Award-winning! Smart Work 2025: NEPSY Walks
The Smart Work page presents everyday innovations and success stories developed by the employees of the City of Hämeenlinna.
NEPSY walks support the goals of the Child-Friendly Municipality program by guiding the modification of early childhood education environments to inclusively consider children’s individual needs.
During a NEPSY walk, the sensory-friendliness of the daycare environment is assessed, aiming to identify potential stressors (e.g., sounds, smells, visual stimuli). Following these observations, suggestions are made for measures to reduce these stressors. These measures are often very small and practical, such as adding felt pads to the legs of furniture.
The purpose of NEPSY walks is also to increase awareness of neuro-inclusive environments and practices.
The concept is easy to replicate and could already be applied as is in learning environments such as basic education. NEPSY walks can be implemented using the same model extensively across the country.
Reducing stressors for children improves their well-being. The same applies to the staff.
Feedback has been collected after every visit, and unit staff have successfully identified stressors through the NEPSY walks, immediately creating plans and taking action to improve the operating environment. While more extensive feedback collection is currently underway, the immediate verbal feedback has been positive.
Developers
Satu Antikainen, Daycare Director
Anne Hannukkala, Early Support Coach
Anna-Matilda Saarenkari, Early Childhood Education Teacher