The Snoezelen room is a great place to relax, but …

Further training and development is essential.
Whilst until the year 2000 Snoezelen rooms were considered predominantly as a leisure and recreational activity, by now the special ambiance has developed into a suitable venue for promoting and therapeutic programmes (cf. article Prof. Dr. Ackermann on this page). Specific questionnaires confirm that the learning that takes place in the rooms is better and more motivated, that the content is retained longer and that the feel-good-factor is high. Regardless whether clients want to relax in the room during so-called "free Snoezelen" or are offered promoting and therapeutic sessions during "directed Snoezelen", there are certain preliminary consideration to be established in order to prepare the room for the respective clientele.
It is the aim of the companion (instructor, educator, teacher, case workers, parents etc.) to structure the room in such a way that the user feels comfortable. Is the temperature at the right setting? Is the room well ventilated? Is the selection of equipment based on the user's requirements? Has enough thought gone into the selection of stimuli - is it enough, but not too much? Are the preferences of the user known? Has the selected music the desired effect? Does the user have enough time to rest, to process stimuli and to relax? Is the user given the opportunity to express his emotions and wishes? Has the companion thought about how to establish contact including the physical contact? Is the companion aware of any possible strain the user might be under and/or any illness? Before each session - also when applying so-called 'free Snoezelen' - the companion needs to ask these questions and more. The planning of a Snoezelen session is getting even more complex the more people have to be catered for at the same time.
Maybe these considerations rouse your interests and you might want to find out about our training opportunities and the "International Additional Qualification Snoezelen". Have a look at the website, further information can be found in the sections labelled training, events and calendar. Once you see the training courses offered throughout the year, click on the blue Info-Button where you will find a more detailed description of the course.