Here at Super Calm Sensory Products our aim is to educate parents, carers, teachers and children on neurodiversity and the impact it can have on the person caring for the child with a neurodiverse difference. We aim to increase understanding on what is happening in the body of a neurologically different person resulting in greater empathy in understanding certain behaviours. By developing sensory diets and activities aimed towards their specific sensory needs the child should reach optimum levels of arousal to allow them to be present during school and home life.
Someone who has neurologically diverse differences may react differently to others around sensory stimuli and other environmental factors. The overall goal is to promote understanding and increase empathy resulting in a more harmonious environment for all.
Please see the video at the bottom of the article giving an insight into the life of someone with sensory processing disorders.
What are RGB Lights?
RGB lighting consists of the three primary colors; red, green and blue, being used to create over sixteen million hues of colors. It can used in many settings such as home, office, schools and sensory rooms.
RGB lights can be bought online in many retailers depending on the intended use of the lighting.
Lighting and Autism/SPD.
Children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at an increasing rate.
If schools were to provide alternative lighting such as RGB lighting it would allow these children to focus more on the lesson. These children may experience sensory overload due to the lighting, noise and even smells in the room that typical children would not notice.
Children with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders may not have the ability to dim the flickering lights or quieten the background noise. This is due to typical brain responses allowing us to trick ourselves into seeing or hearing what we really need to. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder may not be able to isolate the flickering of lights in order to minimize the annoyance.
The science behind RGB lighting.
The way a person sees the world is affected by light sources in their environment. Different sources of light will have various effects on a persons mood and perceptions.
When we look at school environments, there are many aspects of lighting design to consider:
The type of the light bulb (fluorescent, LED or full-spectrum bulbs)
The placement of the light (overhead or on a desk/table/floor)
The type of flooring that may act as a reflecting surface (tile or carpet)
The location of natural light sources in relation to you (windows, glass doors)
The task at hand (computer screen work, reading a book)
Potential sources of glare (whiteboard, computers, reflective surfaces).
As discussed, colors and hues of lights have large impacts on the mood of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is thought that RGB lighting and alternative sources of lighting can help to alleviate stress and anxiety in children with Autism/Sensory Processing Disorder.
For example; blue lighting can calm a child, yellow lighting can enhance creativity.
Children with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders may not have the ability to dim the flickering lights or quieten the background noise. This is due to typical brain responses allowing us to trick ourselves into seeing or hearing what we really need to. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder may not be able to isolate the flickering of lights in order to minimize the annoyance.
Lighting should be incorporated into the overall sensory diet for the children with Autism.
Research has also supported that dynamic lighting design (lighting that changes with the students and tasks) supports learning!
This is just a two minute insight into the world of people with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Many people find the information given by external stimuli to be overwhelming, this video is designed to allow those with typical neurological responses to understand the daily life of those with Autism or other Sensory Processing Disorders.