Every day, our senses shape how we experience the world around us. But for many individuals, those experiences can feel overwhelming, muted, or difficult to process. This is where sensory stimulation comes in: by intentionally engaging the body’s sensory systems (including sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste), sensory stimulation therapy can unlock meaningful improvements in well-being, communication, and quality of life.
Whether you are a caregiver, educator, or therapist, understanding the benefits of sensory stimulation is a powerful first step. From supporting children with autism in developing motor and social skills to helping elderly individuals with dementia reconnect with cherished memories, the right sensory activities and equipment can make a transformative difference.
In this guide, we will explore what sensory stimulation is, which sensory systems it targets, and how it can benefit those who need it most.
Multisensory stimulation awakens the senses through certain equipment and activities. We use our senses to explore and gather information about the world around us, including sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, and balance. Each sense has a different system that the right environments can activate to energize and calm individuals.
Controlled sensory stimulation is often used as a form of therapy for people with sensory processing difficulties, but is also hugely beneficial for others who need help to regulate their physical sensations. For example, stimulation can support autistic people to practice processing sensory inputs, coordination, and fine and gross motor skills.
So, which activities and equipment are best for each sensory system? Let’s explore the benefits of sensory stimulation in detail, one system at a time.
Visual stimulation is exceptionally beneficial for developing social skills and hand-eye coordination, prompting people to describe what they see and ask others about their experience. Illuminated bubble tubes and bubble walls are a firm favorite with their mesmerising color-changing streams, soothing frustrated or agitated individuals.
Visual stimuli can also maintain people’s ability to recall memories. Showing familiar scenes, such as a beloved park, can calm individuals and invite them to pick out details. Our Aurora LED Projector Bundle casts images onto walls, ceilings, or the floor, to draw users in and make them feel like they could step right into a scene.
Musical instruments are a great way to build hand-eye coordination and an understanding of cause and effect. Sound walls and sound boards are good examples of auditory stimulation and can help people with intellectual disabilities to match sight and sound in an engaging way.
Additionally, music is an effective means to soothe and bring back memories. Playing a favorite song or simply relaxing music can remind people of happy times and incentivize them to sit quietly and listen while the track is on. If a dementia or brain injury patient was musically gifted, they may also enjoy the chance to tinker with an instrument.
Textures can evoke strong feelings, and tactile stimulation activities are beneficial for improving dexterity and tolerance to touch. Sensory therapy may involve presenting people with surfaces with various textures to feel and explore at their own pace. Our soft Fiber Optic Carpet and Interactive Ball Pool are particularly popular, as they help to engage the tactile system while desensitizing users to potentially problematic textures over time.
For people with neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, tactile stimulation can help them remember activities they used to enjoy. For example, people who were once avid gardeners or bakers might like handling soil or dough, respectively. Similarly, animal lovers might appreciate tactile comfort in the form of a pet; our Perfect Petzzz range includes lifelike cats and dogs with synthetic fur and a realistic breathing mechanism.
Vibration also comes under tactile stimulation. Gently pulsing objects are useful for people who struggle with hyposensitivity and tend to fidget or “stim,” which can distract them and others when they need to focus. A vibrating sensory cushion can provide the stimulation they usually seek through stimming, helping individuals relax and quietly enjoy the haptics.
Smells can have a huge effect on people with sensory processing difficulties, and studies have shown that olfactory stimulation actually reduces anxiety and benefits psychological well-being. Using an aromatherapy kit can energize and relax through a range of essential oils such as lavender, sweet orange, eucalyptus, and peppermint. If working with children, why not encourage them to describe how they feel in response to these scents? This is a great example of sensory stimulation that can also be done outdoors in the summer.
Our sense of smell offers a remarkably strong connection to the past, too. Particular aromas can trigger powerful nostalgia, especially in those with symptoms of dementia or a similar condition. As a form of olfactory stimulation, our sensory experts recommend cooking a once-familiar dish for the person or giving a hand massage with pleasant-smelling essential oils.
Some individuals respond well to gustatory activities while others may not enjoy them, so it’s important to approach these slowly. To help with fine motor skills and speech, gustatory activities can incorporate activities such as blowing bubbles with a drinking straw or using musical instruments like a recorder.
To combine tactile, olfactory, and gustatory stimulation, individuals could try eating different foods and comparing their textures, smells, and tastes. Encouraging people to describe these sensations as “crunchy,” “chewy,” “sweet,” “sour,” and “spicy,” for example, also helps them to practice and even expand their vocabulary.
Individuals who find balance difficult may benefit from related activities to train their vestibular system in their inner ear and practice walking and running without falling over. Vestibular stimulation, such as a gentle stroll for those who are less agile, also improves blood circulation and cardiovascular health.
Our Balancing and Gross Motor Bundle includes a balance beam with multicolored sections for interactive balancing activities. When stepped on, each colored section acts as a switch that changes the color of the light produced by the IRiS Listener to the corresponding color on the balance beam.
We hope this blog has shed some light on the benefits of sensory stimulation and which products are most suitable for engaging each sensory system. If it’s difficult to choose between these options, we wholeheartedly advocate combining them into one multisensory room, which acts as a safe space in which users can choose the right sensory stimulation for their needs. For information on the benefits of multisensory rooms or help selecting a sensory room package, please contact our friendly team.
What is sensory stimulation?
Any activity that activates one or more of the senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, and balance. Controlled sensory stimulation is especially beneficial for those who struggle to process sensory inputs or whose brains naturally seek to experience more or less stimulation than they typically get. When shopping for sensory products by need, you will find that stimulation can help people with all sorts of conditions, from Alzheimer’s to dyslexia.
Why is it important for development?
Sensory stimulation helps the brain process information and supports learning and well-being. This is particularly important in young children, who are still adapting to the world around them. By engaging the various systems, early sensory stimulation activities aid cognition, motor skills, and social and emotional growth. In older people, who perhaps suffer from a neurodegenerative condition like dementia, sensory stimulation helps to maintain these skills and recall positive memories, enriching their lives.
Andy Roussey is the president of Experia USA with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing sensory equipment. He has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management with a minor in Industrial Engineering, and has designed over 75 sensory products. He's also married with two children.
