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Light TherapyMany children with autism and ADHD are over-stimulated by fluorescent lights. The lights give off ahumming sound that many of them are unable to filter out. A classroom closet can be cleaned out andturned into a light therapy room. Here’s a good way to set it up.Make sure the room is large enough for the child to enter. If a closet isn’t available a largerefrigerator box can be used. The walls or sides of the box should be painted black. The light sourcefor the closet should be separate from the room lights. Put up any of the following all over the lightsensory room or inside the box:1. Glow in the dark stars, animals, bugs, etc.2. CD disks hanging from the ceiling as they spin and reflect the lights3. Christmas lights that blink and some that don’t4. Holiday themed light shapes available throughout the year at places like Target5. Black lights6. Bubble tubes7. Fan mounted on a shelf above so it blows on the CD’s causing them to move and spin.8. Music hooked in to the same power source.The darkness of the room has a very calming effect and is good for a ten minute break from the overstimulationof the humming lights.Everything should be plugged into a PowerLink control unit available fromhttp://www.ablenetinc.com/cart/Browse.asp The child can hit a Mac switch to turn on each lightindividually. It should be set on a timer so that they have to depress the switch again to make thelights come on each time.PowerLink® 3 control unitThe PowerLink® 3 control unit gives students the ability to control mostelectric appliances, tools and toys with single switches. PowerLink 3 control unitalso gives students the power to take turns operating devices, activate twodevices in sequence or experience the freedom of choice making when decidingbetween two activities.If you can’t set up a light therapy room here are some other ideas:• If the fire marshal allows you can drape opaque material across the ceiling to cut the glare ofthe lights.• Have the custodian disconnect every other fluorescent light in the ceiling• Purchase floor lamps available at discount stores for $14.99 or less. They are halogen bulbsand have up lights which are more conducive for children who are distracted by the hummingnoise and glare of typical lights.• Use natural window light if at all possible.Positive Interventions and Effective Strategies Riffel -© 2005 - 73 -