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NDD Local Services and Support - Sensory

Sensory Processing is the ability to register, discriminate, adapt and respond appropriately, both physically and emotionally to sensory input from our bodies and the environment.

We receive a great deal of information from our senses. We use this information in many ways – to help us understand our body, understand the environment, and successfully interact in the world.   

Some children are over responsive or under responsive to sensory inputs, and this can impact on their daily activities.   A child can be over responsive in one sensory area and under responsive in another. There are many contributing factors.

If you would like to read more about Sensory Processing Difficulties you can find this information on the Local Offer here .

For useful self help guides and information you can find helpful leaflet published by the Bedfordshire Community Health Services Paediatric Occupational Team here.

Parents have found the following ‘top tips’ information useful. This has been produced by Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Trust.

If you think your child has sensory processing difficulties you can talk to any health or education professionals working with your child. They will help you unpick your child’s behaviours, and whether or not they are sensory, or have another cause.  For example it can be that children with high levels of anxiety display higher levels of sensory sensitivity, or children who are struggling to communicate can use sensory behaviours to gain attention

Below you will find a list of services that are available both locally and nationally to support in this area. These services have been listed under the following categories:

Universal – These services are available to everyone, without the need for any referral

Targeted – These services provide more targeted support to address a need. In most cases a referral is required

Specialist – These services provide specialist, targeted support and a referral is required. A number of these services are provided as part of the ‘intervention’ stage of our NDD Pathway.

We have also worked with the Council for Disabled Children to create a list of useful resources that are available through national organisations