Hawkswood School’s new therapy room is a multisensory environment that is equipped with two types of an adaptive Rockwall, swing as well as other therapeutic equipment. We have two types of Rockwall panels that are specifically designed to provide diverse learning experiences to students with special needs. Our new Rockwall is a Dry-Erase climbing Traverse Wall and is climbed horizontally, not vertically. The fun and challenge of a Traverse Wall is navigating from one side to the other, instead of to the top. Students are only a few feet off of the floor as they climb horizontally across the wall. The write-on, wipe-off surface also accepts magnets. We use dry-erase markers and magnets to combine math, language, handwriting and other academic areas with movement.
The other type of Rockwall is the Climb-Able Wall, which is built at a 14-degree angle to climb vertically. This adaptive, angled wall panel provides opportunities to climb upward and downward so our students can build confidence in climbing, which fosters positive social and emotional learning. Our new therapy room is a safe environment that increases students' participation and independence by engaging in activities that are meaningful and motivating in so many ways. Climbing provides opportunities to develop and work on balance, body awareness, muscle strength, motor planning and more. Climbing also provides proprioceptive input to improve sensory integration. We believe that climbing cultivates physical, emotional, social and academic benefits.
Besides our Rockwall experiences, we have a variety of interactive, fun and challenging swings in our new therapy room. Students love requesting the swing throughout the day. Whether it is early in the morning or late in the day, students enjoy the sensory input that our swings provide. Our occupational therapists will recommend different types of swings to reflect our student's needs. The repetitive, smooth motion of swinging is often soothing and 
helps, in part, to ease anxiety. In contrast, fast rotary and sporadic movements on the wing are pleasing to the senses. Having the swing perform unpredictable moves such as rocking, spinning, side-to-side movement, and even start and stop movements while suspended in air, can be very alerting and stimulating for students who need that support. Swinging improves sensory integration, which means it helps to integrate each of the senses to work simultaneously, as well as providing a level of increased alertness. Essentially, this happens through the brain forming connections as multiple senses are stimulated at the same time.