Mary Lou and Anthony Cancellieri’s grandson Louis is on the Autism spectrum. When they saw Louis get really anxious during a recent visit to the hospital, they decided to do something to help children like Louis who may have difficulty coping with anxiety inducing situations. They immediately founded a grassroots Autism charity called RVC Blue Speaks and donated several “mobile sensory stations” to their local hospital. They named these machines “Louie” after their grandchild.
Louie is meant to provide sensory relief to a child in an environment that may make them anxious. Louie has various soothing lights, sounds, music, bubbles, and colors that are controlled by the child. Using all these controls, the child can create a calming and soothing environment for themselves that will help them relax.
Vecta Deluxe Mobile Sensory Station
So what exactly is Louie? Even though the source article doesn’t mention what exactly Louie is and where one can buy it, a little research will tell you that it’s the Vecta Deluxe Mobile Sensory Station which “turns any room into a relaxing, distracting and empowering Multi Sensory Room”. Its compact size makes it ideal for classrooms, bedrooms, medical facilities, and any other location that may cause sensory overload for a child on the spectrum. It consists of a bubble tube that has a calming flow of bubbles and changing colors that creates captivating visuals and a projector with color wheels that can project calming visuals on the wall. Attached also are colorful and sparkly Fiber Optic Tails that create calming effects while also helping with fine motor development. Finally, it comes with an aromatherapy diffuser that can make the environment smell nice.
The Vecta Deluxe Mobile Sensory Station costs $6,249 and can be ordered on the Special Needs Toys website. There’s also a Vecta Jr. Sensory Station at Rehabmart.com for $3274.95 at the time of writing this post.
Watch the video below to see how it works and read the user guide to learn more.
Kulture City Mobile Sensory Station
Kulture City also makes Mobile Sensory Stations(MSS for short) that is similar to the Vecta Jr. – much more compact and easy to use in locations that may not have the adequate space for dedicated sensory rooms.
Do you think you can use these mobile sensory stations where you work or live? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: CBS New York
