The term

The term ‘Snoezelen’ is a combination of the words

‘snuffeln’ = to sniff, to snuffle and ‘doezelen’ = to doze,
to snooze.
If someone in Holland asks what Snoezelen is all
about then the answer would often be “The way the
word sounds speaks for itself.” With not so many
words, Snoezelen is a relaxing, recreative leisure time
activity for the severely disabled. Since it originated
in the middle of the seventies it has been picked up,
trialled and developed further with huge enthusiasm.
Meanwhile ‘Snoezelen’ has become a well-known term
in Holland and many other countries.

The term ‘Snoezelen’ represents an opportunity

Fundamental philosophy
of Snoezelen – historical
background, planning and
concept
Ad Verheul
for activity especially for the severely mentally disabled.
Contingent on positive experiences, most of all in
Holland, the country of origin, Snoezelen has been
acknowledged as a recognised activity and a form of
therapy for disabled people. In a casual atmosphere
various stimuli are offered, which address the senses,
-touch, smell, seeing and listening – a new opportunity,
for the mentally disabled to discover the world and
their own body and thereby to make new positive
experiences.
The calm island atmosphere gives a disabled person
the time, to occupy elaborately with the different
body perceptions, something that is impossible in
everyday life. Therefore the effects can be absorbed in
peace. Snoezelen contributes to a large extend to the
enhancement and further development of the world of
experiences for severely disabled people.

History of the care of the mentally

handicapped in The Netherlands
Looking back in time we see a picture with
many changes in the attitudes towards the mentally
handicapped. In many ancient civilizations, and in the
primitive cultures even today, a great number of the
mentally handicapped died owing to inadequate medical
treatment. At first they used to live among their fellow
men, their family. There were times when they were
deliberately killed (witch trials). In the Middle Ages the
mentally ill who showed maladjusted behaviour were
locked up in so-called madhouses. In such places both
insane and retarded people were found. There was
no distinction made between them. There were no
therapies whatsoever.
Treatments in the institutions constantly changed.
Gradually people began to understand that insane and
retarded people did not require the same treatment.
By the end of the 19th century the first institutions for
the care of the mentally handicapped were founded.
Because mental retardation began to be regarded
as a congenital defect the therapy was: bed nursing.
This caused many objections because most of the
retarded patients were not really physically ill: agression
increased, as well as boredorn and apathy. There were
also regulatory disturbances to do with sleep.

