The Hartville R-II School District is located in Southwest Missouri about 60 miles east of Springfield along Highway 5. Hartville is the county seat of Wright County; which is located along the Woods Fork of the Gasconade River. Recently Hartville came to Exergame as they saw a need in their sensory learning spaces. An exergaming interactive touch wall can serve as a valuable tool to meet sensory needs in schools by combining physical activity with sensory stimulation in an engaging and interactive way. This type of system can support students, especially those with sensory processing challenges or special needs.
Here are some ways it can be used:
1. Multi-Sensory Engagement
- Visual stimulation: The touch wall uses dynamic visuals, bright colors, and animations that can captivate students and provide necessary visual input. Students can interact with projected or LED images, keeping them focused and engaged.
- Auditory feedback: Sound effects and music can be integrated into the games, providing auditory cues that help students connect their movements with the game’s response, enhancing auditory processing.
- Tactile input: Touch-sensitive surfaces allow students to feel the response to their physical movements, offering tactile feedback that helps to ground their sensory experiences.
2. Promoting Movement and Motor Skills
- The interactive wall encourages students to move, jump, and touch different sections, fostering gross motor skills development. This movement can provide proprioceptive input (awareness of body position), which is often calming and helps children who seek physical input.
- By targeting specific areas of the wall, children can also improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as they aim to touch specific objects or patterns.
3. Self-Regulation and Calming
- For students with sensory processing difficulties, exergaming can be a self-regulation tool. It offers a controlled environment where students can release excess energy or seek stimulation in a safe, guided way.
- For those who need calming, some games can have slower-paced, repetitive movements that offer soothing sensory input.