Neurodivergent children take control in calming sensory cubbies
Unit In The Listowel Located Library Maria Cubbie Domnick The With Pic: Neurodivergent For Manager Doyle Walsh Children Library
“IT JUST feels like a safe space for me” — this is how 13-year-old Conor Moriarty describes the cubbie sensory hub at Listowel Library.
“Just the fact that nobody else can come in during the time I’m in there. There’s a hammock, and before I go in, I can set the videos and sounds I want to play, which can be very relaxing — I guess I like anything related to water. When I go to sleep at night, I always listen to water sounds.”
Conor is autistic, he is high-functioning, extremely clever, and has high anxiety, explains his mum, Annette. She recalls how a library staff member, Susan, first told Conor about the cubbie and gave him the password. “He went straight in,” says the mum of two — her younger son, Niall, is 11.
“Conor loves books but before [the cubbie was installed], he’d pick his books, speak to Susan, do some colouring and then want to leave. Now he just wants to get in the cubbie. He could spend five minutes in there or 15. He might go in, come out, and go back in again.
“I think it’s regulating for him. It’s a quiet place, a safe space, there are no expectations of him. There’s no sensory overload — he’s completely enveloped in this shell.”
Mayo entrepreneur David McIntyre developed the innovative cubbie sensory booth after his daughter’s autism diagnosis in 2015. As he educated himself about obstacles facing autistic students, he learned that many became isolated due to behavioural issues arising from sensory processing disorder.
He also learned that the greatest benefits of sensory rooms came when an expert — such as an occupational therapist — could adapt them to calm or stimulate a student according to their needs. From this realisation, he developed the cubbie sensory hub, a space that can be tailored to each user’s particular sensory needs.
This is what Maria Doyle, librarian at Listowel Library, loves about the cubbie, which was installed there in 2020. “If a child comes in and they’ve been overstimulated, what they want from the cubbie is a relaxing, calming experience. So, on the touch-pad on the outside of the booth, they might choose navy for the colour of the lighting, underwater scenes to look at on the screen, and soothing music to listen to.
“Whereas if a child needs stimulation, you can set up the programme to have lively, upbeat music, rainbow colours that are constantly changing, maybe fireworks on the screen so there’s a lot happening visually.”
That a child can adjust their sensory environment to suit their personal sensory requirement is very positive, according to research. A 2021 study by Welsh investigators looked at whether autistic children may benefit from having control in a multi-sensory environment. It found that having control was associated with increased attention and reduced repetitive motor behaviours, sensory behaviours, activity levels, stereotyped speech, and vocalisations.
Doyle recalls hearing about the cubbie installed in the Aviva Stadium in January 2020, which aims to help those with sensory issues cope with what can be a very overwhelming environment. “I thought, ‘Imagine if we had something like that in the library’.”
Library staff could already see the need for such a facility, with disability support groups like Kerry Parents and Friends Association and St John of God Community Services in their local area, Nano Nagle Listowel Special Education Primary School, and ASD classes in nearby primary schools.
And there had been other indicators that a cubbie would be a good addition. “We have sensory boxes that we put out on the tables for anybody to use — they contain tactile items, fidget toys, ear defenders. We found there was a demand for these comfort boxes.
“And we could see that when some children come in, the first thing they do is remove their shoes because they want to feel more grounded, which they do when they make a connection with the floor. There are children who want to put on ear defenders — there can be quite a flow of people through and it can be overwhelming, too stimulating, so they need to take away some of the sensory overload.”
Staff also wanted the library to be a place where people could come and benefit from, even if borrowing books wasn’t the first thing they were interested in. “That perception is out there, that the library is a quiet place and that there’s nothing for the family. Traditionally, the library was always where children borrowed books and were shushed.
“I know parents with children with additional needs who felt the library wasn’t the place for them. They were conscious other children were quieter than theirs, that theirs couldn’t sit still — they’d be running around.”
In Listowel Library, the self-contained unit that is the cubbie looks, to all intents and purposes, like a tall box. “It takes up a corner of the children’s library and is in your line of vision when you come in the front door. There’s no booking system, you don’t have to ring in advance, you don’t have to come to the desk and ask. It’s free of charge. You can opt for five, 10, or 15 minutes inside it,” explains Doyle, who admits she expected only children would be interested, whereas an equivalent number of adults use it. “On average, it’s used about eight times a day.”
Wheelchair-accessible, the cubbie has different seating options: a stationary seat, swing seat, and a rocker seat.
“The swing seat is by far the most popular option — it’s very soothing to swing. With the cubbie, it’s not all regular users. People pop in if they’re in the area for a day — some people would have seen one elsewhere. We’ve had families travelling from other areas who’ve seen it on the website,” says Doyle, who gives the example of a seven-year-old girl with additional needs who visited recently.
“She was quite active when she came in. You could see she wasn’t interested in the usual things we lay out on a Saturday — the colouring pages and so on. We showed her the cubbie and put her in the swing seat. She wanted to pick her own video — jellyfish, turtles swimming. You can close the doors to keep it private but she kept them open and her parents sat outside so she could still see them.
“She was definitely calmer after and her parents were happy she’d had a positive experience in the library.”
Twice a week, Listowel Library holds sensory construction play sessions. Children move from table to table, play with toys on the floor — magnets, oversized blocks, huge Lego pieces. “The library is noisy, busy, there’s a lot of construction and design going on, a lot being built up and smashed down. Parents don’t feel self-conscious — this is an event you can come to and it’s noisy. Others who come here to work and study know these are busy, noisier times.”
Doyle says events like these are great for introducing the cubbie to new users. “I leave the cubbie open and I set up a programme, so children can wander over on their own and their parents can too. It feels natural.”
For Annette Moriarty, a big advantage of the cubbie is the small respite it provides her to enjoy an environment she loves. “When Conor’s in the cubbie, it gives me and Niall time to do what we want to do, for Niall to try and find a book. And I love books, the feel of them, I’m an avid reader.”
For these moments she doesn’t have to worry about how Conor is faring. “He’s in the cubbie. He just wants to stay there. He wants the cubbie at home.”