The first phase of the Shine Sensory Garden for children with autism was opened at the Shine Centre in Carrigaline Co Cork. The Sensory Garden will be used in the Centre’s work with children and adolescents who attend Shine for programmes and services. The funding for the project came from the staff of Bank of New York/Mellon located at Cork Airport Business Park who fundraised and volunteered for the last two years to make the Sensory Garden a reality. Designed by Dominick Cullinane the garden includes many of the elements required to assist the children with their sensory processing needs. A functioning sensory garden addressing all of the senses; touch, taste, auditory, visual , balance, and co-ordinating the movement of the eyes, head, and body through space and body movement can help to develop the sensory system in the child with a diagnosis of autism. For a child who is sensory defensive, a gradual introduction to the stimulation provided by the features in the sensory garden will therapeutically alleviate some of the symptoms of their sensory difficulties. Luckily we had Rose Gowan from Rose Gowan Photography on hand to capture all of the important moments. Scroll down to view more photos and learn more about the Shine Sensory Garden Project.
To find out more about this project you can go to Shine website