OpenSensory (nonprofit)
OpenSensory
Designing sensory-safe spaces for children with SPD — from schools to enterprise.
About the Project
Many children on the autism spectrum also have sensory processing disorder (SPD) — a condition where they struggle to process sensory input across one or more modalities. This makes everyday environments overwhelming, impeding learning, communication, and self-expression at critical developmental stages.
Sensory rooms, equipped with a range of sensory activities guided by OT-derived "sensory diets," have been shown to improve behavior, attention, and focus in children with SPD. The problem: most schools lack the space, budget, and expertise to build and run them.
OpenSensory was co-founded in 2018 by Mike Pesavento, Jared Peters, and Lee-Anne Bloom to bridge this gap — designing sensory-mindful environments for both educational and enterprise settings. The model used revenue from enterprise sensory assessments to cross-subsidize access for schools.
Three product concepts were developed: a portable Sensory Cart as a low-cost school MVP, modular Pods (converted shipping containers), and fully custom Sensory Rooms built around individualized OT sensory profiles.
— Jared brought a decade of hands-on autism intervention experience and startup execution; Lee-Anne, as an Occupational Therapist, led the clinical sensory diet framework that grounded the design methodology.
Project Execution
Go-to-market targeted two audiences in parallel: educational institutions (administrators, teachers, parents) and enterprise environments (tech companies, people ops, inclusivity leads). Consulting partnership discussions were underway with firms like Slalom for enterprise access.
The marquee concept was the SensoryMobile — a converted van designed as a Burning Man-style "mutant vehicle" that would travel between school campuses, bringing a full sensory room experience to schools that couldn't afford permanent installations. The core insight: most OTs serve multiple campuses and cannot bring heavy equipment. The SensoryMobile made shared access possible at scale. The concept was developed far enough to engage Gyroscope Inc. — an award-winning Oakland museum design firm with prior mobile library and makerspace vehicle builds — for a formal design proposal.
An enterprise sensory consultation product was scoped and documented, including standardized OT-led sensory checklists and office audit methodology. A pitch was developed for EasterSeals, and early conversations with potential enterprise clients began.
Operations were paused in early 2020 when COVID-19 eliminated the enterprise pilot opportunity — the strategy relied on validating the product inside office environments, all of which closed simultaneously.
The website remains live at opensensory.org. The design framework, product concepts, and assessment methodology remain available for potential future activation.