To the general public, Sensory Tool House’s shop in Lacey, filled with colorful and interactive items, might look like a toy store.
But to those who have or care for those with sensory processing disorders, the storefront is a lifeline to accessing tools and resources that help them succeed in their daily lives.
Sensory Tool House is the only place in the Thurston County area that specializes in sensory tools and lets customers test products in person before purchasing — a critical step for someone with specific sensory needs.
Katie McMurray founded Sensory Tool House, LLC in 2021 after a friend asked her if she knew of a local store where she could test and buy the same sensory swing McMurray had in her home for her autistic child.
Most items that benefit neurodivergent people have to be ordered online, which often leads to items needing to be returned because the person couldn’t feel and experience items that could support them in a safe, sensory-friendly environment.
After talking to her friend about the swing and the lack of options to buy it locally, McMurray started researching to see if there were local stores where you could test out sensory supportive products.
The closest place McMurray could find at the time was in Colorado.
“I got mad. And I wrote a business plan in two nights,” McMurray told a Thurston Chronicle reporter during a visit to the Sensory Tool House on March 16.
She brought her business plan to a Zoom meeting with a Small Business Association business advisor, thinking she was going to get laughed out of the meeting for trying to open a business at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They got back to me and said, ‘If it was any other business, we’d say no,’” McMurray said. “And somehow, things all lined up.”
Sensory Tool House prides itself on being a safe, friendly and inclusive environment for all customers to explore sensory supportive tools.
One key aspect of that, McMurray said, is that the store is a “no apology zone” for regulatory behaviors.
If a child, elderly person or otherwise sensory-challenged person knocks something off of a shelf, starts screaming, or has a habit of running out the door, McMurray said Sensory Tool House is not the place to apologize for it.
Staff will help the person calm down, clean up the mess, or put someone at the door to keep watch, with no fuss.
“We make sure that the caregiver also can just relax and be within the experience,” McMurray said.
The store stocks a variety of products marketed as sensory tools, like compression vests, as well as other products like scented pens or lava lamps that are marketed for other uses but support one or more of the eight sensory systems: touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell, vestibular, proprioception and interoception.
“(We) try to still keep a pretty broad mix of something for everyone because, we always say, everyone has a sensory system,” said Sensory Toolhouse Purchasing Manager Kelsey Sheets.
In addition to operating a brick-and-mortar store, Sensory Toolhouse offers professional development training for educators and workplaces to help professionals better understand and support neurodiversity.
Sensory Toolhouse also provides consultations for event organizers looking to make their events more accessible for neurodivergent participants, and consultations for those looking to add “sensory spaces” to a home, office or event venue.
The brick-and-mortar store has its own Sensory Room that’s open to all visitors as a space to reset their nervous systems.
The business further serves as a resource hub for the community by partnering with other organizations for events — like the upcoming Math 4 Life spring break activity hosted by the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce — helping connect people to grants and other resources to support those with sensory processing disorders.
Currently, Sensory Toolhouse is spreading the word about a grant-funded program providing free assistive technology to eligible residents of Lewis, Mason and Grays Harbor counties and the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
The Bridge Program provides eligible participants with up to $1,900 in assistive technology devices to support access to education, employment and community, along with free training and support on using that assistive technology.
Each participant will also be enrolled in digital literacy training — provided by Sensory Toolhouse — that will be customized to their level.
Visit https://bridge-at.com/ to apply or to learn more.
Sensory Tool House is located at 5831 Lacey Blvd. SE Suite J., Lacey. Business hours are 11a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about Sensory Toolhouse, including resources and upcoming events, visit https://sensorytoolhouse.com.
