The positive impact of sensory stimulation on Rett Syndrome

Every day is an opportunity to raise awareness about people living with a rare disease. At Qinera, we reaffirm our commitment to developing accessible and inclusive solutions that foster communication, participation, and autonomy for individuals with conditions such as Rett syndrome.

We understand that daily challenges go beyond diagnosis, which is why we strive to provide tools that enable each person to express themselves, interact, and navigate their environment with greater autonomy.

Multisensory stimulation has become a key tool for improving quality of life, facilitating communication, learning, and emotional regulation in various contexts. In this regard, multisensory rooms featuring Qinera’s technology have proven to be a valuable therapeutic resource for individuals with rare diseases.

Benefits of sensory stimulation for individuals with Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder that primarily affects girls and is caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene, located on the X chromosome. It is a rare disease, with a prevalence of approximately 1 in every 10,000 to 15,000 births.

It is characterized by difficulties in communication, mobility, and coordination, as well as respiratory and autonomic nervous system issues, and challenges in interacting with the environment, among others.

Despite these limitations, girls and women with Rett syndrome have the potential to communicate, learn, and participate in daily life if they receive the right support, such as sensory stimulation.

Enhancing skills through sensory stimulation

Sensory stimulation is a key strategy for fostering the development of individuals with Rett syndrome, as it helps enhance their abilities, improves their well-being, and facilitates communication.

• Augmentative Communication: With assistive technology, such as eye trackers or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, individuals with Rett syndrome can control certain elements of the multisensory room using their gaze. Keep reading to discover the Luminea Remote App.
• Learning: By adapting information processing, sensory stimulation contributes to learning, helping individuals with Rett syndrome maintain attention and process concepts more effectively.
• Environmental interaction: In a multisensory room each user can take control of their own experience, even with limited mobility. Thanks to tools like the Luminea Remote app, they can interact with the space using only their gaze, choosing which lights to turn on, what colors to project, or when to turn the page in a digital storybook. This decision-making ability not only empowers the user but also fosters socialization and connection with others, enabling shared experiences in an accessible, inclusive, and stimulating environment.
• Emotional regulation: Multisensory stimulation plays a fundamental role in emotional regulation, reducing anxiety and fostering calmness through controlled environments that minimize sensory overload.
• Boosting autonomy: It enables individuals with Rett syndrome to develop decision-making strategies and control their surroundings.

The most interactive technology!

Interactive Multisensory Environments

Qinera’s unique technology includes a wide range of audiovisual content embedded within a tablet which can be projected onto a wall for full-room visual and auditory immersion. At the same time, all Luminea light elements change color simultaneously.

Designed by therapists, this content supports learning, communication, interaction, and controlled stimulus and emotion regulation. Topics include world landmarks, numbers, fruits, colors, animals, natural environments, stories, and more.

User-Controlled Spaces

Our multisensory environments can be controlled in multiple ways:

• A simple button that transforms the entire room into an immersive environment.
• Devices such as a sensory cube, a button remote, or a tablet, among others.
• Voice and Eye Control, enabling interaction for individuals with severe motor impairments, as is often the case with Rett syndrome.

The Luminea Remote was developed with this in mind. It’s an app that allows users to interact easily and personally with devices such as bubble tubes, fibre optics, projectors, and interactive lights, facilitating sensory experiences tailored to different needs. This application can be controlled via eye gaze through communication software like Grid 3 or Communicator 5.

Customizable Audiovisual Content

We work to ensure that these solutions are accessible and adaptable, allowing therapists, educators, speech therapists, and other professionals to tailor experiences to each individual’s needs. In our rooms it is possible to:

• Upload personal content from YouTube, a computer, a USB drive, or the Internet.
• Personalize experiences with recognizable photos or videos.
• Configure the room for each session, from a relaxing atmosphere to an active learning space.

The versatility of our proprietary technology makes our SHX Rooms a powerful tool for improving sensory regulation, promoting relaxation, and stimulating cognitive and motor abilities.

A real example: CromoSomos Center & Mi Princesa Rett

A clear example of the positive impact of these environments is the work done at CromoSomos, a reputable Spanish center for Rett syndrome and rare diseases. At Qinera, we collaborated closely with their team to design a customized multisensory room adapted to their therapeutic needs. The room is equipped with advanced technology to support sensory stimulation and the well-being of girls with Rett syndrome.

Thanks to personalized stimuli and interactive systems, users can explore their environment in ways suited to their abilities, enhancing their emotional well-being and environmental connection. Virginia Barragán, a therapist at the center, emphasizes the importance of continuing to invest in technological solutions that promote autonomy and inclusion. You can learn more about the room and its therapies in this video 👇🏼.

Commitment to accessibility and innovation

Every individual is unique and deserves access to tools that support their development in an accessible, stimulating, and safe environment. At Qinera, we continue working to provide solutions that transform lives and to support families, professionals, and organizations that strive to improve quality of life through multisensory technology.

Free Project Design

If you want to learn more about the benefits of Multisensory Environments or see how you could adapt it to your space, therapeutic goals, and users, you can send an email to hello@qinera.com.