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 25

 This situation changed for the better at the
beginning of the 20th century. The mentally handicapped
patients were kept occupied with several activities that
required great physical exertion. The aim of this was
to change their behaviour: less agression, regulation of
sleep and a good physical shape. In those days there was
little attention for the individual.
But slowly it was realized that there were other
possibilities to keep mentally handicapped patients
busy. They were to be activated at a higher level. For,
many of the patients could apparently be brought to
do some kind of real work. And this soon turned out
to have favourable results. Mentally handicapped people
won more respect and, what’s more, their self-esteem
grew because they did something ‘useful’. The activities
began to look like work more and more. But there was
the danger that these people would be crushed in the
production drive.
The aim of occupational therapy, however, is that
you try to make the resident function as meaningfully as
possible, on his own level, in his work. The insight was
gained that many of the mentally handicapped could
be approached in the field of their creative possibilities.
The value of creative therapy was recognized, aimed at
supporting the pupil in exploring his creative abilities,
making him familiar with the materials and teaching him
the methods.
The care of the mentally handicapped in The
Netherlands has experienced a turbulent development.
Looking back we can see that attitudes towards our
mentally handicapped fellow men have radically changed.
Because in the past decades there has been more
research on the phenomenon of mental retardation,
numerous works on this subject have been published.
Fortunately, we can conclude that this knowledge is not
only available to scholars but also to those who are, in
the first place, responsible for the care and the contact
with this group. For example parents, social workers,
staff and others.
Education first of all takes place in the family. When
it turns out that this is no longer possible or desirable,
which can be due to several factors, the child will be
placed in an institution or visit a day-care centre.
Generally speaking, one might say that the care
of the higher-level mentally handicapped is provided
by extramural facilities. We can think of day-care
centres for children or adults, surrogate family units,
etc. Patients of lower levels are mostly taken care of
in large institutions, in intramural care. The initially
sharp distinction is fading, especially because the
larger institutions are increasingly trying to find other
forms of housing. This is an effort to give as many
residents as possible the chance, if they can handle it,
to live and work in society outside the walls of the
institution. Socalled ‘phase houses’ and ‘socio houses’
have experienced a mushroom growth over the past
few years. Apart from these aspects of integration, the
demand for housing on a smaller scale also plays a role.
Institutions with more than ene thousand residents as
26 | SNOE ZELEN
we know them now will certainly not be built anymore
in the future.
However, we cannot deny that, as a result of
what was mentioned above, the larger institutions
will increasingly be admitting the lower-level patients.
Besides, there are also problems to do with the ageing
population of the institutions, resulting in a growing
number of long-term illnesses and bedridden patients.
We were also confronted with this problem in our
own work situation. In the past, most of the attention
was directed at the higher-lever residents. lt was not
too much of a problem to find suitable occupations for
this group, but the problem shifted elsewhere as the
lower-level residents began to out- number them.
Parents, staff and consultants were increasingly
confronted with the question: what occupations can we
offer the severely retarded residents? That question may
have been preceded by this one: should we offer any
activities at alt to these residents? Is it not enough to
provide them with good care, from a medical point of
view only? Before the fifties only morons and imbeciles
were eligible for education and occupational training.
The severely mentally retarded were excluded from
these efforts. In the institutions there was only care
for them and, at the most, some training to teach them
to do some of the fundamental things independently.
Because they were supposed to require care only, they
were (and often still are) regarded as a ‘remainder’ in
the care of the mentally handicapped.
A different ontlook on the mentally
handicapped and care
With the arrival of educationalists and psychologists
there was a growing awareness that most of the
mentally handicapped had more possibilities than care
and some training only. The social sciences indicated
a number of possibilities for a certain degree of
educability of the severely retarded. Apart from medical
abilities the nurses also needed social skills now.
There was a demand for activities that could make a
meaningful contribution to the residents’ existence in
their contacts with others. The startingpoint was: what
can we develop? Social feelings, for instance, if possible
and desirable. What should we preserve? Mobility, for
example, attention for the motor system. What must
and can we try to prevent? We could create such
conditions that residents grow demented less quickly.
Here it concerns activities offering opportunities
for social contacts like: independence training, world
studies and communication. But also music and song,
handicraft sports, recreation, games and drama. Most of
these activities have some educational use.
For a long time the view prevailed that the mentally
handicapped should also be educated, or a least develop.
All this in the framework of socialization, normalization,
etc. The mentally handicapped had too many obligations
and there was but little consideration for their
individuality. Terms like ‘operant conditioning’ took
root. But certainly all this happened with the best of
intentions. Today training is not absolutely wrong either,
provided that there is an underlying view in which the
mentally handicapped person is accepted. In this sense
he is allowed to function in other ways too.
Starting from an arsenal of impossibilities is a bad
start. lt is much more positive to learn to recognize the
possibilities of the severely retarded. Our acceptance of
him should be active; we should not reconcile ourselves
to his incapabilities but start from his capabilities.
Create the conditions under which growth and change
are possible. We should also learn to give the retarded
person so much room that his experience will be:
together we will work it out.
In this changing view the hierarchy is also discussed.
Because non-mentally handicapped people possess
greater intellectual powers they are placed above the
mentally handicapped. But today it is rather a matter of
being equal. In humanity there are no levels!
These changes can also be found in the terminology.
In the early days mentally handicapped people were
called patients (the medical model), then pupils and
now residents, housemates, visitors, etc. And similarly
they used to be called idiots, but now severely retarded,
mentally handicapped, etc. Mentally retarded people
used to be considered ‘really pitiful’, because the
outside world detected so many defects.
Move to a flat sharing community-
model
The community model can be compared to a little
village in which mentally disabled people were able to
lead a safe and peaceful live.
They lived together and could make use of their
own church, laundrette and restaurant and some larger
institutions even had their own graveyard.
About 10 to 12 people would live together in each
of the flats. Within the flat a cosy, home-like atmosphere
was created in which people can experience nice things
as they would do at home.
The focus was on doing things together as a group
or as an institution as a whole. Even nowadays you can
see remains of the collective way of thinking i.e. at big
events for the entire institutions.
Changes in the material domain
There have also been changes in the material
domain. The rooms of the institutions used to be bare.
They were furnished as little as possible because they
thought that the severly retarded patients in particular
would only wreck the furniture, and they would not
care what furniture or attributes there were in the
room anyway. They would even see it. Now we know
better. It is obvious that severly retarded people are
also very sensitive to atmosphere and changes in it; a
fact that was long known before Snoezelen was ever
heard of.
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 27
We are very much hindered by our rational
attidude. As we pointed out before, this impedes a
more primary use of our senses and purer experiences.
Instead, we try to analyze them rationally.
Severely retarded people are not laden with such a
weight of knowledge. When you observe them carefully
you can see that they often act for the sake of acting
only. They use their senses and enjoy them in their
personal way. When they are involved in Snoezelen
we are often struck by the astonishment they radiate
when confronted with new things. Their reactions are
very primary. Their surprise is real and the sensory
experiences are authentic, although they cannot explain
them in rational terms and may find them strange.
Learning is not a must, but they should be given the
opportunity to gain experience. lt is up to the mentally
handicapped person to do whatever he likes with it and,
if he learns something in the process, that is a bonus. At
any rate his horizon may be broadened.
A mentally retarded person has his own way of
playing, communication, etc. From the fact that he
probably does not consciously experience this world
we may not conclude that he is inferior.
We pointed out that we as staff approach the
mentally handicapped too much with our own
standards in mind. Many severely retarded people show
odd behaviour, which they apparently enjoy. But because
we find this behaviour disturbing we label it ‘disturbed’.
lt can be very refreshing for the severely retarded if
we go along with this kind of behaviour working with
different standards. Obviously, there is a constant appeal
to our creativity and inventiveness. Over and over again
it has to be stressed that the resident should not adjust
to life in an institution, but that the institution and its
staff should meet his needs and wishes more.
The term ‘integration’ comes in now. According to
the dictionary it means: “bring or come into equality
by the mixing of groups or races”. In this special case it
means that the rnentally handicapped person is brought
or comes into society outside the institution. This is
no passive process. The words ‘bring’ and ‘come into’
involve action. This action has to come frorn two sides.
The mentally handicapped person has to find his
place in society, even if he is there only now and then.
On the other hand, society should also open its gates
for him. lt should not be one-way traffic in the sense
that: these are society’s standards and the mentally
handicapped better adjust to them. The other way
round is also impossible: the mentally handicapped
person imposes his standards (as far as these can de
defined) on society.
 Change of the philosophy
In the meantime the way of thinking had changed
from collective to individual thinking. The philosophy
says that the mentally handicapped to not have to live
in the institutions anymore like in a safe harbour. Some
critics go as far as comparing the system of institutions
to ‘apartheid’. They call it discrimination to lock people
into institutions just because they are different or have
a mental handicap and because of that are not given the
same rights as you and me.
It is an interesting point of view. More and more you
can see that the whole care system in the Netherlands
is influenced by the philosophy of considering our
mentally handicapped people as normal civilians.
Normal civilians means, they have the same rights as
everyone else in our society.
Just saying it is not enough, it means a lot will have
to change. The whole system has to change from
caring to supporting, from taking care of a mentally
handicapped person to give support to a mentally
handicapped person. We will have to learn to support
them in parts of their lives and their way of living
where others would be able to do it by themselves, but
they cannot due to their disabilities. We have to stop
taking over the lives of mentally handicapped people
completely.
Because of the philosophy of a life as a Normal
Civilian we do also believe that people with a mental
handicap should no longer live in an institution. They
should be allowed to live in a normal home, in a normal
street, in a normal village. They should not live in this
wonderful area in the middle of the woods far away
from society. They should live like normal civilians in a
normal society. They have the right to have their place
within society and not outside society.
Here in the Netherlands we are currently
undergoing the process of changing from community
thinking to the philosophy of Normal Civilians. Lots
of parents of mentally handicapped people, and even
the mentally handicapped themselves, are not entirely
happy about leaving the institutions and with that the
safe place they represent. Parents are scared for their
children to live outside and to be confronted by new
danger i.e. cars driving too fast. Even the institutions
themselves are not totally convinced about the new
philosophy. How will the mentally handicapped cope
with life within society? Will they be all right?
We as carers of these institutions are so used to
help, to take over and care for these people. That makes
it very difficult for us to let go and hand over the lead
to the mentally handicapped and only to support when
we are asked to.
I think it will take some time before we really
know how to act and we have learned how to behave
towards our mentally handicapped fellow citizens.
28 | SNOE ZELEN
Financial structure and person bound
budget system
There is help available for the new developments.
The existing financial structure is currently changing. So
far we had a collective system, where all the financial
grants are paid directly to the institutions and they
will then have the responsibility of how to spend it. In
the new system every person with a mental handicap
receives an indication. This indication says how much
and what kind of help, care and support the person
needs. Based on that, a set amount of money to buy
the care and support needed is given to the mentally
handicapped person (or the parent). The handicapped
person can then go to care providers, such as our
Organisation ,s Heeren Loo Midden Nederland, and
request for the care/support they need or want for a
special price.
That system is called the ‘Person bound budget
system’. ( in Dutch: PGB) The money follows the
handicapped person.
For organisations, such as ours, this will be a great
change. The mentally handicapped people will become
consumers.
The essential financial grants will no longer be paid
annually to the organisations directly. In future we will
have to negotiate with the mentally handicapped or
their parents.
And if the consumers – the handicapped person and
their parents – are not entirely satisfied with the quality
of care they receive then they can go to a different
organisation and obtain the needed care from them.
The change in the financial system does give our
consumers the power to be treated like an ordinary
customer with the choice to change shops if they are
not satisfied with the product or service they receive.
For us as organisation that means a great incentive to
make sure the service we deliver is of high quality. It
motivates us to listen well to the clients to make sure
they are satisfied with what they get etc. I think this is
all very exiting. It will be a big change offering lots of
new possibilities but also some dangers. We will have to
wait and see.
Lastly I would like to talk about the developments in
the care and the new care products this new financial
system offers. New products chosen by the consumers/
clients are:
Homecare
There are different kinds of homecare available.
Carers do offer their services in the house of the
handicapped person. Especially for the handicapped
children we feel it is very important to live at home
with their parents rather than in an institution. And if
the care for the child is too intensive for the parents,
our staff can come to their home and support the
parents for a few hours. Our help can be a few hours
a day or a week, just as the situation back at home
demands it.
Part-time-living
Some clients are staying with the organisations for
the weekend or the holidays. The parents cannot take
the responsibility for their children 24 hours a day, 7
days a week. So we are able to offer them all kinds of
part-time support.
The newest developments are homes initiated by
parents. Parents do have certain ideas and dreams of
how they want their children to live, for example, if
they have a special religion or if they live in a particular
village and would like their child to live close by.
Nowadays it is possible for clients or the parents to
rent or even buy a home. It will be the home of the
client and the parents, they will lay down the home
rules and buy the furniture together etc.
We, the organisation, have a contract with the
clients (or their parents) and that contract is the basis
for the amount of care /support they will receive in
their special home.
I think that this is a way of living where the
individualism of our clients is respected and their
wishes of how they would like to live are acted on.
In these homes they can be themselves as a
handicapped person but also as a person with his or
her own identity.
Daily activities program
Our daily activities program is very wide-ranging
and has grown over the past few years. During the
early years of the De Hartenberg Centre, part of the
Organisation ,s Heeren Loo Midden Nederland, the
daily activities program was not a major focus of our
organisation. It was only available for disabled people
who were able to do some sort of production work.
The external budget was based on that.
But that has changed over the past few years. The
De Hartenberg Centre started to allocate the budgets,
internal departments were partly or completely closed
down and the money saved was used it in favour of the
daily activities program.
Additional grants
In the middle of the nineties the government made
further grants available. These grants can only be used
to extend the daily activities program for the severe
multiple disabled people.
1 to 1 care
Just recently the possibility arose to receive further
financial grants for disabled people with conspicuous
behaviour problems such as aggression or self-harming
behaviour etc. These grants are used for 1 to 1 care.
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 29
Wide range of activities
We are offering a wide range of activities that are
determined by our client’s demands. Daily activities can
be used by small groups or individually. They can take
place in a separate area or amid society, the activities
can be aimed at support, can be work-like or creative
and they can take place indoors or outdoors.
There are daily activities for children and adults
available and there are also suitable daily activities for
disabled older people on offer. The total number of 750
participants is a guaranty for the wide range we are
offering.
We are also offering an extensive range of activities
in the surrounding area. In an industrial estate some of
our clients are working, preparing toys and tools for
dispatch. One of our clients is helping as a caretaker in
a nearby school. Some others are helping in the library
in Ede. Other participants of the daily activity program
are helping out under supervision in care homes,
serving tea and coffee, taking care of pets, cleaning etc.
Individual work is also done in a large bakery in Ede, a
pet shop and a garage in Harskamp.
There is also a wide range of products we make
ourselves, such as candles, soap, art and promotional
gifts. We also pack Christmas parcels with our products
for clients.
Integration in society and offering work-like
activities are major points in our care politic.
The development of Snoezelen
Reason
CLELAND and CLARK (1966) from the USA were
the first to come up with the idea to create a ‘sensory
cafeteria’. That means a room in which mentally
disabled people could have the chance to experience
the different senses. Snoezelen can be compared
to that early approach. But since I don’t know how
far this information from America has affected the
Dutch development, I will just talk about Snoezelen
development in the Netherlands.
In the middle of the seventies the Dutch institutions
for the mentally disabled were also confronted by the
growing problems with the severely disabled. As Verheul
states, most of all there was a lack of activities which
were suitable for the needs of that group, since the
occupational and leisure time activities which could be
used by the less severely mentally disabled people – at
least in a modified form – weren’t of any interest to the
severely disabled.
From the different efforts to create new playing
material or activities for that group, it was developed
on one side the ‘adjusted material’ that means playing
material which shape, size and function tried to do
justice to that group of the disabled and on the other
side there was ‘Snoezelen’.
 There are inter-relations between these two
activities since Snoezelen does express a different view
towards the occupational and leisure time activities of
severely disabled people, which are also obvious in offer
and function of the playing materials. It is used less as
learning material but more with the aim to let disabled
people enjoy it and with the conviction, that they will
learn enough by doing so. On the other hand due to
the development of so called Snoezelen objects, that
means things that are offered in Snoezelen, the pool
of playing materials for the living and life situations of
severely disabled people was very much enriched.
The development of Snoezelen in the
Netherlands
The beginnings of Snoezelen are closely linked to
the expansion of occupational activities for people
with severe multiple disabilities in the middle of the
seventies, starting in the Netherlands. That is to say
that for that target group there were no recreational
activities on offer at all. To get an impression about the
accommodation of people with severe disabilities, I will
describe life in the Centre De Hartenberg.
Since 1968 there have been approximately 440
mentally disabled residents in the institution. Their
care was focused exclusively on their accommodation.
Approximately 70% of the residents could be described
as severe multiple disabled, this means, that there was
only a small group of people active enough to go to
work at the daily activity centre. In the workshop they
produced simple articles. The residents with severe
multiple disabilities stayed behind in their flats or the
pavilion. There was always a reason why they couldn’t
leave the building: One day it would be too warm
outside or too cold or it would be too wet or too
damp. Apart from making the journey to the necessary
therapies or to a doctor, there was no reason to leave
the house. The people with severe multiple disabilities
were protected like porcelain dolls, a frail material that
would become ill once it was exposed to the outside.
The living accommodation of these people was linked
to a hospital that followed tight medical guidelines.
The living conditions of these disabled people were
very sterile and cold and the wards reminded you of
a hospital with beds and oxygen bottles right next
to them – everything was absolutely spotless. It was
anything but a cosy environment, no atmosphere to
feel good and sojourn for long. The doctors and senior
nurses determined the routine, one talked about
‘nurses’ not ‘companion’.
In the early seventies under these quite afflicting
circumstances grew the idea of offering occupational
activities to severely multiple disabled, called
‘Bezigheidsbegeleiding’. Initially that focused only on
the living accommodation, since it wasn’t possible to
move the residents to a different building. The members
of staff, so called ‘Bezigheidsbegeleider’, meaning
occupational therapists, worked in close proximity to
30 | SNOE ZELEN
the living quarters of the severely multiple disabled,
developing materials and concepts, to trigger interest
and to activate: They made mobiles, musical objects,
used bubbles and massaged with coloured sheets.
Natural materials were also used to make touch objects
etc. Even the nurses were impressed by the use of
these materials in the living quarters and incorporated
the plans to make further objects. We are talking about
the very first objects used for Snoezelen, it was all
very simple and not expensive. Jan Hulsegge as music
therapist and Ad Verheul as occupational therapist were
responsible for the very first leisure time activities for
severely multiple disabled people in the Centre De
Hartenberg.
At that time Ad Verheul and Jan Hulsegge came
across an article by American psychologists Cleland
and Clark. By 1966 they had already reported in
their findings about the possibilities of development
promotion, improved communication and behaviour
changes achieved by selected sensory offers to
development-delayed, hyperactive, mentally disabled
and autistic people. These target groups should receive
motivation to see, hear, smell and feel and for the
stimulation of the kinaesthesia in accordingly designed
rooms. At that time the two authors had already
insisted, that a so-called ‘Sensory Cafeteria’ should be
the most logical first step to stimulate and guide the
sensory process.
The idea of ‘primary activation’ was developed
further by the two Dutch experts, because it was
recognised, that not only people with a higher mental
level but all disabled people were in need of such a
specific offers.
A big force was the parent’s interest, because they
discovered all of a sudden new opportunities for their
children. Passive education was turned into activity, to
initiate contact again, to communicate with a disabled
child and to activate the process. In the Centre De
Hartenberg the concept Snoezelen was still unknown.
Only through the link with another institution
Haarendael, where at the same time similar activities
were tested, the name was made public.
First approaches in different institutions
Since, like already mentioned, the search for new
activities for the severely disabled was the problem for
many institutions, different approaches of Snoezelen
were developed in various institutions at the same time.
Their experiences were only exchanged some time
later.
A first project and at the same time the name
Snoezelen was developed in 1974 in the ‘Haarendael’
institution in the relaxation service with the thought
that the physical effort was not the goal but the
possibilities of experiences and the relaxation. The aim
was to let the disabled person experience well being,
by trying to create a situation in which they could get
to one or the other activity but could also enjoy it
passively.
These goals should be achieved via the sensual
perception. In the so-called relaxation service of the
institution two civil servants Niels Snoek and Klaas
Schenk and a staffmember Rein Staps organised the
first project in the assembly hall. With the help of light,
music, smells and objects a dream atmosphere was
created in which stimuli for every sense could be found,
for example:
The idea was put into action for the very first
time at the De Hartenbergs summer fair in 1978.
An experimental sensory tent offering multi sensory
experiences was put up. It was only at that conference
that one became aware of the other institutions efforts,
received further information and took over the term
‘Snoezelen’.
In August 1979 in the course of the next summer
fair another 10 day Snoezelen project followed for
which many of the objects were handmade.

