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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Pestka from Mesa, AZ is requesting sports & exercise equipment through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Pestka is requesting

A Safe Sensory Space for Special Education Students.

Help me give my students a space where they can feel safe, supported, and emotionally regulated. With your assistance, we will be able to develop a sensory room equipped with calming tools to support our special education students.

  • $1,111 goal

This project expired on September 20, 2025.

This project expired on September 20, 2025.

My Project

Our classroom is a haven for young learners with autism, each with their own strengths, challenges, and incredible potential. These students are working hard every day on goals related to communication, emotional regulation, social skills, and academic readiness. While their paths may look different from their peers’, their determination, creativity, and resilience inspire us daily.

Sensory regulation is not a luxury for children with autism-it's a necessity.

Many of our students experience sensory sensitivities that can make a traditional school environment overwhelming. Bright lights, loud sounds, crowded spaces, and busy schedules can quickly become too much. When this happens, it’s difficult for them to focus, engage, or feel safe.

We are asking for your support to create a dedicated sensory room—a calming, structured space where students with autism can regulate their emotions and prepare themselves to succeed throughout the school day.

This sensory room will include items such as:

-Crash pads, bean bags, and weighted blankets to provide calming deep pressure input

-Fidget tools, textured toys, and sensory bins for tactile exploration and focus

-Low lighting, bubble tubes, and soothing visuals to help reduce overstimulation

-Noise-canceling headphones and white noise machines to create a peaceful environment

-Movement equipment like balance boards or small trampolines for proprioceptive input

This room will not be a reward or timeout space-it's a regulation station, a place where our students can reset and return to learning with calm minds and ready bodies.

When students are given access to sensory tools and safe spaces, we see fewer meltdowns, stronger emotional control, and greater participation in learning activities. This room will empower our students to self-regulate, increase their independence, and make real progress toward their individualized goals.

Your support will help us build a sensory environment where every child feels understood, supported, and ready to learn.

Ms. Pestka Crismon Elementary School Grades PreK-2

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Mesa, AZ View local requests

Half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

60 students impacted

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Pestka is requesting.

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Non-Branded TheraGym Double Squeezer - Wood • School Specialty $659.00 1 $659.00

Materials cost

$659.00

Vendor shipping charges

 $197.70

Sales tax

 $47.12

3rd party payment processing fee

$9.88

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$943.70

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$166.54

Total project goal

$1,110.24

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Pestka and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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