Projects

Real work, in real contexts

We selected three projects that show how Sensory Engineering Lab enters people's lives — at home, at school and at work/study. Identifying details have been removed; the rest is exactly as it happened.

3Contexts covered

15+Materials applied

3-9Months of follow-up

Home

Regulation at the end of the school day

Context. Family with a 3-year-old child of school age. Sensory profile with low tolerance to auditory stimuli and high need for proprioceptive input on returning from school. This moment translated into consistent dysregulation episodes, affecting play and family leisure, sleep quality and staying through the dinner routine.

Request. Support the transition between returning from school and dinner / bedtime routines, reducing sensory overload without significantly altering family dynamics.

Intervention

Sensory profile assessment at home (Occupational Therapy)
Functional analysis of household spaces, focused on the living room and bedroom
Creation of a "calm corner" with a beanbag, weighted and textured toys, a heavy plush (Sensory Engineering Lab sloth) and a vibrating ball
Squishy bath toys and a textured body wash lotion
Removed hair-dryer use; preference for longer immersion baths
Introduction of metal cutlery with thickened handles
Medium-density elastic band on the dinner chair to promote movement and proprioceptive input
Removal of the high-chair with tray (limited movement, increased irritability)
Weighted blanket adjusted to the child's weight and bed size
Monthly follow-up for the first 3 months, with gradual strategy adjustment
In May, replacement of the weighted blanket with lycra sheets (sensory containment effect with thermal comfort)

Outcome

Immediate improvement in sleep quality, no night wakings or motor agitation during sleep. Visible reduction in dysregulation episodes during the pre-dinner period in the first 6 weeks. The family reported greater routine predictability, better anticipation of transitions and longer presence of the child in end-of-day family routines. Also reported: improvements in family play, sleep quality and dinner-time participation.

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Calm corner · living room

School

School participation and self-regulation in the classroom

Context. 8-year-old child with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Autism Spectrum (Level I) and Sensory Integration dysfunctions. Marked fine-motor difficulties, fatigue in prolonged graphic tasks and low tolerance to classroom ambient noise. Auditory-processing difficulties interfered with attention, school participation and remaining seated during desk tasks.

Request. Promote greater participation and autonomy in school, reducing the impact of sensory and motor difficulties on academic activities and self-regulation during class time.

Intervention

Functional assessment in the school context and articulation with the teaching team
Ear defenders for moments of greater noise and overload
Low-density elastic band on the classroom chair for regulating movement during sustained-attention tasks
Non-slip cushion on the chair for postural stability
45° inclined plane on the work desk — better postural positioning and visuomotor organisation
Thickened low-density pencil
Triangular eraser for functional grip
Reading rulers for visual support and attention organisation
Adapter for whiteboard pen — participation at the board
Periodic follow-up with adjustments to materials and strategies

Outcome

Gradual improvement in staying with desk tasks and greater tolerance to the classroom's auditory context. The child began showing less fatigue during writing activities, increased participation in academic tasks and greater autonomy in using the adapted materials. Teachers and family reported improvements in self-regulation, in organisation during schoolwork and in the child's confidence in activities previously avoided.

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Classroom with adapted sensory-regulation materials.

Classroom · primary

University

Organisation and attention in higher education

Context. Young university student with ADHD, with significant executive-function difficulties — particularly in maintaining attention, organising and planning tasks. Frequently forgot manuals, notebooks and homework. Also showed increased need for sensory self-regulation during prolonged classroom periods.

Request. Promote greater autonomy in school organisation and improve attention maintenance during classes, reducing the functional impact of executive-function difficulties on academic performance.

Intervention

Functional assessment of school routines and organisation challenges
Digital notebook organised by folders matching the different subjects
Digitalisation of school materials — reducing what needs to be carried and forgotten
Weighted fidget toys, used on rotation and monitored to avoid sensory habituation
Chewing gum during classes as an oral-motor self-regulation strategy (agreed with the teaching council)
Balance cushion on the chair for discreet regulating movement
Fidget ring for self-regulation and attention maintenance
Thick weighted digital pencil with integrated chewing tip for oral-sensory input during writing
Multimodal phone reminders (vibration + flashlight) for anticipating and completing tasks
Educational measures: task flexibilisation, support with deadline management, early access to materials and regulating breaks
Periodic follow-up with progressive adaptation of strategies

Outcome

Gradual improvement in material organisation and reduction in the number of forgotten items. The young person began showing greater autonomy in managing subjects and greater capacity for attention maintenance during classes. Teachers and family reported increased school participation, better task completion and reduced fatigue associated with academic demands.

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University student with self-regulation strategies and materials.

University · higher education

Note

About the anonymity of the projects

We work with sensitive people and contexts. The projects described are real; names, identifiable photographs and detailed locations have been removed out of respect for the families and organisations involved. When we publish identified projects, it will always be with informed consent and prior review.

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