But inside the Hamilton Hill elementary school, fourth grader Corrie Sistrunk cuddled into the soft embrace of a boat-shaped sofa.

“He loves this thing, I think it’s like a big hug,” said Jeanne Cox, a paraprofessional working with Corrie.

“A bear but not the bad kind,” Corrie said. “A soft teddy bear, bear hug.”

Corrie was the only student in the school's “sunshine room.” With dimmed lighting, calm atmospheric music, and a variety of activity stations, the school’s sensory room is used to help students riled by everyday trauma, stress and anxiety.

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