The SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre has opened a sensory garden on its premises. The garden, developed by the College of Occupational Therapy, will help children with lower sensory perceptions.

“This sensory garden will follow the concept of learn, apply and play,” said Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar, pro vice-chancellor (medical and health sciences). He said it is a new concept to help the parents of children with processing deficiency.

A. Sundaram, dean (medical), said awareness of the garden would help parents identify the problem early in the children and get the right treatment at the right time.

The garden includes “multi-sensory environment such as tactile, visual, auditory, orfactory, gustatory and vestibule,” said Ganapathy Sankar, dean of the College of Occupational Therapy. “The purpose is to experience therapy through play and meet the physical, mental and socialisation needs of children with sensory processing problems.”