Green Bay Reporter

The Children & Adolescent Center has opened a new facility designed to provide specialty services for children and adolescents, including those with special needs. The center features a sensory room and an all-abilities sensory gym, aiming to offer therapeutic resources in one location.

“Providing a safe and structured space for children of all ages to develop or fine-tune skills and decompress in one location is something we wanted to make possible,” said Jamie Hagenow-Sekora, Emplify Health by Bellin Pediatrics Specialties and Primary Care Pediatrics and Adolescent Team Leader. “Before the Center, some kiddos would have to have multiple appointments on different times and days. Now, we can make it easier for families to schedule appointments with access to a variety of therapeutic resources all in one spot.”

The sensory gym includes equipment such as a custom-made play structure with a roller slide, twinkle light tunnel, tactile activities, swings, rock-climbing walls, and a jumping island. The separate sensory room contains vibrating furniture, fiber optic light strands, and interactive elements involving colors, sounds, and lights. These features are intended to help patients regulate their nervous systems through play before engaging in other activities like learning coping strategies or meeting with specialists.

“We also kept in mind the accessibility of these areas. Our providers can make modifications to the gym or sensory room to create a more unique, accessible, and welcoming experience with each child,” added Hagenow. Each area is equipped so that lighting, sounds, furniture placement or equipment can be adjusted based on patient needs.

Both spaces are designed to support development by encouraging growth and confidence while providing safety for children of various ages. Many children with special needs require specific types of sensory input; these rooms aim to engage multiple senses at once. This approach helps regulate how the brain responds to stimuli from both inside and outside the body. Experiences in the sensory gym may assist with emotional regulation as well as motor skill development.

The center’s staff note that these spaces are not limited only to therapy sessions but can also help children manage distress during appointments.

“It can be easy for kids to become overwhelmed or over stimulated during an appointment,” Hagenow-Sekora said. “With the sensory areas we can give them a space to decompress and let off steam. We have found that providing these spaces also helps kiddos open about their issues or roadblocks in their lives.”

“It’s truly a place that makes seeing your provider fun and engaging, for both the kiddos and their parents,” Hagenow-Sekora said.

Parents interested in learning more about these facilities are encouraged to contact their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider.