NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University has introduced a new sensory room at the B.D. Owens Library, designed to provide students with a calming environment to alleviate anxiety and stress. The initiative is a result of collaboration among various campus departments.

The sensory room, located in Room 234, features soft seating, adjustable lighting, an aroma diffuser, and a noise machine. It aims to offer students a quiet space for relaxation and mindfulness amidst their academic activities.

Dr. Sara Taylor, an associate professor of professional education, worked with Dr. Stephanie Krauth, Northwest’s assistant vice president, over the past year to develop this space. "We have spaces on campus for a wide variety of functions – classrooms, labs, dining, housing, recreation and relaxing," Krauth explained. She added that while there are many areas on campus where students can relax, some situations require more specialized environments like the sensory room.

Taylor was inspired to propose the idea after attending a conference focused on students' mental health needs for quiet spaces. She noticed that even as the spring semester began, many students were experiencing anxiety due to new schedules and project timelines. "Sometimes when students are neurodivergent, they need a space to meet certain sensory needs – whether that be sound, light or smell – to help them regulate their own emotions and their own internal systems," Taylor noted.

The room's creation involved minimal costs by utilizing existing furniture and items such as moon pod chairs and LED lights already available at Northwest. Taylor emphasized the importance of having different options within the space since not all students benefit from it in the same way.

Feedback from students is being collected by the Northwest chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children under Taylor's advisement. This feedback will help assess the room's benefits and identify potential improvements or additional items needed in the space. Depending on demand and usage rates, similar rooms might be established elsewhere on campus.

"We’re excited to get feedback from Northwest students," Taylor said. "It’s one thing to read research... but it’s another for our students at Northwest."