Flaghouse, a global supplier of physical education equipment and products for professionals who deal with children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities, was new to last month's AHRA Exhibition & Conference.

"This is our first time at the AHRA, and we are a very different company to be a part of this show," said Diana Hohmann, Brand Manager, Flaghouse.

Flaghouse's products are targeted to young children and adults with health issues and disabilities, such as those with special needs and who are bedridden/have limited movement.

Their latest products showcased at the AHRA, the Ground FX and Immersive Therapy Cart, are part of SNOEZELEN, multisensory environments that help patients experience self-control, autonomous discovery, and exploration-achievements that overcome inhibitions, enhance self-esteem, and reduce tension.

FlagHouse management encountered SNOEZELEN during visits to Europe in 1991. In further visits, FlagHouse staff witnessed the extraordinary potential of SNOEZELEN to have a positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities. Later that year, FlagHouse signed an exclusive distribution agreement for North America with ROMPA International, the owners of the SNOEZELEN trademark.

Barbara McCormick, the Vice President of Flaghouse, met with GestureTek, the world-leader in camera-enabled gesture-recognition technology for presentation and entertainment systems, to create these wonderful products that have been a hit with young children.

The GroundFX is a projector and camera that produces ground effects images using the software, by projecting them onto floors, walls, or tables. GestureTek's® tracking system continuously detects body position which allows for real-time interaction between clients and projected image. This way special needs people can interact with the images without having to touch a thing. They can step on pools of water to create ripples. Or sweep an arm and watch images flip or fly.

This product is mostly used in schools, pediatrics, and hospital waiting rooms, to provide stimulation for patients. Because it is so bright and in your face, the product is able to get a reaction out of the patients.

"It makes patients relaxed and happy, giving them the opportunity to interact with their environment at their own pace instead of being told what to do," said Hohmann. The activities are their own creations and they wanted the product to be therapeutic, educational, and for those with special needs.

"We like the technology. We thought about children with special needs and limited movement when creating this product," said Hohmann.

The other product, The Immersive Therapy Cart, offers patients multi-sensory activities anywhere in their facility, like at their bedside, in therapy areas, or waiting rooms. This mobile solution features twenty different immersive applications, including two interactive music applications, an interactive games application and a sensory application, including calm virtual environments for patients to interact with. The Immersive Therapy Cart is also infection free because no touching is involved, which is beneficial when it comes to young children.

Alisha S. Rappaport, M.S.E.D, MA, ATR-BC, LCAT, Director of Child Life at the New York Hospital in Queens, says Snoezelen has made such a difference in their care of patients.

"We have had our Snoezelen cart for two years. We chose the mobile cart to be able to use it wherever children go in the hospital. We use it at patients' bedsides, in our Pediatric ER, EEG, Radiology, Endoscopy, and our OR. We have found that we don't have to sedate children who are having EEG's, and that we use less sedation for children during procedures. It is a true miracle. I can't imagine not having it. We love SNOEZELEN and are so grateful for it."

According to Michael Didcott, a Snoezelen Consultant, Flaghouse also designs and installs multi-sensory rooms, including the popular product, bubble tubes, where patients can control bubble flow and make it change colors.

"These rooms were first introduced in Holland, but FlagHouse is the first to bring it to North America," said Didcott.

The company has had 30 installations so far and the products have only been on the market for 6 months. They are in the process of installing them in Jacksonville and Tampa, FL, and have expanded to hospital/radiology clinics and nursing homes, where they are able to project moving images onto MRI machines. In the future, Flaghouse hopes to create a monitor on the ceiling for people who are bedridden.