The Engine Room has been operational at Karama School, Darwin since August 2017. The need for an Engine Room was flagged by Intervention & Senior Staff in 2016 in recognition of the many students who presented at school with significant sensory issues. A $5,000 Grant was sought through Variety NT, and the money was used to buy equipment to set up the Engine Room.
Proper processing of the senses is required to develop academic learning, organisation, self-esteem, confidence and most 
importantly, self-regulation. Due to the vast amount of information which impacts a student’s body – sight (vision), hearing (auditory) smell (olfactory), taste (gustatory) and touch (tactile) many students find it difficult to cope with processing the information which comes into their body. Thus the purpose of the Engine Room is to provide a space for students who are in either a heightened / depleted state of arousal, an opportunity to use a variety of equipment to help with sensory and physical regulation and calming.
The Engine room is set up to meet a number of different sensory needs and can be either staff directed or student directed. Prior to students accessing the room, all staff at Karama School received Professional Learning around the Engine room and the “How does your engine run?” program.
Some students access the room daily, others on a needs basis but always with an adult.
The program has been a great success at Karama School and there are plans to expand it for next year.
We thank Variety- the Children’s Charity NT for their generous grant funding which has allowed Karama School to support our students!
Variety NT continues to provide Grants to individuals and organisations like Karama School with thanks to continued support from sponsors, volunteers, Bashers and fundraisers, thank you all.