Case Study:
A Calming Space for
Every Smile
Helping young patients feel at
ease during dental check-ups
The Background
Farmingdale State College recognizes that dental visits can be especially stressful for kids with special needs. They wanted to create an environment that would ease stress for young patients during treatment and train dental students in compassionate care.
The Vision
To create a calming dental space that helps kids feel safe and calm during treatment.
The Challenge
Could a standard clinical examination room be transformed into a soothing space for children while still supporting dental cate?
Before
After
The Process
Step 1: Choosing the Sensory Tools
With care and intention, our skilled design team selected sensory tools that would keep kids engaged and relaxed, shaping a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere. Every choice was made with a child’s sense of safety and calm in mind.
To set the tone, when kids enter the room they’re greeted with a glowing custom-made Light Wall, soothing Fiber Optic Strands on a Swing Arm and a calming Waterless LED Color Column. All these help to relieve stress and promote a feeling of relaxation and tranquility. and releasing restless energy. The SensaSoft™ Platform Trampoline provides additional jumping action, enhancing self-regulation while working on gross motor skills.
Kids can choose their preferred seating as they get comfortable on a SensaSoftTM Squeezie Seat, a SensaSoftTM Cozy Chair or a SensaSoftTM Compression Canoe.They can even receive dental treatment on any seat they get comfortable in!Once they’re seated, they can use a Weighted Disc Blanket for a settled, grounded feeling or tools from our Classroom Break Box® for channeling energy and emotional balance.
Our Sensory Activity Panels keep kids engaged and entertained with colorful details and moving parts. The light-up LimeLite™ Sand Table adds a soothing layer of sensory play, encouraging relaxation and focus through gentle, hands-on interaction.
Kids who like to keep their fingers busy will love the Weighted Sensory Knot Ball with its soft, stretchy fabric full of nooks and crannies. They’ll also enjoy our colorful Happy Face Fidget Necklaces; bendable, poppable Sensory Pop Tubes; Gel Hand Exercise Balls for squeezing, massaging and tossing; and stimulating Sensory Mini Mats for a world of textures.
Step 2: Design & Layout
Our team set out to blend calming sensory elements with cheerful, child-centered design to create a space where kids feel relaxed, safe and at ease. The blue color palette reinforces calm and ties the sensory elements together, while durable flooring and clean lines keep the space hygienic and easy to maintain for clinical use. Every element, from the tactile surfaces to the lighting and wall colors, was chosen to promote comfort and self-regulation.
The End Result
With creativity and care, the Fun and Function team transformed a standard dental clinic into an immersive, sensory-centered environment, replacing anxiety with calm and making every dental treatment an enjoyable, positive experience.
‘’We are very happy with how it turned out. It is gorgeous, relaxing and very calming.’’- Tamara Faure, Farmingdale State College Design…took out all the guesswork and ensured that all the needs we needed to address were included. Amazing relief!”
Case Study:
Texas Tranquility
A custom sensory design
for a smooth school day
The Background
Jennifer Mills Phillips, Special Populations Director at Kemp Independent School District, TX, first heard about Fun and Function when their district received a catalog at the beginning of the school year. She reached out to the Sensory Room Design Team, explaining that she had noticed an increase in behavior outbursts from her students and felt they could benefit from a dedicated space that would offer tools for social-emotional regulation.
The Vision
To create an active sensory room to help dysregulated students, which would include a small calming area. This room would be geared for students in the intermediate school, in grades 3-5.
The Challenge
There was some existing cabinetry that could not be moved. Would the team successfully integrate it into the design from a functional and aesthetic standpoint?
Before
After
The Process
Step 1: Choosing the Sensory Tools
The Fun and Function Team got straight to work, creating a fantastic design with a strong active component and cozy calming area.
Kids love climbing on the Adaptive Climbing Wall, a popular product that fosters confidence while strengthening balance and coordination. The Crash Mats underneath keep kids safe, and also provide an outlet for romping around and releasing restless energy. The SensaSoft™ Platform Trampoline provides additional jumping action, enhancing self-regulation while working on gross motor skills.
Several active products also encourage social integration. The SensaSoft™ Roller Slide with Lights provides a multi-sensory experience with visual stimuli, deep pressure, and vestibular input all in one, while encouraging turn-taking. The SensaSoft™ Rockin Roll Top is a versatile product that can be used in multiple ways, all of which encourage social play and movement. Students need to use motor planning and socialization to get the SensaSoft™ Play Barrel moving!
With plenty of space for swinging, the team was able to get some amazing swings in the room. The SensaSoft™ Bolster Swing is suited for straddling or sitting, develops vestibular systems, and can help calm down dysregulated kids. Active students love the Web Tower Swing for the climbing and swinging combo that also activates their imaginations. The Textured Platform Swing and Cocoon Climbing Swing both offer sensory stimulation; the former encourages balance training and can be used by multiple riders, while the latter offers a calming tight space for a solo rider.
A cozy calming corner was built into a small nook in the back of the room. This area features the Fiber Optic Jellyfish, a school favorite that promotes relaxing visual and tactile exploration. Kids enjoy manipulating the fiber optic strands while relaxing on the Squeezie Seat and Concentration Rocker, alternative seating options that help students focus and regulate. The Compression Canoe completes the area, providing a gentle, hug-like squeeze for those kids who crave compression (or for kids who just want to hang out and chill!).
Step 2: Design & Layout
The Fun and Function Sensory Room Designers utilized the existing cabinets to their advantage, using them to store and display smaller sensory equipment.
The calming area of the room was built around a shelving unit that was conveniently repurposed to organize weighted sensory tools including dolls, animals, pillows and balls. LED Cubes were placed all along the peripheral cabinets, providing soft, calming lighting throughout the room.
Finally, custom white floor mats were measured to fit around the cabinetry to make the room look and feel cohesive, spacious, and, most of all, safe for the kids' activities.
The End Result
The students at Kemp Independent couldn’t wait to use their new sensory space, and started using the sensory products even before the project was completed.
Jennifer sums it up: “The [products] are a game changer. I absolutely would recommend Fun and Function Sensory Room Design…took out all the guesswork and ensured that all the needs we needed to address were included. Amazing relief!”
