Ludic content in multisensory stimulation environments: an exploratory study about practice in Portugal

This article aims to document the use of multisensory stimulation environments and its related perceptions, concerning ludic content, play and the computer-mediated ludic activity, from the perspective of professionals organizing and delivering therapeutic activities in these spaces with children with developmental disabilities, in Portugal. Face-to-face open interviews with 12 professionals working in multisensory stimulation environments, selected by convenience criteria, were individually recorded, transcribed and submitted to content analysis. Three main themes emerged from the data: multisensory stimulation environments offer multiple possibilities for intervention, play is part of the intervention in multisensory environments and the computer-mediated ludic experience is perceived as useful for intervention. Data suggest that multisensory stimulation environments are used as versatile spaces, both considered and explored by the interviewed professionals in its ludic potential. This fact can renew the interest in multisensory environments, in particular for the area of play in Occupational Therapy, in which the use of the computer-mediated ludic experience is a recognized possibility. Limitations of this study are associated to the level of representativeness of the interviews in relation to the diverse universe of professionals using multisensory environments. The method for collecting data is also highly sensitive to the influence of the interviewer.