6.34 Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Infomation on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health (see the References section under Chapter 6 for a link).
Multisensory Impairment (MSI)
The team for children with a Multisensory Impairment (MSI) is part of the Advisory Teaching Service. Support is available for children and young people attending mainstream and specialist settings who are at the required stage of the graduated pathway for SEND (see criterion for requests for involvement).
6.34 Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Infomation on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health (see the References section under Chapter 6 for a link).
What we do:
Provide support for children and young people from the confirmation of a multisensory impairment (combined hearing impairment and visual impairment) until they leave school or further education college (0-25yrs), helping them to develop a positive understanding of their multisensory impairment and identity.
- We work closely with families of babies and pre-school children, helping them to understand the diagnosis, and then offering advice and support to develop communication strategies, language skills, listening skills, visual skills, mobility and independence skills
- Support, advise and empower children and young people (CYP), to understand their multisensory impairment (hearing and vision); audiological equipment; communication skills, including signing if appropriate; Braille; Moon; specialist IT skills; social skills; mobility and independence skills; listening skills, visual skills
- We work closely with families, early years and school staff, speech therapists, mobility and independence specialists and medical professionals enabling us to offer tailored and targeted support.
- Provide monthly early years (0-5yrs) Sensory Groups for parents/carers of children with a sensory impairment (hearing, visual or multisensory impairment) and their children
- Provide developmental and educational advice in relation to the CYP’s multisensory impairment
- Ensure that the views, wishes, perspectives and experiences of the CYP are fully considered in their provision
- Provide, monitor and evaluate use of specialist equipment including audiological equipment such as radio aids; magnification equipment and specialist IT hardware and software
- We offer and provide a range of training from individual training around a CYP’s needs to whole school and area based specialist courses to support continuing professional development in relation multisensory impairment
- Settings can call the team during the week for no-names advice.
The team consists of:
- Qualified Specialist Advisory Teachers for Multisensory Impairment who holds the mandatory qualification for MSI and works closely with Qualified Specialist Advisory Teachers for Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment
- Qualified Deaf Communications Tutor with Level 6 BSL
- Qualified Specialist Speech and Language Therapists
- Touch Typing Tutor
Who to contact
Contact Name
Heather Penney and Suzette Kearns
Contact Position
Advisory Teacher of the Multisensory Impaired and Lead Advisory Teacher for the Countywide Team
Telephone
01452 324376 (Cheltenham ATS base) | 01452 426014 (Forest of Dean ATS base) | 01452 426955 (Gloucester ATS base) | 01452 583728 (Stroud ATS base)