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Sensory Souk: A unique store for children with additional needs

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Peninsula Newspaper, Qatar

January 19, 2019

Doha, Qatar

By Fazeena Saleem | The Peninsula

Doha: A unique store in Doha offers products to help address challenges faced by children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) mainly due to Autism. 

The first-of-its-kind shop ‘Sensory Souk’, in Royal Plaza, provides a wide range of therapy tools and toys for children with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and other developmental delays.

Alison Saraf and Raana Smith, residents of Doha, mothers of children with additional needs initially launched ‘Sensory Souk’ as an online platform in 2017. Now they have expanded it to a fully fledged store due to demand.

“We hope Sensory Souk will be a service to the community. These products may not be essentially only for children with Autism or SPD. But even to other children who may have some difficulty in listening and learning, therapy products here can help them,” Alison told The Peninsula. 

The Sensory Souk offers various categories of tools such as therapy toys including books, games, early intervention tools and weight and resistance tools. It includes cousins, balls, beanbags and crash pads. 

Education support tools at the Souk include products which could help in handwriting, colouring and in numeracy. It also has a collection of tools important to be used at school and develop speech and language skills.

Colourful vibrating cushions are available to calm children.

“Wiggly seat cushion is great for kids with sensory processing issues or autism as it allows kids to move in place. The portable vibrating cushions offer a gentle sensation when they are squeezed or sat on, relaxing, calming and soothing the body. The vibrating cushions can calm kids who need more sensory feedback,” said Alison.

However, Sensory Souk is not just a market place but also aims at serving the community through educating and helping parents with useful information on autism and SPD, a condition in which the brain has trouble interpreting information from the senses, related issues.

Sensory Souk has partnered with Community Connect Doha  to offer seminars to educators as well. The first such seminar will be held on today (Saturday) on ‘How To Speak To Parents When Their Child Needs Help.’

“We will host the seminar for special education coordinators and learning support educators. We are holding this seminar to discuss about issues that face by children who have additional needs. It will aim at creating awareness among educators on how to talk to talk to parents when children have problems,” said Raana. 

“It will explore methods on how to broach the topic to parents in an objective, non-threatening way, as well as how to help them support their child’s needs,” she added. The seminar will be addressed by Dr Adrienne Robek, Clinical Director, Child Development Center at the Royal Plaza. 

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