A morning walk past the famed Parle biscuit factory in Vile Parle’s eastern side of the railway tracks rejigs childhood memories. It is a prelude to the sensory experience that defines the 550-sq ft space inside Anandi Special School in the campus of the Shahaji Raje Marg municipal school.

Housed within a room on the first floor of the school is a carefully arranged curation of sensory experiences for children. Designed by the accessibility organisation Access For All, the room has been hosting children all week. Its founder, Siddhant Shah explains, “Most sensory calming rooms are expensive, and out of reach for the parents of these children. This one is the first of its kind.”

A caretaker helps a child experience the ball pit in the room