Sensory park for young patients inaugurated at Bucharest psychiatric hospital

A sensory park for children and young patients with neurodevelopmental disorders was inaugurated on November 21 in the courtyard of Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia Psychiatry Hospital in Bucharest. According to general mayor Nicuşor Dan, this is the first project of its kind in Romania.

The investment is the result of a partnership between the Bucharest City Hall, through ASSMB, and the UNICEF representation in Romania.

The sensory park has a double purpose: therapeutical - for children with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorders; and socialization - for adolescent patients. Exposure to certain sensory experiences helps children with neurodevelopmental disorders develop and regulate their reactions to external stimuli.

Using the new space provides an opportunity to engage in sensory exploration in a safe space so that children and their families can learn what triggers certain reactions and what helps them calm down. The sensory park has equipment that stimulates users visually, aurally and tactilely.

Mayor Dan commented: “We want to make Bucharest a more child-friendly city, to offer them more quality services. The memorandum we signed last year with UNICEF, within the framework of the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, was a first step followed by concrete actions such as the installation of this sensory park.”

“There is an urgent need for Romania to invest in the provision of quality mental health services for all children and adolescents. One in ten children in Romania needs such services every year, and I am glad that we can take steps in this direction together with our partners in Bucharest, with whom we have had an increasingly consistent collaboration in recent years,” said Anna Riatti, UNICEF representative in Romania.

The beneficiaries will be children and young people from Bucharest and the surrounding areas of the capital.

(Photo source: Bucharest City Hall & UNICEF)