PRÄSENTATION

1. PRÄSENTATION VORWERKER DIAKONIE Comeniusprojekt Snoezelen

2. SNOEZELEN- livingwith all senses

3. SNOEZELEN- thebegining • Developed in Holland in the late seventies by Ad Verheul and Jan Hulsegge • SNOEZELEN - • An artificial word composed of ‘doeselen’ (to doze) and ‘snuffelen’ (to sniff) • Closely connected to the sense- and body-oriented approaches of • Basal communicationandstimulation • Prenatal room • Combination of relaxation exercises, mental journeys and meditative breathing exercises

4. SNOEZELEN- the concept where we start from • Everyone needs physical and sensory experience to be able to tackle their environment • The mentally handicapped, in their daily routine, are often exposed to complex situations and a constant stimulus satiation • They are hardly able to understand or influence their environment

5. SNOEZELEN- theconcepttheidea • Snoezelen aims at creating a situation in which the handicapped person feels comfortable and safe • In which he or she can relax and become receptive to basic experiences in every field of perception (hearing, smelling, seeing, tasting, feeling) in an atmospheric surrounding and • In which a development process can be initiated

6. SNOEZELEN- theconcepttheidea • Snoezelen claims to accept the handicapped just the way they are, to respect their will, their ways toexpress themselves, and to regard the work they are able to do as valuable and important: It is not the handicapped who have to adapt to certainconditions but they are offered conditions which are adapted to them: A holistic view!

7. SNOEZELEN- theconcepttheidea • The motto in a Snoezelen room is: ‘Nietsmoet, allesmag!’ which means about: ‘There is no must - everything is allowed.’ • Everything is done on a voluntary and self-determined basis, there is no pressure to undergo therapy • The pupils / residents can stay in the room as long as they like • The staff take a back seat watching expressions and reactions and making proposals • A smooth transition into the daily routine is desirable

8. SNOEZELEN- theconceptcreating the external conditions • Providing a special room with a pleasant ambience and with facilities to apply deliberate sensory stimulation • Design and equipment: • A warm room painted in white, offering little stimuli • Projections of light in warm colours • Stereo equipment and music for relaxation, whale songs, heart beats, meditation CDs: forest, water, birds • Water bed, water bed connected to stereo equipment, hammock, air bed • Objects for feeling, palpating, smelling, making sounds • Soft carpets, cushions filled with different materials • Cloths, rain sticks, water columns

9. SNOEZELEN- theconceptimplementation • Offering single sensory stimuli (not too many at a time) • Allowing own experiences • Offering the different fields of perception separately • Initiating neurological links • Relaxing and finding one’s own internal balance

10. Snoeselen

11. SNOEZELEN- in Germany • The concept of Snoezelen has been an integral part of the institutions for the handicapped for 30 years • Snoezelen is used by many educators in different areas because stimulus satiation, perceptional disorders and a lack of relaxation have developed into a social problem • Nowadays, Snoezelen is applied: in nursery schools, schools, homes for the elderly and within youth work

12. SNOEZELEN- atVorwerker Diakonie • The residential buildings of Vorwerker Diakonie are home to more than 600 mentally handicapped people • These homes look different and there are different levels of support: There are ‘external’ dwelling units, assisted dwelling units, trainings at the outpatient care facility, and dwelling houses in the central parts of the grounds • In the central part there is also the Paul-Burwick-Schule which incoporates the pupils’ dwelling units • And there are a leisure centre, a shopping mall, a nursery school including a crèche and an after-school care centre, protected workshops, the therapeutic service, a park, an indoor riding arena and many more facilities

13. SNOEZELEN- atVorwerker Diakonie • Snoezelen takes place in a number of areas: the large houses, the daycare house, the nursery school and the after-school care centre have their own Snoezelen rooms • The dwelling units are equipped with Snoezelen corners or else, the bathroom or terrace are turned into a miniature Snoezelen area

14. SNOEZELEN- atPaul-Burwick-Schule • The school has set up two specific rooms for Snoezelen: • The cave • Theisland

15. SNOEZELEN- atPaul-Burwick-Schule • The Cave is for relaxation and a mix of Snoezelen and prenatal room. It provides relaxation and individual perceptional experience for pupils with a high demand of assistance. Also, those with, for example, distinct behavioural problems or hyperactivity can use this room for relaxation.

16. SNOEZELEN- atPaul-Burwick-Schule • Arguments for the Cave: • Children love bounded rooms • They love to build caves from blankets, cuddle in and feel comfortable • The original state of warmth and security is experienced by the unborn child in its mother’s womb: it can be all alone and make its first sensory experiences

17. SNOEZELEN- at Paul-Burwick-Schule • The Island is the other room where the children can retire to. It is used to reduce aggression and unrest by offering relaxation and individual perceptional experiences. Afterwards the pupils can go back into class.