Questacon has launched a new space for neurodiverse children.
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The new calm room is located in the Mini Q gallery, a space in the educative science centre for children aged zero to six.
The room is designed with patterns, textures, hidey-holes and low lighting to help children who are over-stimulated, director Jo White said
"Inspired by nature, the Calm Space includes several built-in cubby houses, including one located in the trunk of a tree, providing children with space to slow down and partake in quiet activities inspired by science and our natural world," she said.
It follows a growing trend of implementing sensory rooms in places like schools, stadiums and shopping centres for neurodiverse people.
People with conditions like autism can become overwhelmed by noise, people, lights and smells.
A sensory room is designed to help people calm down.
Questacon built the room on advice from Early Learning Australia.
"Questacon can be highly stimulating and very interactive," Ms White said.
"Our new Calm Space offers a quiet environment for children to explore."
The tourism attraction also has noise-cancelling headphones and quieter spaces throughout the galleries.
There are also quiet times which are advertised, Ms White said.
"We're committed to maintaining an accessible experience for all out visitors," she said.
As Questacon is quite busy over the school holiday period, which has just ended, Ms White said they would sometimes turn down the volume of some exhibitions to stop it becoming too loud.
The space has already launched, with the Mini Q area to continue expanding in 2024, and children have enjoyed it, Ms White said.
"Patterns, textures stimulate learning but in a calming way," she said.
Other Canberra institutions with sensory rooms include Westfield Woden, the Christmas in July markets, and St Anthony's Primary and Charles Conder Primary schools.
There were 164,000 Australians with Autism in 2015, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said.
MORE EDUCATION:
Around 96 per cent of Australians with autism has sensory processing difficulties, according to Autism Spectrum Australia.
They may present as being hypersensitive to certain odours, avoiding some tastes or textures or being distressed by bright sunlight.
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