Sensory Processing Difficulties
Some children experience sensory processing difficulties which impact on participation and function in everyday activities. Many children with Neurodevelopmental difficulties including ASC and ADHD experience these difficulties. If you think your child has sensory processing difficulties, please talk to any healthcare professional already working with your child. They can help you to unpick your child’s behaviours and whether they are sensory or have another cause.
The Milton Keynes Occupational Therapy Service has developed a Universal online sensory processing awareness training and signposting to resources created by other services and agencies. This aims to support parents, carers and teachers to better understand and respond to children’s sensory needs. Our approach is centred on creating a better fit between the child, the activity and the environment. Our aim is to work with Milton Keynes Council education services to support all schools in Milton Keynes at a Universal level to be ‘sensory friendly’. A referral is not required.
Here is some helpful literature. Click on the links below to access
- How to use the Planning Wheel
- Planning Wheels
- Using Planning Wheels to support your child with sensory differences
- NHS Planning Wheel Animation with Subtitles and BSL
- https://www.kelly-mahler.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Interoception-Handout-FINAL.pdf
- Head banging solutions
- Sensory chew items
We are also involved with the Inclusion and Intervention team who provide ASC courses.
To book your place email us on SENDsupport@milton-keynes.gov.uk who are part of www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/mksend
Our targeted offer is a Q&A session accessible through the above course.
Sensory Assessments
At Milton Keynes CDC, we do not provide individual sensory assessments. The Milton Keynes OT service does not offer Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy (ASI). ASI is a form of therapy which claims to change the child’s underlying neural pathways and remedy the child’s impairment in sensory processing. It is not an approach that is recommended in the NICE guidelines for Autism: (health and social care evidence-based guidance).
Please click on this link - for the most recent briefing from the Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) explaining best practise and evidence.
Our evidence-based approach in Milton Keynes is centred on changing the things around the child, such as the environment, the child’s activities and their personal factors, such as parent/carer knowledge and understanding (through parent/carer and education information and training programmes).
We have divided a presentation on Sensory Processing Difficulties into bite-sized portions, which you can watch below.