• Visual stimuli:
darkened rooms, orbiting pictures, mirrors
• Auditory stimuli:
calm music
• Tactile stimuli:
Ball pond, hay, hammock
• Scented stimuli:
incense, 4711, scented water
• Taste stimuli:
different tasting food
Since there was only little money available, creative
initiative was needed. The project was very successful
but after expiration of the civil servants service, the
project had to be stopped for the time being due to
lack of time and personnel. ‘ Snoezelen team’ the centre De Hartenberg, 1977
1st left: Ad Verheul; 3th left: Jan Hulsegge

Because of the big success, that means most of

all the positive effect it had on the severely disabled
who used the offer, mostly fortnightly projects were
organised in the following years on a regular basis until
February 1984 when Snoezelen could be offered on a
permanent basis in it’s own rooms.

Due to the ‘open days’, reports about different

projects and an intensive exchange of information,
Snoezelen quickly became well known in other
institutions. Today we can assume that not only the
institutions for mentally disabled people but also the
ones for the psychologically ill and from senile dementia
First Snoezelen team, Haarendael, 1974 suffering people know the term and partly use it in
left to right: Niels Snoek, Rein Staps, Klaas Schenk any form in their work. It is also safe to assume that
Snoezelen is mentioned in the training of the group
leaders.
Later the institution ‘Piusoord’ picked the idea
up again and improved it even more. The institution
introduced ‘Snoezelen’ under its name on an NGBZ
conference in March 1979 (NGBZ=Nederlands
Genootschap ter Bestudering van de Zwakzinnigheid
en de Zwakzinnigenzorg) themed PLAY and they invited
the entire personnel to take part.
There the staff of De Hartenberg learned of the
name and realised, that they were working on the same
ideas. Since there was obviously a demand for activities
for the severely disabled, also seen at the annual
summer fairs of the institution where a varied program
was on offer without being able to consider the needs
of the disabled, the idea was born to create, with the
help of primary sense stimuli, a world in which severely
disabled people could feel good.

