Congress in Misterbianco, Sicily: Education, Well-being and Human Connection
At May 11th 2026 The Snoezelen Congress recently held in Misterbianco, Sicily, represented an extraordinary moment of professional exchange, emotional involvement and educational reflection for the entire Italian Snoezelen community.
The event was organized by the I.C. “Aristide Gabelli” Comprehensive School of Misterbianco (Catania, Italy), under the leadership of Principal Prof. Adriana Battaglia, who has strongly promoted inclusive and innovative educational approaches focused on well-being, relationships and care.
More than 350 participants attended the congress, including teachers, school leaders, educators, psychologists, therapists, healthcare professionals, social workers and families. The large participation confirmed the growing interest in the Snoezelen approach not only in the field of disability, where it was originally developed, but also in schools, Alzheimer and dementia care, pediatric hospitals and all contexts where emotional well-being and human relationships are central.
A fundamental role in this journey was played by the Erasmus+ program. In November 2025, thanks to Erasmus+, a group of teachers from our school had the opportunity to attend a residential training course at the Centre de Hartenberg in the Netherlands, one of the symbolic places of the Snoezelen philosophy. This experience deeply transformed our educational vision and strengthened our commitment to creating welcoming, multisensory and inclusive learning environments.
It was during this experience that we had the honour of meeting Prof. Ad Verheul personally.
His presence at the congress in Sicily was undoubtedly the most meaningful and emotional moment of the entire event. For our school community, welcoming one of the founders and greatest inspirers of the Snoezelen approach was not only a professional privilege, but also a deeply human experience.
Prof. Ad Verheul shared with participants his educational vision centered on dignity, listening, empathy and authentic human connection. His words reminded all of us that Snoezelen is much more than a multisensory room: it is a philosophy of care and respect for the person.
The I.C. “Aristide Gabelli” has been actively developing Snoezelen practices since 2019/2020 with the creation of its first Snoezelen room, officially inaugurated in 2022 after extensive teacher training. The school currently collaborates with the Snoezelen Network of Sicilian and Italian schools, promoting training activities, exchange of good practices and inclusive educational projects.
The congress represented not an end point, but the beginning of new collaborations and future projects dedicated to educational well-being and inclusion.
For further information:
I.C. “Aristide Gabelli” – Misterbianco (Catania), Italy
Principal: Prof. Adriana Battaglia
Lo Snoezelen è un trattamento psicosociale innovativo per la gestione dei comportamenti difficili e per la promozione del benessere delle persone fragili, con demenza o con disabilità, basato su attività di rilassamento e stimolazione multisensoriale che si svolgono in ambienti progettati ad hoc, quali i bagni assistiti o spazi dedicati.
Focos Argento promuove la diffusione e lo sviluppo dell’approccio Snoezelen nei contesti di cura, attraverso la creazione di ambienti Snoezelen e la trasmissione di competenze per l’applicazione di tale approccio.
Per un approfondimento sull’approccio e i trattamenti Snoezelen consulta il link di approfondimento.
La formazione sull’approccio Snoezelen
Focos Argento affianca le Direzioni per l’intero percorso di creazione degli ambienti dedicati ai trattamenti Snoezelen (Snoezelen Room, bagno Snoezelen, angoli e stimoli Snoezelen nei nuclei):
- progettazione degli ambienti
- scelta, acquisto e montaggio degli ausili Snoezelen
- impianto elettrico, progetto colore e finiture
- direzione lavori.
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La formazione sull’approccio Snoezelen
Focos Argento organizza percorsi formativi finalizzati all’acquisizione di competenze, metodologie e strumenti che possano essere applicati all’interno di diversi contesti di cura. Tali percorsi sono rivolti alle figure professionali dedicate alla cura e alla stimolazione della persona in condizioni di estrema fragilità:
- educatori
- infermieri
- psicologi
- terapisti occupazionali
- terapisti della riabilitazione psichiatrica
L’approccio Snoezelen nelle 24 h
Focos Argento propone percorsi di consulenza all’interno delle strutture socio-assistenziali per anziani, disabili e persone non autosufficienti finalizzati all’implementazione organizzativa dell’approccio Snoezelen attraverso l’affiancamento del gruppo di coordinamento e dell’equipe multiprofessionale per l’applicazione dell’approccio nel proprio contesto di cura e la parallela formazione del personale di cura sull’utilizzo degli stimoli nelle aree dedicate (bagno o stanza) e nelle 24 ore.
