At disAbility equip online (DEO), we believe that every child deserves access to an environment where they can feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

As schools across Australia begin to take on greater responsibility for student wellbeing—particularly for children with additional needs—the demand for practical, effective regulation spaces is growing rapidly.

One school already leading the way is Oakwood Primary School in Meadow Springs, WA.

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A Space Designed with Purpose

Working closely with Aurelie Harris, Lead Education Assistant – Learning Support Team, DEO supported Oakwood Primary in bringing their vision to life: a dedicated space designed to help students regulate, reset and re-engage.

Now officially completed, the ECE Rainbow Room is a thoughtfully curated environment built to be:

• Calm
• Welcoming
• Purposeful

As Aurelie shared with staff:

“A great deal of time and effort has gone into organising, setting up and thoughtfully selecting the resources in this space to ensure it is calm, welcoming and purposeful for our students.”

This is exactly the outcome DEO aims to deliver—not just products, but complete, functional environments that support real student needs.

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More Than a Room — A Structured Approach to Regulation

What makes the Rainbow Room effective isn’t just what’s in it—it’s how it’s used.

The space operates with clear guidelines to ensure it remains a safe and effective environment:

• Supervised use at all times
• Limited to 1–2 students to maintain calm
• Structured and respectful use of resources
• Clean, reset environment after each session

This reflects a key principle DEO works with schools on:

👉 Regulation spaces must be intentional, not incidental

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Supporting Emotional Development

A standout feature of the Rainbow Room is the inclusion of Kimochis, a social-emotional learning tool that helps students:

• Identify and express emotions
• Build emotional vocabulary
• Develop empathy
• Strengthen self-regulation skills

As described in the staff communication:

“Kimochis are social emotional learning resources designed to help children identify, express and manage their emotions… encouraging students to develop emotional vocabulary, empathy and self-regulation skills.”

This highlights an important shift in education:

➡️ It’s no longer just about behaviour management
➡️ It’s about teaching emotional capability

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Collaboration Makes It Work

The success of the Rainbow Room was a true team effort.

Aurelie recognised key contributors:

• Monique – coordinating sourcing and trades
• Claire – helping bring the vision to life

This reflects another reality DEO understands well:

Schools are time-poor, and delivering spaces like this can be complex.

That’s where DEO steps in.

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How DEO Supports Schools

DEO specialises in creating ready-to-implement environments such as:

• Calm Cove
• Neuro Nook
• Sensory Sanctuary

These are designed to help schools:

• Reduce overwhelm for staff
• Fast-track decision-making
• Ensure appropriate, purposeful product selection
• Create spaces aligned with student wellbeing outcomes

Rather than asking educators to “figure it out,” DEO provides complete, considered solutions.

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Why This Matters Now

With recent changes to funding models across Australia:

• Support is shifting toward schools and community environments
• Funding is increasingly tied to demonstrated needs and outcomes
• Schools are expected to provide inclusive, supportive learning spaces

The Rainbow Room is a powerful example of how schools can respond.

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A Proven Model for Other Schools

Oakwood Primary School’s Rainbow Room shows what’s possible when:

• Student needs are clearly understood
• Spaces are intentionally designed
• The right resources are selected
• Staff are supported with structure and guidance

Most importantly—it shows that these spaces work.

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Looking to Create Your Own Space?

Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing area, DEO can help you design and deliver a regulation space tailored to your school.

From concept to completion, we make it simple.

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disAbility equip online (DEO)
Supporting schools to create calm, capable and inclusive environments.

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