Support for disabled children and young people

Get in touch

We’re here to offer free, practical advice to any parents of children with complex disabilities, including deafblindness, including discussing a referral.

Our free support helps children who are deafblind or who have complex disabilities access education, playgroups and holidays, so they have the same life experiences as everyone else.

From play and communication sessions to individualised support, we have lots of free opportunities for children to try new things, learn skills and make friends.

Our multi-sensory impairment (MSI) specialists support children and young people who are deafblind to develop their ability to communicate, socialise and play. We also help with access to appropriate education, health and care.

We want to see and celebrate all the fabulous qualities and unique strengths your child has. Explore the many ways we can support your family:

Sense services for disabled children

Lots of our services are open to children and young people with different disabilities and needs.

MSI teacher Laura signing with a small child.

Support for children with multi-sensory impairments

Our multi-sensory impairment specialists offer advice and support for anyone up to the age of 25 who is deafblind, to develop their skills to enable them to access the world.

A woman and a girl playing with a blue parachute which has gold stars on it

Connect and Play: free play sessions for disabled children

Our free play service helps children and their families communicate, develop and connect through free play sessions.

Buddy pair Rebecca and Trisha Mae smiling at the camera

Virtual Buddying befriending service

Looking for some company? Our free virtual buddying service is for anyone with disabilities looking for a friend in the UK.

Sense College

An independent specialist college for people aged 16-25 with complex disabilities, including deafblindness.

A group of young people standing on the sea front

Go on a Sense Holiday

Have an unforgettable time on our fully supported holidays for people with complex disabilities, including deafblindness.

A young woman and her support worker laughing while taking part in a drumming session.

Activities for disabled people

Arts, sports and wellbeing are vital for everybody. With Sense’s accessible activities, you can build confidence, keep fit and express yourself your way.

Information and advice

Looking for information on how to support your disabled child?

A young child smiling while lying on a play mat.

How to support your disabled child in their early years

The first years of a child’s life can be a steep learning curve for parents. If your child has complex disabilities, such as hearing and vision impairments, that curve can be even steeper.

A woman with blonde hair crouching on the floor holding a young boy

How to play with your disabled child

This guide explains why play is so important, and gives you lots of fun ideas for ways children with complex disabilities can enjoy playing.

A woman is giving a young boy the thumbs up - she's smiling and he's looking at her hands

Education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

This guide covers the support system in England for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Find out more about support available at school or from your local authority.

When families first come to Sense, they can feel really overwhelmed by a new diagnosis and the challenges of navigating the world of SEND. Learning about multi-sensory impairment is something families often need support with, and this is where our skills are most needed.
Laura, a Sense MSI teacher