Creating a Faith-Filled Experience: An Occupational Therapist's Invention

David Rizzo shares his family’s experience introducing a sensory aid invented by an occupational therapist to help people with special needs learn to pray the Rosary.  

I am always interested in hearing about new products that can help people with special needs and others learn about their Catholic faith in a way that is accessible especially those designed to take advantage of the learning styles that have been shown to benefit people with autism and other special needs. Recently, we learned about a new product developed by Trisha Klausing, who is a school-based occupational therapist. She developed the Sacred Steps Sensory Paths program, which is aimed at helping children with and without special needs who would benefit from a sensory integration approach to learning. This piqued my interest, as I am a physical therapist. I asked Trisha about the Sensory Paths program, what it is, and how it can help children learn about the Faith.

Sacred Steps Sensory Paths Explained

The idea for Sensory Paths, according to Trisha, grew directly out of her work as a school-based occupational therapist.

I was seeing more and more students who needed movement in order to focus, regulate, and learn — but many schools didn’t have the space, equipment, or time for traditional sensory rooms. I wanted to install a sensory path at the Catholic school where I work one day a week, and I hoped to find something that would also reflect our faith. I decided to create my own.

As a physical therapist, I appreciate Trisha’s use of a sensory approach to learning. Sensory integration is aimed at improving the way children receive and process information, which is vital not only to how we move but also to how we learn.

Trisha explained that the benefits of her program include improved attention and focus, better emotional regulation, reduced stress and anxiety, increased readiness to learn, and support for coordination, motor planning, and body awareness.

Trisha explained a little about the program:

Sacred Steps Sensory Paths are structured movement activities placed on walls and/or floors that guide students through specific movements such as jumping, balancing, crossing midline, tracing, breathing, or deep pressure work. In faith-based settings, the movements are paired with Scripture, prayer, or virtue-based messages, helping students integrate movement, learning, and faith. They are designed for all students, not just those with identified special needs. They also support typical learners who simply need movement to reset and refocus.

We Gave It a Try

Trisha was gracious enough to send one of her products to us. We received the Rosary Hail Mary Infinity Loop. This product presents a colorful and glossy image of a rosary twisted so to form a figure 8 pattern or infinity sign, the words of the Hail Mary prayer written out, and footprints to stand on. I attached it to one of our walls and encouraged our daughter Danielle, who has autism, to give it a try.

Danielle oriented herself reasonably well to the wall and with some visual modeling was able to trace the rosary with her finger. She seemed to enjoy this. She needed a manual prompt to cross the midline from right to left successfully, which is typically difficult for people with autism. Danielle cannot speak or read, so I read the prayer out loud for her. I could see how repeated practice might result in her learning to pray the Rosary this way before fingering an actual rosary due to coordination and manual dexterity challenges.

All in all, I was pleased to see this well-thought-out product. It could be a welcome tool in Catholic schools and religious education classrooms. Trisha comments, “While many of my products are designed for schools, churches, and classrooms, parents of children with special needs often purchase them for home use.”

To learn more or purchase these sensory products, visit SacredStepsSensoryPaths.com.

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 David and Mercedes Rizzo
Images: (top, center) copyright 2026 Sacred Steps Sensory Paths, all rights reserved; (bottom) copyright 2026 David and Mercedes Rizzo, all rights reserved.