Sensory needs
Information about and support for sensory and physical needs.
There are many and various sensory issues a child or young person may experience. Here we are focusing on specific difficulties with:
- hearing
- vision
- multisensory (hearing and visual impairment).
While many hearing or visual impairments may be identified early on in a child's life, this does not always happen.
Sometimes, school staff may be concerned that a child has a hearing or visual impairment. If this happens, they should advise you to see a GP. Your child may need a referral to a specialist service. Schools should not attempt to assess impairments themselves.
About hearing difficulties
Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe or profound. It can be temporary or permanent. It can affect one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). Sometimes, children with hearing loss will need hearing aids or cochlear implants. Find out more about different types of hearing device.
Sometimes hearing loss can be temporary, for example ‘glue ear’ which is common in very young children. Find more about glue ear.
About visual difficulties
Visual impairments take many forms, from mild to complete blindness. Some children are born with lack of light perception. Others lose their sight, partially or completely, after an illness or accident. The impairment might be in one or both eyes.
There are many conditions that cause visual impairment. You can browse a list on the RNIB website.
About multisensory difficulties
Multisensory impairment is the term used when somebody has both a visual and hearing impairment. It is sometimes called ‘Deaf Blindness’. and is classed as a disability in itself.
Multisensory difficulties can be very complex and the level of both impairments can be different. For example, a person may have a severe hearing impairment and a mild visual impairment.
Signs of difficulties
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You or your child’s teachers may notice some indicators that your child has hearing difficulties, such as:
- mishearing words or instructions
- struggling to maintain attention
- finding it difficult to follow conversations
- delayed language development, for example making some speech sounds
- delayed learning to read
- finding it hard to concentrate when there is background noise
- being tired after having to concentrate on listening
- frequent ear infections.
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You or your child’s teachers may notice some indicators that your child has visual difficulties, such as:
- handwriting problems
- being slow to copy from the board
- moving resources closer to their eyes
- delayed language development, for example making some speech sounds
- delayed learning to read
- not being able to recognise friends in the playground
- finding it harder to learn in poor lighting
- being tired later in the day because they have been concentrating.
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A multi-sensory impairment can cause problems with:
- communication
- finding out information
- getting around.
Support for your child at school
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Schools might need to support the child in ways such as:
- training staff about hearing impairments
- monitor language and reading progress
- providing visual resources
- extra support with social skills
- improving the acoustic environment in the classroom
- allowing smaller group work so there is less noise
- teaching classmates about hearing impairment.
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Schools might need to support the child in ways such as:
- training staff about visual impairments
- monitor reading progress
- providing different resources such as larger print sizes
- support to learn Braille
- extra support with social skills
- being allowed longer to complete tasks
- support to get around the school
- teaching classmates about visual impairment.
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If a child has a diagnosed multi-sensory impairment, schools can make a referral to the Sensory Support Team. They will offer personalised advice about how to support the child in school.
Sensory Support Team
The West Sussex Sensory Support Team works directly with
- children and their families
- Early Years education settings
- schools and other education settings.
What we do
- We liaise with colleagues from Health and Social Care to ensure a joined up approach with parents at the heart of decision making.
- We provide specialist advice and reports for Special Educational Needs assessments.
- Advice may also be sought from the SENCO of the child's early years setting or school.
- We provide specialist technologies on an individual basis for curriculum access.
New referrals from parent carers and professionals should be made to either the Lead Advisory Teacher for Vision Impairment or the Lead Qualified Advisory Teacher of the Deaf by phoning 01903 270430.
Read the Sensory Support Team's privacy notice.
More information
Tools for schools links below give information about ways schools can support children with sensory difficulties.