Contact the Sensory Service
The Sensory Service can be contacted for advice and information specific to children and young people who have, or may have, who are deaf/hard of hearing, have a vision impairment, or who have a multi-sensory impairment.
Useful Resources and Links
Information and resources for school staff and parents in supporting children and young people.
On this page
Useful Websites
Vision Impairment
- The RNIB have produced this useful booklet Information about vision impairment: Guide for parents.
- RNIB Website information for parents of children with vision impairment Children, young people and families service - Northern Ireland.
- Scottish Sensory Centre- Useful information on a wide range of topics such as information on various eye conditions (along with implications and useful tips), low vision aids, equipment, braille.
- Scottish Sensory link has a series of early years videos entitled Let Me Play.
- Guide Dogs NI website which gives information about their support and services.
- The Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People has compiled a glossary of conditions.
- CVI Scotland help people to understand cerebral vision impairments.
- The CVI Society website has information and resources about cerebral vision impairment.
- Angel Eyes NI provide information and support about vision impairment for families.
- Braille Bug introduces children to braille.
- Sense provide support to children who are deafblind or have other complex disabilities.
- RNIB Bookshare accessible textbooks and resources to download and read electronically or adapt into various accessible formats. The service is available to learners and their parents through the child's school gaining membership.
- RNIB Library - RNIB's national library service in audio, Braille, and giant print.
- National Accessible Library online library to download books from for vision impaired and print disabled.
- CustomEyes Books (Guide dogs) large print books available at the recommended retail price.
- Calibre audio library offers a wide choice fiction and non-fiction books.
- The Partially Sighted Society provides information, advice, and equipment.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) website has a wealth of resources and advice for deaf children and their families. They also have their own dedicated YouTube channel which has useful information and advice on a range of topics, including technology.
- Action Deaf Youth is based in Belfast and has programmes for play in the early years as well as advice and activities for older deaf young people.
- The Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support Group is a voluntary group set up by parents of children who have had cochlear implants. Their purpose is to support other parents who are considering cochlear implantation for their child as well as parents of children who already have cochlear implants.
- Auditory Verbal UK is an organisation that provides a specialist early intervention programme to support a deaf child’s development of speech and language.
- Success from the start is the new and revised version of the Early Support Monitoring Protocol for deaf babies and children. It is an invaluable resource for families of deaf children from birth to three years old and will support you in monitoring your child’s progress.
- Information about Deafness and Hearing Loss is a comprehensive document produced as part of the Early Support resource developed by the National Deaf Children’s Society. The resource is for parents or carers of deaf children/young people and explains in detail what deafness is and the implications as well as advice as your child develops.
Developing your child’s communication and language
- The Elizabeth Foundation’s ‘Let’s Listen and Talk’ website provides a range of online home lesson plans designed to support the development of the child’s listening and communication skills.
- The University of Sheffield in collaboration with the National Deaf Children’s Society, have produced a series of short videos on how to support communication with deaf babies and toddlers (0-3).
- The Let’s Listen and Talk programme is for families who want to help their baby, toddler or pre-school child with hearing loss develop listening, spoken language and communication skills.
- Tiny Happy People provides ideas about Easy ways to boost language in the early years and advice for Children's Language Development.
- Advanced Bionics has lots of ideas and resources, for example, how to check your child is listening well enough with his or her cochlear implant and understanding hearing loss.
- The Listening Room provides free activities and resources to support the development of speech, language and communication skills.
- The Cochlear Sound Foundation for Babies and Toddlers website provides guidance in developing children’s spoken language through listening. It is a site for cochlear implant users but the activities are just as useful for children who wear hearing aids.
- Medel have a range of ideas of how to support your child’s development of listening skills and language. The resource can be used with both cochlear implant and hearing aid users.
- Regional Integrated Support Education Team (RISE NI): Website for parents and carers of children in mainstream nursery and primary school (up to P4). Includes information leaflet, suggested activities/resources and parent training videos to promote development of speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, and social and emotional development. RISE NI also provide information for teachers.
- Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership: A Guide to Help Parents on Their Journey Through Disability/Additional Needs: This resource, created by parents for parents, addresses the whole life journey for parents of children with disability and additional needs. It is a live document which will be updated as new resources are developed.