With the support of the Albert E. & Birdie W. Einstein Fund, Sensory Friendly Saturdays at Miami Children’s Museum will now be offered free for children with disabilities and their families. Sensory Saturdays are scheduled on the second Saturday of every month from 9AM to 11AM. This monthly program offers a sensory friendly experience for children with disabilities and their families and will be offered free of charge beginning with the scheduled January 11th date.
“Every child is a passionate learner but many children with special needs experience a hard time with abstract thinking, sensory overloads, transitions and social communications,” says Deborah Spiegelman, CEO and Executive Director of the Museum. “Miami Children’s Museum seeks to fill this gap in our community and believes an accessible and inclusive museum must address each guest’s experiences by making the facilities, exhibits, services, programs, staff and offices welcoming to all.”
In addition to the multisensory interactive exhibits, we invite guests of Sensory Friendly Saturdays to explore the Museum in a sensory modified and supportive setting with limited admission, as well as lowered sound and lighting. Families are invited to speak to service providers and learn about community resources available to them as well as enjoy a sensory friendly stage performance and participate in a variety of sensory based activities.
Through an NBC Project Innovation Grant, Miami Children’s Museum is moving forward with a Multi-Sensory EnvironmentProgram that will expand the Museum’s programs and services for those with disabilities. The Museum has created a Department of Inclusion so that all members of the community will have access to this valuable resource. Ms. Sarah Coleman has been appointed Associate Director of Inclusion. She brings 12 years of experience in the field. According to Sarah:
“I’ve been a passionate disability rights advocate for many years. During my time I have worked with infants, adolescents, adults, and seniors with varying disabilities in the role of caregiver, therapist, educator, community integration advocate, and ally. I believe in accessibility and inclusion with all of my heart. I have seen first-hand how inclusion shapes communities for the better and I am so excited to champion that mission at Miami Children’s Museum.”
The goal of the program is to provide children with the opportunity to engage in social interactions and improve the processing, modulation and regulation of sensory input to increase their understanding of and participation in a natural environment. Additionally, the Museum is home to a Multi-Sensory Room/Snoezelen Room; the first of its kind in any public place. Snoezelen Multi-Sensory Environments are relaxing spaces that help reduce agitation and anxiety, but also engage and delight the user, stimulate reactions and encourage communication.
Experience Sensory Friendly Saturdays at Miami Children’s Museum’s every second Saturday of the month from 9-11AM. The next scheduled event is Saturday, January 11th, 2020. The Museum is located at 980 MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island in Miami. Admission is complementary but RSVP is required. For more information, please contact the Museum at 305.373.KIDS (5437) ext. 130 or visit www.miamichildrensmuseum.org.
Miami Children’s Museum offers bilingual and interactive exhibits; programs and classes and learning materials related to arts, culture, community and communication. They have 17 interactive galleries as well as housing many exciting and fun traveling exhibits. Miami Children’s Museum is dedicated to enriching the lives of all children by fostering a love of learning through play and enabling children to realize their highest potential. Through arts and educational programs, the Museum seeks to include and target all audiences in Miami’s changing and diverse community by becoming the “town center” for Miami-Dade County’s children and families.