Photo By Michael Strasser | Mallory Krahl watches as her son Kirby explores the Fort Drum Exceptional Family...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Oct. 7, 2024) -- The Fort Drum Exceptional Family Member Program staff joined community members on Oct. 7 to celebrate the opening of the Sensory Sharing Space inside the Soldier and Family Readiness Center.
The Sensory Sharing Space is part resource library and part sensory room, and it is free to all military families with children, teens, and young adults with special needs.
Kimberly Lawton, Fort Drum EFMP system navigator, said the rooms are designed to provide a comfortable environment where families can learn about and explore their children’s sensory needs.
“Half of the space is set up like a meeting area with a resource library,” she said. “We have books, sensory adaptive equipment, and sensory regulation tools that parents borrow for a period of 30 days.”
The resources promote social and emotional development, improve motor skills, increase cognitive development and emotional regulation, and support inclusion.
“They can check out the items, bring them home and see if that type of adaptive equipment really works for that family member,” Lawton said. “When they bring it back, we can assist them on how to purchase it or where to find it.”
Lawton said the other half of the Sensory Sharing Space is a sensory room, which she described as a safe space for children and adults to decompress and regulate their emotions and behaviors.
“It’s really a neat thing for kiddos and young adults that have sensory processing concerns,” she said. “When someone has a really hard time regulating their body with the sensory coming in through their environment, they need a safe space to explore, learn, and adjust. And it’s a space for the parents, too, so they can learn about what their child’s needs are and how they can accommodate those needs at home or at school.”
The sensory room is designed to provide individuals with a controlled and immersive sensory experience to promote relaxation, stress relief, and therapeutic support for sensory processing disorders, neurodivergent disabilities, and cognitive conditions.
“Families, therapists, and staff – working with the families – can sign up to use the space to help their child learn how to regulate, and parents can learn how to help their child with their special needs,” Lawton said.
Lawton said a lot of time, thought, and resources went into the Sensory Sharing Space to create something unique and valuable for community members. In her research, she also looked at what the EFMP facilities at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Camp Humphreys, South Korea; and Fort Carson, Colorado, provide their clients.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of need for more sensory outlets and sensory resources,” she said. “There are so many kiddos in the school district that are having behavioral issues, and parents who either aren’t educated about them or they’re not getting the proper support about what they can do to help their kiddos.”
Sharon Chaple, Fort Drum EFMP manager, credited Lawton for her efforts to create the Sensory Sharing Space and for her work to support families with sensory processing concerns.
“This is Kim’s brainchild, her idea, to bring this to the community,” Chaple said.
Chaple said they partner with EFMP professionals from U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, school liaison officers and other agencies to connect Soldiers and their families with vital services and ensure they understand the resources available to them.
Col. Matthew Myer, Fort Drum garrison commander, applauded the EFMP staff for taking on the hard work to provide an additional way to support the community.
“I think this showed great initiative, because it is going to help families directly and make a difference in their lives,” he said.
Mallory Krahl attended the Sensory Sharing Space with her 17-month-old son Kirby, who tried out everything in the sensory room with exuberance.
“I think it’s awesome,” she said. “It has a lot to offer for kids that have sensory needs, for sure, especially for my son who loves all these things. It was great just coming in here and letting loose. As a mom, it’s the best, because you just want to see your kid happy and be able to run around and have fun.”
Krahl said they attend the EFMP playgroup, and she thinks the sensory room will be another resource they will use.
“At home we have dogs and there’s a lot of outside stimulation, so it’s important just having a space for him to decompress,” she said. “For those overwhelming days, we can come here so he can try all of this stuff and kind of regulate himself.”
Families need to be enrolled or in the process of enrolling into EFMP to borrow items from the library, but enrollment is not required to use the sensory room. Patrons can call EFMP Family Support to reserve the room. Families will sign a waiver/agreement and be accompanied by a staff member or therapist while using the room.
“Families can use the Sensory Sharing Space with their therapist, if they have an ABA (applied behavior analysis) provider, or an occupational therapy provider, they can use the space here for their therapy.”
The EFMP Sensory Sharing Space is located inside the Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 10250, on 4th Armored Division Drive.
To learn more about EFMP and the Sensory Sharing Space, call (315) 772-0664, 772-5476 or 772-5488.
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2024 14:34 |
| Story ID: | 482682 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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