it worked well and cheap to replace.
Or use the chalk paint to paint a wall... you can get it quite cheap now at wal-mart even and writing on the wall becomes okay. (I don't have any writing instruments available as the magic eraser does not get all marker off the wall :P)
With the pillow idea, I use a corner in my son's room and have different textures of pillows... leather, shag, velvet, ect as his needs vary, he can find the "right" one to match what he needs. They are all around one of those convertable kids sofa/couches... not like he ever naps there :P
panthosette
We use the tent in the corner, with his heavy bath sheets he loves. We have a bean bag (sensory) and the bouncing ball that was mentioned. I want to put twinkling (christmas type) lights on the celing and will get to that someday. I have a friend that has a 'crash pad' for her son, it is in the corner and it is a padded mat that he can run and crash into when he needs to. It really has worked well for him.Wow...you all amaze me with your knowledge! More great ideas!! (sandpaper alphabet?!?! very cool!) Where were you all 5 years ago?!?!?!
Here is the thread that Kellie was talking about...lots of people had some good ideas there too:
http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1610& ;PN=0&TPN=1
Enikkibaby...Did you ever get set up? How's it going??? very curious here!
~Lesley
We are setting up a playroom, as my daughter is moving this week.
We lined one entire wall with deep cupboards floor to ceiling.
All toys will be behind doors and taken out depending upon his current interest. My grandson is 5.
We have a mat, a swing, a tent, and and a trampoline, and have installed contract stain resistent carpet. We are installing the chalk paint wall.
The room is going to be a soft green which is a very relaxing colour.
Avoid all red tones as they are "angry" colours.
As he is verbal we do not have the need for pecs.
We have created a quiet corner with a table and a couple of chairs.In my grandson's case it is for our ST sessions, which are mainly reading a story, acting out the story with puppets, and expanding upon the story.
For kids using IBI it is the quiet uncluttered environment they require.
We are attempting to keep the room uncluttered, and calming.
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