Smarani Nilakhe wanted to leave something for her brother Abhir as she heads off to college. A sensory room for students at Tumwater Middle School felt just right.
BEAVERTON, Ore. — Students at Tumwater Middle School in Beaverton are using a new sensory room starting this school year, thanks to the love of an older sister and her big idea.
Smarani Nilakhe, who is starting her freshman year at the University of Oregon this fall, needed one final big project to try and earn the Girl Scouts’ Gold Award — the organization’s top honor.
She thought about her brother Abhir, who has autism, and then she thought about how she could support him through school from afar.
“My brother, I’ve seen how he reacts differently to things and how he needs time with regulating his emotions and rooms like this — things in this room help him be able to …