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 31


blower unit
room with a blower
The activities tent
In 1978 we received a letter from a colleague who
then worked at the centre for the mentally handicapped
‘Piusoord’ in Tilburg. He was very enthusiastic about all
the positive response they had had to an ‘activities tent’.
The activities were meant for the lower-level residents,
and they made use of sound, lights, balloons, hay, etc.
Because there was going to be a summer fair at De
Hartenberg it seemed a nice thing to organize a similar
facility for the lower-level residents there. To be honest
we must confess that we were not very enthusiastic
at first. We began working it out with some of our
colleagues. Since it was to be only a temporary affair we
were given a kind of shed to use, or rather, a roof on
poles. We turned it into a Snoezelen room by screening
off the sides with sail cloth and created corridors with
agricultural plastic. In this ‘maze’ we located a series of
activities.
These were separated visually but not auditively,
which was sometimes disturbing. Some of the activities
were:
• a room with a blower that blew shreds of paper
and balloons through the room;
• a comer with soft cushions and hay in which
squeaky toys were hidden.
• There was also a room with an overhead
projector on which a bowl of water was placed.
By dripping ink into the water fabulous colour
patterns were created on a white screen. On
the platform of a record player we had placed a
jam jar with pieces of coloured paper stuck on
it. Behind it we had placed a lamp. The jam jar
32 | SNOE ZELEN
light wall
projector
schadow play
mirror wall
entrance
The activities tent 1978
worked as a lens and while it turned, colourful
beams were projected on the screen.
• One corridor was the sound department. All
kinds of sounds could be heard from speakers or
headphones.
• There was a rack with several musical
instruments mounted on it which looked very
attractive.
• There was also a ‘smells’ department: a table on
which a selection of fragrant objects was placed,
like scent bottles, soap, herbs, etc.
• We also hung tactile objects from the ceiling: a
woollen curtain and squeaky toys.
• There was a water and sand tray, a papier-mache
table and a foam tray.
• There were trays with foods that tasted either
salty, sweet, sour or bitter.
• At the end of the maze there was a large tray
partly filled with gravel, another part with sand,
etc., so you could experience different sound
and walking sensations.
After a few days it became clear to us that we could
put aside any doubts we might have had, as there were
so many positive verbal and even more non-verbal
reactions. It was a tremendous success. Encouraged
by this we and a few colleagues got round the table to
discuss the future developments.
1
2 3

6 4
5

10

8 9

12
13 11

14

15

17 16

Floorplan: the first Snoezelen room: the activities tent

1978 10. Soft corner with hay and tactile objects
1. Entrance 11. Water and sand tray
2. Room with blower and shreds of paper, balloons 12. Foam and water tray with soap bubbles and air
3. Corner with shreds of paper and balloons tubes
4. Corner with soft cushions 13. Papier-mache table
5. Projection room and schadow play 14. Mirror wall in combination with ‘slime’
6. Slideshow with liquid projection 15. Large trays filled with gravel, sand, little stones,
7. Mirrorwall and sound pillars etc. Experience different sound and walking
8. Sounddepartment and rack with several sensations
musical instruments 16. Smell department and taste trays with food
9. Soap bubbles 17. Exit

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 33

 6

3
Floorplan of the Snoezelen rooms in the
day-care centre 1979-1982

2 1. Entrance
1 2. Acoustic room with light screen
3. Transition area
4. Room with blower, shreds of paper,
7 balloons and tactile curtains
5. Tactile room
6. Corner with soft cushions and tactile
8 walls
7. Tactile boxes and smell tables
9 8. Film and slide projection
9. Diorama
10 10. Room with taste trays with food
11. Room with visual effects: liquid
projection, bubble units and mirror
balls
11 12. Taste corner
13. Mirror wall with spotlights
12 14. Schadow play
15. Water and foam trays
16. Ball alley play and foot chimes
14 13 17. Exit

15

16 17

34 | SNOE ZELEN
 At the summer fair one year later we were
given the use of a number of rooms in the day-care
department. We got permission to fit up these fairly
large rooms as temporary Snoezelen rooms. They were
properly partitioned off so there were no irritating
visual or aural stimuli from the other rooms. What´s
more, the rooms were very spacious so the activities
came out much better than they did the first time. It
was also possible now to create a transition area at
the entrance between the daylight outdoors and the
twilight inside.

During these summer fairs we kept open house.

In the second year of the Snoezelen activities we had
more than four hundred visitors in two days, most
of whom were colleagues from all over the country.
Since that time both the internal and the external
development of Snoezelen has seen a rapid growth. In
1979 and 1980 two reports were produced about our
experiences with Snoezelen. These primarily discussed
the experiences of residents, parents and staff. They
also included a list of the materials that were used.
These reports were read by several people all over
the country. We had many invitations from colleagues
to come and see their permanent and semipermanent
Snoezelen experiments. We exchanged lots of
information and new ideas were born and tried out.
Articles were published in various magazines and there
were lectures. In short everybody was interested in this
phenomenon.
Although many institutions in the country already
had permanent Snoezelen rooms, we did not. From
our own experiences and suggestions from outside
we had formed a picture of what a permanent facility
should look like. We wanted to fit it up with all the
equipment that we thought was necessary. So we
needed permanent quarters and we had to find the
funds. In the planning stage we were confronted with
the severity of the fire safety requirements in this field.
We just had to meet these, which had its f’inancial
consequences, of course. In February 1984 the job was
done, our permanent Snoezelen room was finished.
There were certain limitations: some of the rooms
should have been a little bigger, some of the materials
used had to be changed to such extent to meet the
safety requirements that their educational value
decreased. And of course there were some teething
troubles to overcome. If you should think that we have
found a definitive solution we have to disappoint you.
We are always looking for improvements and new ideas.
The latest developments in electronics, for instance, will
have to be watched closely, though they should never
come first. We should never think we know everything
about the severely retarded and his experiences with
Snoezelen.
The first bubbleunits in the temporary Snoezelen-rooms
The centre De Hartenberg
The centre De Hartenberg belongs to the
organisation ‘s Heerenloo Midden Nederland. With the
help of approximately 1030 members of staff it cares
at the moment for 756 mentally disabled in an area
of about 40 kilometres. The centre is situated in vast
pinewoods covering 85 hectare.
De Hartenberg was built in 1968 with the intention
to offer approximately 800 to 1200 mentally disabled
people a place to live. Due to the changed way of
thinking about mentally disabled and their provisions,
it was decided during the process of construction
to accommodate no more than 400 residents.
Meanwhile due to faulty building materials almost 80%
of the buildings constructed in those days had to be
demolished – including the pavilion that was built in
1983.
Today De Hartenberg is made of different living
quarters, partially linked to little day activity centres.
The main part accommodates approximately 210
inhabitants. That should be down numbered to 140
over the next few years and reduced to zero in the
next fifteen years. Today’s philosophy concentrated
living quarters for the mentally disabled are no longer
needed, especially not living quarters completely
isolated from Society.

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 35

 The day activities in the main part take place in 4
different buildings, which are spread over the grounds.
That way traffic takes place and brings liveliness in to
the area.
Principally all residents are at their workplaces
outside the flats during the day. That is based on
the philosophy of a daily routine: Living – Working –
Relaxing, which plays a role in everybody’s life. -Outside
the flat one can meet other people, the coffee tastes
different, the building smells different etc.- One should
make the effort to go somewhere, once one is on the
way one can experience so much, one can feel that the
sun is shining, that it is raining or that the wind blows.
One will meet other people, feels warmth or cold etc.

Snoezelen is part of all that. In De Hartenberg one

calls ‘Mini-Snoezelen’ the type of Snoezelen that takes
place in the residential group or in a room equipped on
a short-term basis. Otherwise we use the Snoezelen
centre, which measures 410 square metres. In
September 2000 the centre took over from our initial
pavilion, which we had since 1984.

De Hartenberg, cultural centre and tea house-café

In a nearby village are 15 integrated living quarters

with a day activity centre. In other surrounding villages
are 10 more integrated living quarters, which are
partially linked to day activity centres. In the main part
the residential groups are small: 6 to 8 residents. Each
group is put together differently, concerning age and
abilities.

Each of the flats is a self-sufficient unit, doing their

own cooking and shopping. All flats have a certain
budget available. Each residential group has a very big
direct influence on the entire management.
Starting point for that philosophy is:

-“as normal as possible, specific only if needed”-

The smaller living quarters are different in their

planning: Detached houses or chalet-like bungalows,
which go well with the scenery. These flats surround
a little square, which serves as a meeting point at
the same time. For the living quarters are facilities
available such as a big swimming pool, hydrotherapy
pool, gymnasium, departments for the physiotherapy,
logopedics, special needs school, day-activities and a big
Snoezelen Centre.

