Delivering sensory health services elearning programme now live

Health Education England has worked in partnership with NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) to create an interactive elearning resource to help healthcare professionals deliver sensory health checks to children and young people with learning disabilities and autism.

The Delivering sensory health services elearning programme is designed to support dentists and their teams, eye care specialists (including opticians and optometrists, and supporting staff) and audiologists who carry out these sensory health checks.

Some children and young people with learning disabilities and autism can have difficulties understanding, receiving, and responding to information and may experience sensory processing difficulties. People with these issues may have an adverse reaction to anything that under or overstimulates their senses, such as light, sound, touch, taste, or smell. This can affect their behaviour and ability to interact with other people making it more difficult for them to access health checks.

The programme outlines:

• What to consider when communicating with children and young people and their families in these schools or colleges
• How to work with other professionals to help support whilst in situ and provide this support
• To help prepare beforehand in order to understand how a particular school or college works.
• Specific topics on autism and behaviours that can be a challenge and what sensory impairment means to the patient.
• How to reduce/avoid this sensory overload whilst caring for the individual.

The resource may also be useful for other health and care professionals working in these settings for the first time.

Other organisations who supported the development of the resource include: The National Association of Special Schools, Challenging Behaviour Foundation, Seeability, University College London and University College Hospital.

Access the Delivering sensory health services programme.