Sensory Space gives place to wind down at Lorain County Fair

WELLINGTON — The sounds from the carnival rides, crowds of people meandering down the fairway, the sunshine beating down on the pavement — it's all part of the fair experience. But not everyone enjoys it. In fact, many youngsters and adults find it overstimulating, which is why advisers from the Eaton Township Blue Ribbon 4-Hers, a neurodivergent 4-H club, worked to put together a new Sensory Space at the Lorain County Fair this year. Head adviser Rachel Krezman, 32, of Elyria, and her sister, adviser Emma Smirz, 27, of Grafton, along with their mom, adviser Laura Smirz, and adviser Michele Hines made it happen. "We are always pushing for that next step for acceptance," Laura Smirz said. "We've incorporated it into our judging, with a calm room our kiddos can go to before judging. There are fidgets and coloring books, so if they need to get away, they can. We also have a "fast pass" for kiddos who can't wait in line, which has helped tremendously. These little adaptations have really helped these kids, and this is just the next step." The Sensory Space, in Barn 14, is composed of two areas — a quiet room covered in sheets with soft lighting, bean bag chairs, crash pads, weighted blankets and headphones and a second room with tables and chairs, sensory boxes, weighted pads, a sensory wall and fidgets. Without much publicity, the Sensory Space is already taking off. "The first day, we had 39 kids and yesterday we had 34 kids," Laura Smirz said. "To me, that's huge. We've had a lot of outreach with parents, just talking, which is sometimes needed. A lot of them have said they want to incorporate some of these things in their kids' bedrooms to help their kids. Adults are going by thanking us and teachers are checking us out. It's very rewarding." Krezman, who works as an intervention specialist specializing in autism at the PEP Prentiss Autism Center, and Emma Smirz were both 4-Hers growing up. She got the idea for the Eaton Township Blue Ribbon 4-Hers, when she first started teaching and parents would ask her what activities to get their children involved in. And it became a family affair. "Growing up, I loved coming to the fair and camping at the fair," Krezman recalled. "My sister hated it. She said it was too loud and chaotic. It wasn't until I started teaching that I realized, 'Oh, this can be loud.'" Emma Smirz, who works as a sales clerk at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville, is neuro-divergent. "More and more kiddos are getting diagnosed with autism and other special needs," Krezman said. "The parents have been really thankful. They hear about a lot of these tools that we use in the classroom, but here they get to see them in action. They're asking, 'Where can we get this,' so we pull up Amazon." The kids are saying they want their bedrooms to look like the Sensory Space, she said. "They seem to really like it," Krezman said. "They come in, take their shoes off and calm down. They know when they are done and they come out on their own." The Sensory Space was created with funds donated by the Lorain County 4-H and the advisers of the Eaton Township Blue Ribbon 4-Hers did the rest. "Everyone tends to underestimate our kiddos," she said. "We love to prove them wrong. A lot of them earn first place for their projects. Long term, I would love to see an entire sensory barn, a 10-by-10 barn that is an enclosed space, which would cut down on a lot of noise." Other fairs throughout the state have started embracing sensory areas and rooms. The state fair offers a sensory-friendly morning, quieting the rides and sounds for neuro-divergent people. "We thought it was appropriate because our kiddos tend to be the forgotten group in 4-H," Laura Smirz said. "People tend to overlook our special needs. We're easing into it this year, but we hope to bring it back next year and do more." Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.