De Hartenberg, living quaters

36 | SNOE ZELEN
 Floorplan De Hartenberg: original Plan 1968, 1200 places/residents

Floorplan De Hartenberg: situation 2004 ca. 210 places/residents

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 37

 Theory of Snoezelen
The aims of Snoezelen are closely linked to the
problems and possibilities of the target group. Here are
some possible definitions:
• ‘Snoezelen’ is a selective offer of primary stimuli
in an attractive setting.
• “Snoezelen means a specially designed
environment where well-being is to be caused by
controllable multisensorial stimuli.”
• “‘Snoezelen’ offers the opportunity to function
in other ways. Particularly their being active,
tasting, smelling, touching and moving because
they like it, not to acquire information or to
learn from it or develop, suits the needs and
possibilities of the severely retarded much
better.”
• ‘Snoezelen’ is a primary activation of severely
mentally handicapped people, especially aimed at
sensory perception and experience, by means of
light sound, touch, smell and taste.
• ‘Snoezelen’ is creating authentic experiences for
those who are different.
Target group
For the severely disabled who can visit the daily
activities centre, Snoezelen is special leisure time
activity. That gives them the chance to ‘go out’ for
once, which means to go into different rooms and to
experience all together different things.
One does assume that that particular group of
disabled people does depend on their primary senses
with the appropriate feelings and movements to
experience their environment but that they are not
capable of experiencing them properly or work through
them in their every day life.
In one of the institution’s report the opinion is
represented that for these (severely) disabled people
the world must seem like a ‘chaos’ in which everything
seems to be complicated and puzzling and that they
are incapable of influencing these stimuli, to get them
in order and to understand them in such a way that we
would judge as normal. Because of that every day life
might feel threatening and scary for these people since
they cannot really do anything about it to avert against
all these things, which are literally ‘coming over’ them.
Definition, Aims, Principles
Snoezelen is a leisure time activity for the severely
disabled, where they can relax and find themselves.
To do that a situation is necessary for which in
contrast to every day life the senses are not addressed
simultaneously but where they have to concentrate
on individual sensory perceptions for example to
touch only. The senses shouldn’t be addressed in width
but in depth. To achieve that, we try to offer stimuli
38 | SNOE ZELEN
in a selected way and reduce unnecessary stimuli at
the same time. The offer of stimuli should be chosen
in such a way to make nice and pleasurable sensory
perceptions possible for a disabled person as well as to
offer special experiences that can’t be made in every
day life. One should feel good and safe.
It applies the principle to give the disabled the
necessary space and time, to choose for himself or
indicate which stimuli he enjoys, what he wants to
concentrate on for longer or what he wants to do.
The encouragement of the residents shouldn’t come
from staff but from the things in the room: material
and environment should be inviting and stimulating to
activate the disabled person to for example reach for
something or lie on a soft mat etc. At the same time
the environment should bring the necessary peace and
quiet to make relaxation possible because experiencing
the direct environment, taking it all in and passively
enjoying it are already enough aims.
The intention, Snoezelen should serve the residents
relaxation, is of big importance to the De Hartenberg
as opposed to other Dutch institutions. To understand
that, one has to realise how much pressure and
tension the disabled in the housing group are under.
We understand ‘relaxation’ mostly as counterpart to
‘tension’, with which we associate work and physical
and mental activity, which we, after a first glance,
wouldn’t necessarily expect in the daily routine of a
severely disabled person.
In conversation it was established that the
constant presence of the many other residents with
their peculiarities and possibly disturbing behaviour
(screaming, lashing out etc.), space restrictions as well
as the high expectations of the environment, which
they can’t understand, can to a high degree cause them
tension and stress.
Van Gennep ( 1982) does point out, that too big
groups in to small living space can cause behavioural
problems like aggression, hyperactivity, stereotypes etc.
Snoezelen with its dream atmosphere is meant to
be a place where one can leave everything behind and
find complete relaxation.
Accordingly calm music and dimmed lights
should help to create a special atmosphere. Other
institutions state besides or instead of our aim of rest
and relaxation the stimulation of the development or
therapeutic intentions for example consciously to use
Snoezelen to make worried clients well balanced again.
Another principle in Snoezelen is
“niets moet, alles mag”
which means, “nothing has to be done, everything is allowed”
Unlike in the housing group where certain
restrained ways or activities are demanded from the
disabled (to clean, to eat, not to run away, etc), during
Snoezelen he should be allowed to be himself and to do
whatever he likes. The accompanying members of staff
should therefore distance themselves from their own
ideas and expectations and let the clients have their
own way, even more so than ever. Free use of Snoezelen
material is permitted. If for example someone does
not want to smell a smelling device but would like to
rotate its stand that would be accepted. The voluntary
intention of the offer is particularly important. It is not
about a collection of material experienced according
to course but about a varied and atmospheric offer of
sensual impressions that should be used voluntarily and
gladly. Who does not like it after a settling in period
does not have to take further part in Snoezelen.
Company
The residents usually do not go to Snoezelen alone,
but are accompanied by a member of staff. For most
of the severely disabled that is necessary due to their
immobility. Often they cannot move towards something
on their own or cannot get away from unwanted
stimuli. Also in the beginning they might be scared
of the strange room and the objects, which could be
limited if a trusted person is around. Beside the few
institutions where employees of the accompanying
service stand by the residents, group leaders of the
housing groups also full fill the task.
There is no question among the institutions about
the necessity of company. But what importance it has,
how the accompanying person has to behave during
Snoezelen, varies among the institutions. In Pinsoord for
example they are trying to achieve the aim of relaxation
whereby the group leader does accompany the resident
into the room indeed and place them in such a way
that they are able to use the materials on offer. Then
they leave the Snoezelen environment and observe
the resident through a one way mirror. They will only
interfere if help is needed.
In contrast to that distant observing method,
experiencing Snoezelen together is very important to
the De Hartenberg. Snoezelen is actually seen as a good
way to build and maintain an intense contact between
client and carer. Through that even Snoezelen itself
experiences an enrichment and intensification.
Of course the carer shouldn’t get involved too
much or let their own interest stand in the way of
experiencing the atmosphere and the objects. To do
that it is very important that the carer can put his
own standards and ideas in the background, to give
the clients as much freedom as possible to try out and
explore. They should not for example show them how
to move the waterbed and how to be moved on it but
let the disabled person himself experience it.
It requires good observation to recognise clients’
wishes and needs and to act on that for example by
adjusting stimuli individually (switch on/off certain
devices), changing the place or room or returning to
the group.
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 39
Here one is reminded once again of the principle
of own choice and speed that for most of the severely
disabled can only be achieved with the help of open-
minded carers.
How far such an individual company makes help and
experiencing Snoezelen together possible does depend
on the relationship between carer and resident, which
on the other hand has to comply with the degree of
disability. If one aims at physical contact and constant
attention, when care and supervision are needed, a
relation of 1 to 1 is necessary. For clients who can
move themselves, can approach things and keep
themselves occupied with an object for a longer period
of time, Snoezelen is also possible for groups of up to
six clients.
In De Hartenberg it depends less on the objectively
reserved observation but on company for the purpose
of an emphasising contact in the respective Snoezelen
situation and the influence that such consciously
together experienced Snoezelen situation can have on
the relationship between carers and residents.
Instruction of the staff
A good company of the disabled person by the
group leaders, in the sense that the employees know
what is important, which principles and rules they must
follow and which possibilities in the Snoezelen rooms
are generally offered, does depend on a good training.
With often high fluctuation of group leaders and
temporary work of trainees, the necessary continuity of
success in Snoezelen can only be achieved if excellent
training and education can be provided.
Technical Instructions
Members of staff have to know how to use different
apparatus to get all the possible effects that are
produced by different devices (for example Slide-, Film-,
Liquid projectors, Sound systems, Lights, Fans). Only
when all the technical details are known and used by
the staff accordingly then the specific dosage of stimuli,
that takes into consideration the wishes and needs of
the disabled person, can be guaranteed. It does depend
on the staff’s knowledge about the use of the devices
whether existing offers are generally recognised and
used.
To learn Snoezelen
Disabled and non-disabled people practice
Snoezelen in different ways due to their different
abilities and needs.
After my experiences non-disabled people have
big difficulties getting involved in Snoezelen. To take
the shoes off alone is hard work (feet could smell
unpleasantly). To simply lie in the ball pond or on a
 waterbed, to perceive ones feelings, to accept them
and enjoy them, is often difficult and feels unsafe
and embarrassing. One feels especially embarrassed
should someone be present and watch. Experiences
and sensations like for example feeling safe on a lightly
swinging waterbed, to snuggle up in a warm fur or
to dive into a ball pond and to feel comfortable and
surrounded, we barely admit to as adults in our every
day life. To get involved in it requires overcoming
inhibitions and fears, which severely disabled people
cannot do.
Non-disabled people often tend to recognise their
environment very quickly visually. They ‘forget’ the
other senses and must be trained again to consciously
touch, smell, listen and taste again. They have a tendency
to question everything and to rationalise. To be calm, to
relax, to perceive sensations and to enjoy them doesn’t
usually last very long. The urge to be active stands
in the way. They prefer things they can play with or
experiment (technical).
To provide Snoezelen in a sense of the aims and
principles as mentioned above, it is necessary for the
staff to experience the stimuli and range of experiences
in the Snoezelen rooms and learn to handle them. That
will prepare them better for the Snoezelen experience
they will have together with the disabled person.
However, in practice it is often found that new
employees of the institution take disabled people to the
Snoezelen rooms on their very first visit and get the
instruction on site from other present group leaders
or they will simply work things out together with the
disabled person as far as it is possible. The time for
them to experience for themselves is often missing.
40 | SNOE ZELEN
Types of Snoezelen
The Snoezelen definition is a vast one and does
allow many possibilities of application.
Snoezelen in Nature
The most obvious would be Snoezelen in Nature,
which means, one does concentrate very consciously
on sensory perceptions available in nature.
Snoezelen does support the recollection of
experiences, how they can be consciously experienced
for example during a particular walk through the
woods, which addresses all our senses and leads to rest
and relaxation. In the woods one can hear the rustling
of the trees and birds singing, one can smell the flowers,
leaves and wet grass, one can feel bark and moss and
amongst other things one can see greens and browns in
constantly changing sunlight.
Similar things apply to the coast area with all the
sand, wind and water. Employees of the institution did
realise, that while dealing with severely disabled people
all these things could be explored again to be able to
offer them most authentic experiences.
For example, one should simply take the client
for a walk in the rain or snow instead of standing him
under the shower and one should let them experience
natures own materials like earth, sand, grass or straw
in the natural habitat instead of sprinkling rice or
packaging materials all over them.
We only realised the importance of these natural
experiences during our work with the severely disabled
after successfully using the artificially prepared sensory
objects, partly also because we do not see the disabled
person as ‘ill’ anymore and has to be kept away from
harming influences such as wind and weather.
Such natural experiences are not always available
and can’t be adjusted to the momentous needs of the
individual. There will still be the need for the artificially
prepared situations.
Snoezelen in the living quarters
In De Hartenberg we call ‘Mini-Snoezelen’ the
Snoezelen that is practised in the living quarters or in
individal small rooms that are equipped for short-term
use. In this institution this used to be the most common
way to practice Snoezelen apart from the Snoezelen
projects at the mostly fortnightly summer fair, since
there were no possibilities during the rest of the year.
The room used for the ‘Mini-Snoezelen’ is darkened
most of the time. Atmospheric lights and music are
switched on. The intense contact with the clients
through physical contact, playing together with soft toys
or Snoezelen objects or simply to experience rest and
relaxation together plays a very important part.
The living quarters could also have cosy corners
where elements of Snoezelen could be integrated.
De Hartenberg’s view on the Snoezelen
room
After all the success of Snoezelen at the summer
fairs and ‘Mini-Snoezelen’, one was longing in De
Hartenberg to be able to provide one big room just
for Snoezelen. The summer projects did demand a long
period of preparation and vast amounts of helpers and
the possibilities at ‘Mini-Snoezelen’ were very limited.
One employee used the comparison that it is nice to
have a bath in one’s own bathtub but once in a while it
feels good to go to the swimming pool. With Snoezelen
its fairly similar, one would like to experience different
things as well as leave the usual environment to ‘go out’.
The institution is very much aware of the fact
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 41
that Snoezelen is still very much in its early days of
experimenting even after all the years of work and
experience and that the Snoezelen room is still far from
perfect even though the equipment is of a very high
standard.
However, one has consciously decided to take that
unsafe route of gaining practical experience on site, to
get a bit closer to severely disabled residents and to be
able to fulfil their needs. One is aware that there are no
alternatives to Snoezelen. One of the reasons for that is
the fact that one can see the danger, that there are no
alternatives to Snoezelen, and therefore in institutions
where it is refused, there are no offers at all.
For critics who may say that once Snoezelen
becomes a habit it will quickly lose its appeal and
become uninteresting that objection will be declined
straight away. The euphoria and interest may die down
quickly for the members of staff but disabled people feel
especially at ease in a familiar environment and are able
to stay interested in an activity they like for long periods
of time. The mentioned objection could also be raised
regarding swimming pools or other leisure time activities.
Members of staff did mention that continuing
Snoezelen in the form of large projects will require a
great amount of time and personal expenditure, which
does bear the danger that those projects will be offered
on fewer occasions or even stopped completely.
Now the permanent installed room does offer the
employees the chance to make use of this facility without
any preparations.
Statement
The Snoezelen room, which can be used directly by
the group leaders without any preparations, does, in my
opinion, make the work considerably easier but it could
lead to attitude of assumption or carelessness while
handling the devices and objects for which the group
leaders are not directly responsible. Since the personnel
will have to work with and get used to an already made
up offer of objects which they have not thought of or
made up, training is absolutely necessary.
 To me the danger seems to be less when group
leaders are involved in the organisation of Snoezelen
in the form of Snoezelen workgroups and having the
responsibility to schedule appointments, preparations as
well as tidying up and cleaning.
Atmosphere
While listening to the description of the rooms
and the individual elements one could easily get the
impression, that these things are simply available in the
room and one just has to chose anything like one would
take a toy from a shelf or use a the activity on a play
ground.
But, based on my own experience, as soon as one
opens the door and enters a Snoezelen room it feels
like diving into another world. The first impression is
one of the complex atmosphere without recognising
the individual elements or reasons for the effects
straight away. Once one let the impression take effect
and get used to it gradually only then individual objects
one is interested in come in to the foreground and
stimulate to see, feel, hear and experience.
The impression is probably comparable to entering
a disco, a fun fair or a church where at first the entire
atmosphere and mood will be taken in and only later
visual, auditory and olfactorisch sense perceptions can
be differentiated and put in order.
In Snoezelen it is the impression of a dream world
in which one can dream and relax and by experiencing
the environment one will be able to perceive ones own
body more consciously.Very important elements of
Snoezelen are colours, light, movement and most of all
music.
Snoezelen room: white room
42 | SNOE ZELEN
Music
Music is a significant part of the special atmosphere
in the Snoezelen rooms and can be heard as
background music everywhere. The purpose of the
music is to support the calming effect of Snoezelen
and to ‘fill’ the rooms with a warm atmosphere, which
makes it easier to relax. Only the studio has its own
sound system, since the consciously playful way of using
the music and the stimulating effect it has matter there
the most.
In all rooms are regulators to adjust the music to
the needs of the individual resident. Condition for the
music to have that effect is of course that the music is
quiet and calm that means it has no hyped up melodies,
rhythm, tempo or harmonies and is not too loud. A
Snoezelen room is not a disco even if a lot of the light
effects are the same.
Short interruptions between the musical pieces
or switching off temporarily can result in the visitors
being surprised and missing the music therefore
registering music altogether more consciously. Music
therapist have the view that one is not very active while
listening to Snoezelen music but not passive either. A
sort of ‘swinging along’ takes place appropriate to the
disabled person’s level. Light classical music, vocal or
instrumental pieces with preferably only one voice or
one instrument or one instrument in the foreground
as well as light entertaining music are very suitable as
Snoezelen music.
One can put the tapes together in different ways for
example only entertaining or classical music, offering
both types in turns or one can let very contrasting
pieces of music follow one another.
Besides the relatively short pieces especially found
in entertaining music (approximately 3 ½ minutes)
longer musical pieces i.e. 10-20 minutes of a single pan
pipe could be played, to make it possible to listen into
a musical piece and to avoid letting it fly by as could
happen by listening to shorter pieces.
The so called principles for the arranging of the
music and the use of it is based on the experiences of
music therapist of the institution and are passed on by
him as advice to the group leaders

