How Do Clients Benefit from Snoezelen? An Exploratory Study

Abstract

An exploratory study involved observation of four clients of the Botleys Park Sensory/Snoezelen Environment (SSE) in both the SSE and the villa. The clients were not known to the observer and were selected at random. The aim of the study was to explore the hypothesis that a designed change in care will give rise to an observable change in the behaviour of the recipients of that care. The results indicated that there was an apparent difference in the behaviour of the four clients observed between the villa and the SSE. It was concluded that although the study did not allow proof of the hypothesis, it did indicate that there was an observable change in behaviour, which provided evidence that the hypothesis could withstand a design that would allow the hypothesis to be tested.