PARMA, Ohio -- It’s a yellow brick road, of sorts, to calmness -- providing focus, improved behavior and reduced stress for students at Thoreau Park Elementary School.
Staff and administration at the West 54th Street school said the $1,500 “Blast Off” sensory path located outside of the cafeteria has been a big hit with the kids.
“Philosophically, I was on board right away,” Principal Ted Bickley said. “I agree with the purpose of it. It was more logistically, how do we make it work in a 94-year-old building? It was installed in February, with the kids taking to it pretty quick.
“Students love it, and all of the adults that have taken kids through it have commented about how it’s really helped the kids refocus and kind of get some of the wiggles out, for lack of a better word.”
The sensory path features a space theme, complete with a moon, planets, rocket ships, letters and numbers. The stickers not only cater to kids with sensory-processing issues and ADHD, but also help all students develop motor skills such as balance, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Thoreau Park Occupational Therapist Ruth Gordon said the notion of adding a sensory path had been on her radar for the last couple of years. She credits Thoreau Park School Psychologist Adria Fisher for making it become a reality this year.
“The students do different types of movement,” Gordon said. “In one part, they might be on tiptoes with their hands above their head.
“Another part, they may be crouching down, jumping with both feet with some coordination involved and pushing on the wall. So it’s one path with different sections and types of movement involved.”
The “Blast Off” sensory path proved to be such a success, Gordon said there are plans to convert a room that already boasts a therapeutic swing and therapy balls into more of a structured space.
“It’s for those students with extra movement needs and ADHD,” Gordon said. “They can have those as either needed breaks or can be scheduled throughout their day proactively so they can get some structured input just to help them regulate their bodies and be a little more calm and ready to learn.”
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