The Snoezelen Pavilion in the De
Hartenberg Centre
Since February 1984 in De Hartenberg near
Ede is a big central Snoezelen Pavilion in operation.
This Snoezelen Centre was intensely used up until
September 2000. Since September 2000 a completely
new room of approximately 410 metres square is in
operation.
One then decided consciously, for central Snoezelen
premises as part of the daily activity concept. The
centre is open daily from nine in the morning until five
in the afternoon. There is no set timetable. The groups
from the living quarters and from the daily activities
can come into the room at any time they want. The
size of the groups is decided by the group leader, but
one can also come alone. The size of the groups and
the frequency of visits do depend on availability of
personnel, the degree of disabilities, the behaviour
of individual visitors, different activities as well as the
weather. Since one is at liberty to use the room at
any time one can spontaneously decide to practice
Snoezelen. There are no restricting timetables one has
to stick to. That makes it easier to respond to clients’
activities more consciously.
At the same time parents have the chance to
practise Snoezelen with their children at any time
without having to make an appointment. They make
great use of that.
Besides the permanent available Snoezelen Pavilion
there are enough opportunities to practise Snoezelen
in natural living and life situations in the daily contact
with the residents as well as in temporarily installed
Snoezelen rooms in the living quarters.
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 43
Ball pond
The new Snoezelen Centre has four rooms: a
projector room (White room) of 6 by 11 metres, a
room for feeling with sound effects (room for listening)
of 6 by 11 metres, a corridor of 18 by 2.5 metres with
different materials and a ball pond room of 6 by 11
metres. The centre is accessible through a wide door.
Once through that door you come into the corridor
with two light effect floors and a foot carillon in
between. Opposite the carillon is a combined warm and
cold air scented wall. In the corridor one can also find
a scented tube stand, different touch boards and feel
boxes. In the corner is a mirror wall which, combined
with the light floor, does supply a vast offer of effects.
From the corridor you can enter into all the other
rooms.
The projector room is completely covered in white
soft flooring. In there is an embedded sort of an island
with three bubble units. As well as the floor, ceilings and
walls are white too. Liquid-, Slide- and film projectors,
mirrored glass balls, soap bubble machine can be served
with a remote control.
The room for feeling also has a soft floor. There are
touch boards on the walls as well. At different places
there are soft touch objects one can crawl through.
There is a range of ‘touch curtains’ hanging on a rail.
The windows have coloured Perspex glasses.
In the studio the importance lies with the
combination of light and sound. In a wall across the
room is a light screen installed, that translates every
sound into a light picture. In front of the distorted
mirror, the light organ and the drapes is a vibrating
floor that invites to feel the different sounds. An echo
sound system does add an extra dimension to the
 room. With the help of a CD player music can be
played. If one uses cordless headphones, the great effect
can be enjoyed even more, it feels like being in a huge
grotto. A seating element does provide the comfort
needed.

