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Devon’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Local Offer

Sensory impairments: vision and hearing


What are sensory impairments?

A sensory impairment affects your hearing, vision or both your hearing and vision.

Different types of sensory impairments include:

  • visual impairment
  • hearing impairment
  • deaf or Deaf
  • multi-sensory impaired (MSI)
  • Deafblind

If you think your child may have a sensory impairment you should speak to your GP or health visitor. The NHS has advice about hearing tests for children and eye tests for children.

More information about specialist support available in Devon can be found below.

Help and support available in Devon

The ROVIC Service (Re/Habilitation Officer for Visually Impaired Children) is a county-wide team supporting children and young people from birth to 18 years who have; visual, dual sensory (vision and hearing impairment) deafblind and multi-sensory impairments.

Read our guide to the ROVIC Service to find out how they can support you.


The Sensory Impairment Team offer teaching, support, advice, early help and interventions for children and young people from 0-25, where a visual, hearing or multi-sensory impairment is having an impact on their ability to access education.

Find out more about the support the Sensory Impairment Team can offer.

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