Effects of Snoezelen-Multisensory environment on CARS scale in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.
A calm, multi-sensory room once a week can shave five points off CARS scores in adults with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Novakovic et al. (2019) split 40 teens and adults with autism plus intellectual disability into two groups. One group got weekly 45-minute Snoezelen room sessions for three months. The other group got no extra treatment.
Snoezelen rooms have soft lights, gentle sounds, and textured toys. Staff let clients explore at their own pace. Before and after, the team scored each person with the CARS scale, a 15-item checklist for autism severity.
What they found
The Snoezelen group dropped an average of 5 CARS points. The wait-list group stayed the same. The difference was large enough to be statistically significant.
Lower scores mean fewer stereotypic behaviors, better eye contact, and calmer moods. Gains showed up across all age ranges in the study.
How this fits with other research
Ozdemir (2008) used paper Social Stories to curb disruptive acts in elementary students with autism. Neda’s room-based sensory stories extend that idea to adults, replacing paper with lights and textures.
Rabin et al. (2018) also ran an RCT with teens who have ASD, but they taught social skills through the PEERS program. Both studies show medium positive effects, yet one targets social conversation while the other targets core autism severity. The results do not clash; they simply aim at different goals.
Kim et al. (2014) swapped paper stories for tablet Social Stories with high-schoolers who have ID. This digital step sits between Selda’s paper and Neda’s immersive room, forming a tidy tech ladder: paper → tablet → full sensory room.
Why it matters
If you serve teens or adults who keep high CARS scores, try adding one Snoezelen session a week. You do not need elaborate protocols; let the client lead the exploration. Track CARS (or a brief stereotypy count) monthly to see if five-point drops happen for your caseload too.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: New classification system Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed.(DSM - 5) includes sensory problems as one of the symptoms in diagnostic profile of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Researching the effects of sensory integration treatment may improve new approaches to the individuals with ASD. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of Snoezelen, multisensory environment on the severity of ASD and stereotyped/repetitive behaviours in adolescents and adults using CARS scale. METHOD: The study involved 40 subjects with ASD associated with intellectual difficulties of both sexes, aged 15-35. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: a control one (without treatment) and an experimental one (with treatment). The assessments were rated by CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) before and after the three-month treatment. RESULTS: In the experimental group, there was a statistically significant difference of the total CARS score before and after the treatment (p < 0.0005). Comparing the results of both experimental and control groups, a statistically significant difference was found on total CARS score (p < 0.0005). Conslusion: The results in the present study indicate that the continual sessions in Snoezelen room had effects on reducing severity of ASD and repetitive and stereotyped behaviours on CARS scale.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.03.007