A soft border along the walls surrounds the ball

pond. It serves as a seating or lying down area as well
as padded protection between wall and balls. On the
ceiling above the ball pond is a semi-circular mirror and
along the walls are mirrors too. One can keep occupied
by simply observing oneself and the depth effect of the
room is increased. Sound and light apparatus are as far
as possible based in a separate central room, to avoid,
visitors handling them wrongly unintentionally. That
measure was also essential for fire safety.
Experts have installed the entire Snoezelen complex
in De Hartenberg. That was necessary to meet the
terms of fire safety, servicing and maintenance etc.
Meanwhile the higher investment costs have been
proven to be justified
The cleaning does take up relatively little time; only
the ball pond requires half a day of maintenance once a
fortnight. Defects are rare up to date, the biggest cost
factor as ever is the regular needed change of projector
and light bulbs.

There is a huge interest even beyond the De

Hartenberg Centre. At certain times groups from other
institutions have the chance to come to us to practice
Snoezelen.
Many non-disabled children make use of our
Snoezelen rooms too, for a birthday party for example.

Waterbed

44 | SNOE ZELEN
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floorplan of the first Snoezelen premises in De Hartenberg near Ede

floorplan of the new Snoezelen Centre of De Hartenberg

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 45
 Description of the Snoezelen room in
De Hartenberg Centre
There are different possibilities to equip a Snoezelen
room:
1. One does create a room to serve all the senses
2. One divides the room in such a way that
different areas are created in which one or two
senses can be addressed
3. One has several rooms available in which one
sense at a time can be addressed.
Such divisions depend on the space availability in the
institution rather than the content of ideas.
acoustic room with vibrant floor 5,60 m white room 5,62 m
colour of the room: soft yellow colour of the room:
white
convex mirror plastic decoration balls
coloured spotlights
decoration bird
mirror ball
Treppe
support room with soundsystem
roof window with coloured glass
colour of the room: soft yellow fibre-optic mobile fibre-optic mobile
floorplan of the new Snoezelen Centre of De Hartenberg
46 | SNOE ZELEN
In De Hartenber are three rooms and a corridor
to link them available but one does only talk about
‘the Snoezelen room’. One can expect that in each of
the rooms a certain atmosphere will be present or
rather a certain area of perception will be addressed.
An exact separation between the senses is not given
and can hardly be realised anyway. But that is not the
aim, but the elimination of unnecessary, unpleasant and
distracting stimuli
To get a better picture, I will describe the rooms’
one after the other with their special possibilities and
difficulties. A few overlaps cannot be avoided.
ball pool 5,60 m
colour of the room: soft yellow
convex mirror
convex mirror
mirror ball
roof window with coloured glass
fibre-optic mobile
 acoustic room with vibrant floor 5,60 m white room 5,62 m ball pool room 5,60 m
acryl mirror
light & sound wall
Platform with bubble tubes

vibrant floor fibre-optic

waterfall

acryl mirror
soft floor leaf rocking chair

ball pool
Konvexer Spiegel

soft floor
fibre-optic waterfall
leaf rocking chair slide

storage of equipment soft cabin

under the support staircase
tactile walls

water bed with room

vibrant floor
entrance with floppy cushion
mit line-lite curtain
tactile wall and

tactile walls smell wall light floor tactile walls tactile

tactile columns light floor floor chimes columns
columns

tactile walls

Floorplan of the new Snoezelen Centre of De Hartenberg

cieling with climat control system roof window with coloured glass

plastic decoration balls

mirror ball
fibre-optic
waterfall
support room with special effects projector

platform with bubble tubes

fibre-optic waterfall

floor heating system

Cross-section of the new Snoezelen Centre of De Hartenberg

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 47

 3D view of the new Snoezelen Centre of De Hartenberg

convex mirror
emergency exit
convex mirror
acryl mirror Farbspots entrance
mirror ball
coloured spotlights

ball pool Kletterrutsch

soft cabin

hammock
seat staircase
floor heating system leaf rocking chair floppy cushion

entrance
light floor
corridor

light floor

floor chimes

3D view Ball Pond

48 | SNOE ZELEN
Ball Pond
In the 6 by 11 metres big room, painted yellow,
are two ball ponds. Surrounded by a 70 centimetre
high yellow and red border of soft play material there
are approximately 60 000 coloured balls each with a
diameter of 6 centimetre. One can lie on top of the
balls, bury oneself or other people in them completely,
throw the balls, feel them individually and play with
them. A slow approach to the unknown situation
is possible since there is enough free space in the
entrance area (also important for wheelchair access) to
simply watch the ball pond and those already present.
It is possible to walk around the pond on the 50
centimetre wide edge. It is also possible to approach
the balls by simply sitting on that edge and allowing
the legs to dangle and play with a few balls. To glide
into the balls is unusual since they will move in to all
different directions and one will sink in faster the more
one moves. Many residents have fun; others do feel
frightened that the ground underneath their bodies
is so uncertain. Experiences made here are of a more
tactile nature.
The PVC mirrors on the walls as well as the semi-
circled mirror on the ceiling above the balls offer
additional stimuli.
One can observe oneself in the mirror on the
ceiling while lying on the balls and throw the balls
towards the mirror. They will seem to get bigger the
closer they get to the mirror.
A passive experience of the situation as well as all
sorts of playing activities, are possible in this room.
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 49
The white room
The room measures approximately 6 by 11 metres,
is 5.5 metres high and completely white.
Here mainly visual stimuli in the form of light effects
are offered. Due to the white interior the room is
suitable as a projector screen for:
• Slides
Mainly pictures of nature
• Films
Due to the variety of colours, slow camera
movements and slow movements of the animals, films
by Jacques Cousteau about the under water World
without any sound are very suitable
• Liquid projectors
The apparatus produces a round, slowly rotating
picture, in which multi coloured objects shaped like
water drops float into one another
All these projectors are kept in a little room on
the first floor of the building and point into the white
room through a window in such a way, that they can be
projected onto three walls. One feels like standing in
the middle of the play of colours and lights.
Further light effects are achieved by illuminating
rotating mirror balls as well as so called bubble units
and fibre lights. There is also a device to produce soap
bubbles.
Ball Pond
 plastic decoration balls
fibre-optic waterfalll
bubble tubes
bean bag
soft floor
light floor
• Bubble units
Bubble units are perspex tubes filled with water;
underneath each on is an air pump a lighting fixtures
attached.
With the incoming air, air bubbles rise constantly
and are illuminated by a light which has a multicoloured
disc and changes colour every 15 seconds.
There are three of these units in the room, all of
them embedded on a hexagonal stage. Two of the tubes
are 1,80 metres high and the third one is 2,30 metres.
They each have a diameter of 20 centimetres and can
be switched on individually or in combination.
• Mirror balls
There are two balls of different sizes, which are
covered in little mirror tiles and rotate with the help of
a little engine. Spotlights illuminate them.
This creates the effect of slowly moving light spots
over wall and ceiling, which can constantly change
their colour because of the multicoloured rotating disc
moving in front of the light. These balls are also known
as Disco balls.
•
Soap bubble machine
Soap bubbles are blown into the room
automatically.
The described apparatus and lights can be switched
on and off via a control panel, using a remote control.
The fibre lights can be switched on and off using the
switch beside the lamps.
50 | SNOE ZELEN
mirror ball
projections window
entrance
light floor
line-lite shower
floor chimes
light floor
3D view white room
By choosing varied combinations of the activities
one can create all different effects.
In the white room half way up the wall are besides
the mentioned mirrors other objects attached to
adjustable rails, which serve the purpose of decoration
as well as play, for example big wooden birds which
swing once someone pulls on the string. There are also
long PVC tubes filled with air hanging down almost
touching the floor.
The entire floor is covered in a soft play material.
Two of these mattresses close to the door can be
removed to allow wheelchair access if one does not
want to lift residents out of their wheelchairs.
One thick air filled PVC tube is moving on the floor
along three of the walls to allow a comfortable position
that makes it easier to observe the light effects on the
walls.
The room does impress with its height and white
interior alone and is very popular with the group
leaders and residents. The different light effects change
by colours and movements never get boring and invite
you to dream and simply switch off. In there the feeling
to be in the middle of a dream world is the strongest.
Similar to the ball pond here the different demands
of the individual visitor can be met too. The fascinating
atmosphere alone does have the effect on people to
feel very relaxed and invites you to just watch and be
amazed. Some people do only react to strong light and
dark contrasts, which can be created by switching on
and off several devices at the same time.
 Others just walk about the room and touch the
different air tubes hanging down from the ceiling, playing
with them or approaching the lights and bubble units
to investigate those. Some do even understand the link
between remote control and light effects and try to
experiment with them.
The devices used in that room like bubble units,
liquid projectors and mirror balls are also used for
Snoezelen in other institutions, since they are very
stimulating. In the meantime they are a permanent part
of a typical Snoezelen atmosphere.
In the same room 3 by 4 metres a vibrating floor
is built in and linked with a screen. The combination
makes a conscious experiencing of music and sounds
and the playful use possible.
The lights of a big light organ are linked with the
sound system and pointed at the perspex mirrors on
the wall, which then project lights onto a screen. The
observer can see the music matching light reflexes on
that screen which measures approximately 3 by 5,50
metres.

