Kinloss Crafty Cool Kids Club attendees enjoyed four sessions on The Out There mobile sensory room bus

CHILDREN from a local out of school club enjoyed fortnightly play sessions on a very special vehicle.

Kinloss Crafty Cool Kids Club (KCCKC) attendees boarded the Out There mobile sensory room bus, driven and facilitated by former care and support manager, Jon Lane.

KCCKC manager, Claire Brenton, confirmed the experiences were funded by the Cash for Kids charity.

She explained: “Many children using our service have additional support needs, including Autism, ADHD and sensory issues. The environment can be pretty overwhelming for them so we thought it would be amazing to provide visits from the sensory bus.”

Bus owner Jon Lane has decades of experience supporting folk with autism, learning disabilities, head injuries and complex needs. He also has enhanced Scottish disclosure, business insurance and first aid certification.

The bus is for anyone in need of quiet, relaxing sensory space. The room is insulated and soundproofed, and contains a raised bed unit with memory foam top, soft cushions and a weighted blanket. It also features: colour changing multi-strand fibre optic sets; a colour changing bubble tube with a mirror behind; infinity mirrors; a touch board; a sensory panel with textured shapes; wall mounted light pods that are turned off when hit; a box with fidget and fine motor skills toys; and colour changing toys. The ceiling has colourful projections and a laser light display also covers the walls. Relaxing sound effects can be brought in via Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones or a speaker. Scent and bubble machines are also available. Finally, an artificial-grass covered floor adds an additional touch experience.

The bus stopped at KCCKC four times for two hours-a-time.

“It's a fantastic one-to-one sensory experience,” said Claire. “It gave our attendees the opportunity to chill out and have a different form of interaction.”