New sensory clinic uses virtual reality to help child patients

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A new clinic at Victoria Health Centre is using virtual reality to help children dealing with sensory processing troubles.

This is where the brain has difficulty receiving information from the senses, is often discovered in children who have unusual aversions to such things as sudden noises, some lights or even clothing and some foods. 

Occupational therapists Sarah Morrison and Laura Dooley say the new clinic, that opened last week, uses several tools – including virtual reality headsets, believed to be a first for the Horizon Health Network – for psychoeducation, essentially learning what the facets of the illness are so they can better understand how to treat it in individuals.

“I think for a lot of those kids that might not want to engage in talk therapy, something like virtual reality, if they’re a kid that really like video games, that might be another way to engage them in positive supports for their mental health,” Morrison said.

Sensory room, which are part of the clinic, have such things as soothing lights, calming music, and sensory toys to help patients “learn how to regulate their sensory experiences and emotions,” according to a Horizon news release announcing the new space.

“Sensory rooms are spaces specifically designed to provide a controlled and comfortable environment to stimulate the senses in a therapeutic manner,” Rachel Boehm, Horizon’s executive regional director for addiction and mental health, said in the news release. “They are a valuable resource for individuals living with anxiety, autism and a variety of other conditions.”

Dooley said they’ve provided these types of services since 2017, just without a dedicated space. They started looking into a space of their own in 2019, but were delayed through the COVID-19 years, and managed to get funding just last year.