The light organ can also be linked with an echo-

Anteroom
Between the corridor and the white room is a small
anteroom (2 by 2 metres). In the centre a curtain of
phosphorescing PVC strings is hanging down as well as
a persplex mirror that is put up the wall with the same
strings attached to it. By illuminating them with black
light they shine in very groovy colours.
These coloured strings are for the non-disabled a
rather optical, nice decoration whereby many of our
visitors often grab them and play with them shaking
them back and forth, to hear the rustling noise, put
them around themselves or put them into their mouth
etc. The thick knotted woolly ropes in the corridor are
treated in a similar way.
microphone so that the light effects can be triggered
by ones own voice, musical instruments or other
sounds, which then can be heard strongly delayed.
The acoustic impression when using headphones is
extremely fascinating. For residents who perceive very
slowly, the delayed playback of their own voice is quite
an experience. Once they realise the link between their
own sounds and the light effects, they become very
motivated to make new noises while under normal
circumstances not everybody would have been up for
that.
In the room a vibrating floor is built that swings in
such a way that the music can not only be heard and
seen through the light effects but the vibrations can
also be felt with the entire body.

Tactile and Auditory room

This room is covered in soft play material apart

from one space. In there is a waterbed with a sound
floor embedded. The water temperature can be
regulated. The waterbed is the most attractive and most
used object in the room. Attached to the walls are
boards covered in all different materials and furs. They
offer various tactile experiences. There is also sort of an
igloo made of soft play material, one can crawl into.

Hanging down from the ceiling and almost touching

the floor are various soft and sound toys, attached to
elastic rubber strings. The strings are meant to make it
easier for the disabled visitors to reach the toys even if
they let go of them once in a while. There are more soft
toys on the floor. The earlier mentioned wooden birds
can be found here as well hanging from the ceiling.
Many different coloured ceiling lights, whose
brightness can be regulated with a dimmer, provide light.

In this room opening the shutters can let in daylight.

The window glasses are green, red and yellow and
create a different view into the outside world. For many
people the suddenly changing intensity of the daylight is
already a variation of stimuli they perceive and clearly
react to. The contrast of light makes one aware of
how used one was to the dimmed warm light and the
atmosphere of cosy safety, once the room turns bright
all of a sudden.

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 51

 light & sound wall coloured spotlights

tactile walls
coloured spotlights

vibrant floor

leaf rocking chair soft floor

entrance
water bed with
sound system corridor

light floor

3D view Auditory room with a vibrating floor

The corridor board, which can be smelled intensely through the

tubes. Due to the flexibility of the tubes it is possible to
The corridor does link all the rooms described so reach different positions to allow wheel chair users and
far and does offer many more interesting perceptions. tall people the same comfortable position to make use
For example the biggest part is made of a light floor. of the activity.
The persplex surface is set on wooden planks set out The equipment of the described rooms is only one
in a grid format. Each square of the grid does contain of many.
a coloured light, which is linked with the sound system Which devices, materials and playing materials will
and react like a light organ to rhythm and melody. be chosen for the equipment of a Snoezelen room does
depend on the individual views but also very much from
Constantly changing combinations of the lights financial resources and spatial possibilities.
do first of all create very interesting light effects and
secondly heats the floor in the different areas to give a For the summer fairs at De Hartenberg for example
warm feeling. a water-organ was hired, which was very attractive but
much too expensive to purchase for a permanent room.
In the middle of the aisle is the carillon. It is made of
nine 40 by 40 cm PVC tiles, which are embedded in the
floor. Stepping on one of the tiles activates a bell to ring
and a light to flash. Bells and lights are located in a light
panel on the wall and can also be activated by touching
this light panel.
There are also touch boards with sponges, brushes
and other materials as well as a PVC mirror in one
corner. As already mentioned, thick knotted woolly
ropes are hanging down from he ceiling.
In the corridor besides these visual, auditory
and tactile stimuli are also so called ‘sniff snakes’ to
stimulate the sense of smell. These are two rotating
stands each of them has a wooden board attached to
them with coloured P-traps known from pipe work
fixed onto them. Attached to those are elastic PVC
tubes, similar to those used for cooker hoods. A
concentrated scent will be placed on the wooden Corridor

52 | SNOE ZELEN
room with climat control system, special effects projector, pinspot entrance
with colourwheel and soundsystem with 2 x 24 CD player coloured roof window

window to white room

fibre-optic waterfall

mirror box
staircase to support room fibre-optic mobile
coloured roof window
fibre-optic mobile tactile column

tactile wall Sound and light wall

floor chimes with light floor

light floor

smell wall with blower unit

smell trays

light floor

3D view corridor with light floor and floor chimes

Some ideas like putting up large pieces of cloth in

the tactile room had to be scrapped due to fire safety
reasons. Others could not be realised due to space
restrictions. It is obvious that there are no activities at
all for the sense of taste. In De Hartenberg we haven’t
had very pleasant experiences during our summer fairs.
Hygiene is a big problem and most of the residents
do not try out food consciously but stuff themselves
with everything. It was therefore decided against that
for educational as well as organisational reasons in the
permanent Snoezelen room. But in other institutions
one can find offers like that. There a member of staff
will make food available just before a Snoezelen session.
It has happened in individual cases that disabled people
have stuffed themselves with the food until they have
felt sick but it is of course a question of the quality of
white room company.

FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF SNOEZELEN - HISTORIC AL, B ACKGROUND, PLANNING AND CONCEPT | 53

 Literature:
Cleland, Ch. C.; Clark, Ch. M.: Sensory deprivation
and aberrant behavior among idiots. In: American
Journal of Mental Deficiency (1996/67) 2, 213-
225

Hulsegge, J.;Verheul, A.: Snoezelen - Eine andere

Welt. Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe für geistig
Behinerte (Hrsg.). Marburg 1997, 6. Aufl.

Mertens, K.: Snoezelen – Eine Einführung in die

Praxis. Dortmund 2003

Verheul, A.: 25 Jahre Snoezelen – Entwicklung und

aktueller Stand. In: Mertens, K.;Verheul, A. Hrsg.):
Snoezelen – viele Länder – viele Konzepte.
Berlin 2003, 19-51

www.ISNA.de

54 | SNOE ZELEN