The special education field aims to provide instruction that meets the unique needs of students who have learning differences and disabilities. As part of that goal, creating a classroom that helps students thrive is essential, and room design matters more than you may think.
For example, did you know that the right balance of light helps your students be more productive? Designated learning zones are also beneficial for neurodivergent students. And even the displays on your classroom walls influence your students’ ability to focus.
So how do you know which designs are best for your particular classroom? Let’s talk about six room design enhancements for special education and the benefits of each.
1. Sensory-friendly room design
Accommodating your students’ sensory needs helps them self-regulate. Whether your students need more stimulation or a break from it, offering a variety of sensory-friendly elements helps your students thrive.
For instance, while plenty of natural light is generally a good thing in your classroom, strong sunlight or glare is often overwhelming for students who have problems with sensory functioning. That’s why adding a sensory light area could be just the room design enhancement your classroom needs.
Sensory pods, aromatherapy kits, and wonder walls, are all excellent room design enhancements to add to your classroom, too. Whether you choose to have a sensory area where your students can take breaks or you opt to integrate sensory-friendly designs throughout your classroom, your students benefit from having plenty of ways to meet their sensory needs.
2. Special education activity areas
Students in special education frequently have trouble transitioning between activities. Fortunately, making designated activity areas within your classroom helps students to transition.
For instance, consider collaborative desks for group activities. Then, help students return to individual work by moving to rows of open-front desks. Similarly, colorful seating rugs are perfect for reading time, while moving to art tables lets students know when it’s time to create a masterpiece.
Think about the particular activity needs your students have and create designated activity areas to match. Physically moving between these areas helps students transition smoothly throughout the day.
3. Room design for movement needs
The school day is long for students (and teachers, too!) So, adapting your classroom to provide outlets for movement helps your students release their energy and remain focused. Students in special education also commonly have proprioceptive needs that can be met through functional room design.
Since students spend most of their time at their desks and/or in their chairs, it makes sense to focus on those elements whenever possible. For instance, sit-to-stand desks allow students to either stand or sit if the lesson permits. Rocker and swivel chairs allow plenty of movement, too.
Desks and chairs aren’t the only options, though. Bring in as much movement as your classroom space allows with options like tactile walkways, balance disks, and swings.
4. Room design enhancements to reduce noise
If you have students in your special education class who are sensitive to auditory stimulation, taking steps to reduce noise is essential. While you may not be able to completely redesign your school’s echoing gymnasium, you can provide a comfortable environment for special education students within your classroom.
Classroom Rugs are one of the simplest ways to reduce noise. Since schools often have hard floors that don’t do much to muffle sounds, simply covering them with rugs goes a long way toward dampening noise.
However, there are other room design enhancements that help meet your students’ individual needs. For example, a white noise machine helps block extraneous sounds, sound shell chairs are great for sound isolation, and noise-canceling headphones help prevent auditory overstimulation.
5. Special education rooms with accessibility in mind
If your special education class includes students who use wheelchairs, optimizing your room design for accessibility is paramount. Students who use wheelchairs should have easy access to all areas of your classroom, which means pathways should always be wide enough to accommodate their chairs.
Classroom and school furniture should also be chosen with accessibility in mind. Accessible desks, activity tables, and lab tables help meet your students’ needs. All terrain chairs are helpful, too, because they allow your students to enjoy outdoor activities during recess, field trips, and physical education.
Many special education rooms also include attached restrooms, which means accommodating all your students’ needs is key. So be sure to add a changing bench if your students require assistance with changing during the school day.
6. Room design to support student focus
The room design of your special education classroom plays a big role in how well your students are able to focus. Finding the right balance between engaging your students and helping them stay on task is crucial.
For example, special education toys and games like bear counters and fidget toys help students focus during lessons. However, you may find that having too many games out and about is distracting for your students. In that case, you need a way to keep them out of sight when they aren’t being used. Storage cabinets are perfect for this purpose.
Similarly, it’s best to choose muted tones for your classroom walls to help students focus on their lessons. Placing relevant information on whiteboards and chalkboards throughout the classroom also helps students stay on task.
Get your special education room design quote today!
Utilizing room design enhancements for special education helps your students thrive. At School Outfitters, we are passionate about creating inclusive classrooms that create the optimal environment for your students to learn. Tell us about your project and get a free quote for your special education classroom!
