Sensory Impairments

This page gives you lots of information about Sensory Impairments. This can be visual impairment, hearing impairment, or both. Click on the questions below for more information. You can download a new (summer 2019)  leaflet about ROVICS here.

  • A sensory impairment is something that 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

    Sensory Impairments does not include Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). SPD is a neurological disorder that results from the brain’s inability to understand certain information received from the body’s sensory systems (touch, smell, taste).

    • You could speak to your GP or health visitor, who may refer you on to the most appropriate service. This could be audiology or ophthalmology.

      If you are worried about your child, you could take them to visit a high street or local community optician or audiologist for a free vision or hearing check. Lots of large pharmacies and opticians can do these tests.

      If your child is of school age, you could discuss your concerns with your child’s teacher or SENDco.

      The NHS has advice about hearing tests for children and eye tests for children.

      • There are local and national organisations that can support families of children and young people with visual, hearing or multi-sensory impairments.

        Audiology and ophthalmology services for children and young people

         

        Specialist services and therapies

        Education

        Social Care

        Health

        Charities and national support

        • Starting Point – a web based guide to all UK services for blind children
        • Bliss – a charity working to support those with premature babies with vision problems
        • Wonderbaby – A website for parents who have a blind or disabled child
        • The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) – advice and support for deaf children and families, with advice for professionals working with deaf children too.
        • Sense – The National Deafblind and Rubella Association – National voluntary organisation working with and supporting people who are deafblind or have associated impairments.
        • Action for Blind People – a national charity providing practical and emotional advice and support across England to people who are sight impaired and their family and friends.
        • Deafblind UK – Collection of information and resources for deafblind people.
        • Guide Dogs (formerly Guide Dogs for the Blind Association) – Offer a range of services, support and activities for all ages and provide advice for parents and other carers.
        • Listening Books – Audiobooks for people who cannot read due to illness or impairment.
        • Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) – Improving access for disabled people to the environments and services they use.
        • UK Vision Strategy – Provide a unifying framework for the UK’s eye health, eye care, and sight loss services.
        • Through Scarlett’s Eyes – An informative family support network for visually impaired children.
        • Sibs – a national charity to support siblings of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

         

        Local support groups

        • Signpost Plus – The co-ordinators can help you get information about the local and national services and support available to you and your child.
        • Moorvision – A voluntary support group for Devon families of visually impaired children and young people (0-25).
        • Exeter and South Devon Deaf Children’s Society – This group aims to support deaf children, to develop effective interaction, communication and to offer every support to enable them to develop their full potential.

         

        • Visual impairment, hearing impairment and multi-sensory impairment

          DCC Logo

          Social Care

          Babcock LDP logo

          Education

          Rehabilitation Officers for Visually Impaired Children (ROVIC)

          What do ROVICs do?

          ROVICs promote understanding, confidence and independence of each individual’s visual and non-visual abilities so that they can:

          • Develop, progress and use vision to their fullest functional potential
          • Access and achieve orientation, mobility, navigation and movement
          • Be included and participate in interpersonal, organisational and daily living activities
          • Communicate and interact

          ROVICs assess the functional visual responses and behaviours of infants, children and young people. We encourage and monitor the developing functional abilities in relation to movement and independence, determining whether a visual difficulty is likely to impede access to or achievement of:

          • Inclusion, self-esteem and self-confidence
          • Age appropriate independence and social interactions
          • Skilful, relaxed and safe orientation and mobility
          • Access and navigation within and around home, community, and educational settings

           

          The Babcock LDP Sensory Impairment Team (HI, VI, MSI)

          What does the Sensory Impairment Team do?

          The teams work with children and young people of school age aged 0-25 in the home and in educational settings.

          Teams 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.

          Support from the Sensory Impairments Team can help children and young people to achieve their full potential and fulfil their own aspirations.

          • Parents/carers will gain a better understanding of the needs of their child or young person and will have confidence that their needs are being met
          • Schools and settings will build capacity through wider workforce development leading to an increase in local provision

           

           

          Assessment

          Our assessments are child-centred, and offer practical advice, information and personalised training. The service undertakes various types of assessment to include functional ability, orientation and mobility, independence, safety and accessibility, as well as environmental audits of home, community and educational sites. Assessments can be undertaken in any setting/environment that the child/young person is accessing, including at home, their local community, and other health and educational settings. Within educational settings the ROVIC service provides:

          • individual assessments
          • orientation
          • mobility and independence programmes
          • staff awareness training for those working with the individual on a regular basis
          • advising and informing on environmental accessibility and safety (environmental audit).

          Assessment

          The initial visit will consist of a specialist assessment of need and observation of the child or young person. If the child or young person is in an educational setting, a discussion with class teacher, support staff and SENCO will be needed to look at appropriate strategies and interventions. This will be undertaken within at least 3 working weeks.

          A written report will be provided within 10 working days of the initial assessment visit. This report will describe the diagnosis, assessment results, provision and training needs in a way that can be clearly understood by parents and professionals involved.

          Long term planning outcomes will be provided annually in the form of a support matrix for schools to use to ensure CYP can access the curriculum and be successfully included alongside their peers.

          If appropriate, joint visits with other professionals such as Communication and Interaction team, Speech and Language therapists or Rehabilitation Officers for Visually Impaired Children (ROVICs) can be arranged.

           

          Information

          ROVICs can provide information relating to:

          • Care and support for deafblind children and young people as per the deafblind guidance
          • Benefits and concessions specific to visual impairment and registration status
          • Local and national resources, services, and provision available to children or young people who are visually or multi-sensory impaired
          • Advice and information for parents and carers
          • Awareness and training related to visual or multi-sensory impairment
          • Environmental audits relating to design, modifications and accessibility to settings and/or environments
          • Certification and registration of visual impairment

           

          Information

          The Sensory Impairment Team can offer information relating to:

           

          Legal requirements

          ROVICs have a statutory responsibility to maintain a registration/record database in relation to children and young people who are in receipt of a Certificate of Visual Impairment as part of our specialist assessment programme. The ROVIC service assessments aim to ensure that appropriate resources are recommended, and provided to children and young people presenting with visual impairment and or additional need.

           

          Legal requirements

          Local authorities have legal duties to identify and assess the special educational needs of children and young people for whom they are responsible. LAs become responsible for a child or young person in their area when they become aware that the child or young person has or may have SEN. Babcock LDP works with Devon County Council in partnership to take responsibility for the children or young people with identified SEN, helping them to achieve the “best possible educational and other outcomes”. (SEN Code of Practice)

          How to access the service

          ROVICS self-referral guide

          We aim to respond to all requests for service within 14 days of receipt, including where this is a request for Certification of Visual Impairment. Once a child/young person is accepted onto our waiting list, we try and see all children/young people within 18 weeks of the request.

          Children and Family Health Devon
          Single Point of Access Team
          1a Capital Court
          Bittern Road
          Sowton Industrial Estate
          Exeter EX2 7FW

          tel: 0330 0245 321

          email:

          Request for Services Form

           

           

           

          How to access the service

          All referrals to the Sensory Impairment Team must come from a school/education setting/hospital with parental consent.

          Babcock referral process