$20K Donation Sponsors North Shore Children's Museum Sensory Room

PEABODY, MA — A $20,000 donation from the JB Thomas Lahey Foundation sponsored a Sensory Room at the North Shore Children's Museum of Peabody for those with autism and other stimulation challenges.

The room includes softer lights and a quiet space designed for children who have issues with crowds, loud noises and flashing lights.

"We have already had several parents of children with autism come through and express their gratitude for this space," North Shore Children's Museum Chief Executive Officer Ali Haydock said.

The room — one of the museum's 14 exhibit spaces — has dim lighting, soft music, weighted blankets, fidget toys and a light table with magna-titles, as well as a multi-lingual library with books focused on understanding and processing emotions.

The room was designed with the help of Northeast Arc Chief Innovation Strategy Officer Tim Brown, who provided input on inclusion for children with developmental differences.

"Making the museum accessible to all children was a key factor when designing the spaces," Brown said. "The sensory space allows a child a chance to have a soft, comfortable, and quiet space to relax if the other spaces become overstimulating. The weighted blankets and toys, soft lights, and noise-canceling headphones make the room familiar to many children with sensory needs."

The donation will also go toward supplementing revenue to allow reduced-priced admissions for those in need.

"We are so grateful for the support of the JB Thomas Lahey Foundation, who also supported our pop-up museum, Curious City, back in 2019," Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said. "They are a tremendous organization in Peabody and have made a significant impact on the entire North Shore."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)