The effectiveness of Snoezelen in reducing stereotyping in adults with intellectual disabilities: a case study of occupational therapy intervention in multisensory stimulation rooms

Abstract

There is little evidence of the effectiveness of intervention in Snoezelen rooms in stereotyping reduction in adults with intellectual disabilities. In this direction, the present study sought to evaluate the relationship between this multisensory stimulation and stereotyping reduction in adults with intellectual disabilities. Through the case study methodology, the behavior of a subject was analyzed before, during and after the multisensory stimulation in Snoezelen rooms for ten biweekly sessions, lasting an hour and a half. Data collection was completed by semi-structured interviews with the formal caregivers of the subject and by the participant and non-participant direct observation with audiovisual recording sessions. After analyzing the data using the WebQDA software, it was concluded that the multisensory stimulation in Snoezelen rooms contributed to reduce stereotyping in the subject being studied, both during its realization and immediately after. Another evidence of this study suggests that there is a reduction in the frequency of stereotyping in the medium term as well as increased interaction and communication between the subject and therapist.