One of the OTs on our staff works in a classroom for students with significant intellectual disabilities, and she took this photo of a sensory station fabricated by the classroom teacher. It sits atop a large table and a variety of ever-changing, eye-catching items are hung from the horizontal bar for the students to visually and tactually explore. Students are always supervised while using the sensory station.
I think it would be fun to include olfactory items--a stuffed animal that has spent the weekend bagged up with a tablespoon of cinnamon, or a piece of textured fabric which has been doused with lemon oil. One specific smelly treat per day, or change it up every week.
Use caution--some students are very sensitive to certain scents, even if they're just in the same room.
