I am a vice representative of the Japan Snoezelen Association. I was very happy to be able to participate at this first memorial symposium and recognize that most attendance thought that the important thing is the concept of Snoezelen behind the practice.

This presentation is based on a literature review done for the purpose of developing a Snoezelen Assessment Scale for therapists and intervenors. It is a work in progress and something that I hope to share in full with other Snoezelen experts at a later date. The literature review does not focus on the efficacy of Snoezelen as a therapy since there are a number of research articles which have already identified some benefits to clients. Nor is it an attempt to analyze the merits of each and every research methodology used in the studies, since this has already been determined by various researchers such as Lancioni (2002) and Hogg (2001). Rather, it looks at the various measures used to identify which might be the most useful in developing the content of a Snoezelen assessment scale. For that reason, I have listed the sources although not all have been quoted. For a more detailed outline, please contact me at Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.

Congratulations to Lifespire Supervising Psychologist, Dr. Howard Kaplan, and Rehabilitation Coordinator, Ms. Linda Messbauer, for their presentation on Snoezelen which won the best poster prize at the 5th International NADD Conference in Boston in March 2004. The presentation was titled Snoezelen: A Pilot Study of Task Engagement and Generalization. Snoezelen is a form of multi-sensory stimulation which addresses sensory deficits. Although there have been many anecdotal accounts of how consumers have benefited from being exposed to the Snoezelen environment, rigorous research on its effectiveness has been minimal. Lifespire is addressing this lack through a series of controlled studies being undertaken at the Fresh Start Program.

Tel Aviv - May 2004 - Israel has some one hundred and sixty Snoezelen rooms used by a variety of populations. The "Snoezi" approach to treatment, as it is referred, is used with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in hospitals, special education centers, nursing homes, and even dental clinics.