Parent Sensory Training Parent Sensory Training is offered to children 2 years old and older with sensory processing difficulties. Prior to accessing the Training we ask that the Seedlings programme is completed by the Childs school and family. The Seedlings programme is the universal offer around sensory needs. The programme provides information to families/carers on how to implement the fundamental & basic strategies to support sensory needs. For some children this meets their needs and they do not need to be referred into the specialist service. Some children benefit from these strategies, however continue to have functional needs and these are the children that access the specialist service. The service is able to provide telephone support to aid the completion of this paperwork.
The Occupational Therapy team have continued to offer the parent sensory training during the whole COVID period. The delivery of the parent sensory training has had to be adapted in line with COVID restrictions. The service now offers the parent sensory training in a number of different formats
- Via You Tube videos
- In a written format
- If necessary, face to face clinic/home visit appointment
The service has received really positive responses to these formats as it allows more flexibility for the parents to access the information at a time that is suitable to themselves and their family.
There is an element of paperwork that needs completing alongside the videos to provide information to the therapists. Parents can receive these via email or we can send paper copies if needed.
Each cohort for the Parent sensory training is allocated its own dedicated therapy assistant who is the family’s point of contact. The families are contacted once the links and paperwork have been sent to answer any questions or queries, to ensure the family can access the You Tube link and understand what is required of them in terms of the forms. The family are able to contact the therapy assistant if any support is required throughout the course.
The child’s school/nursery is also asked to complete a questionnaire so we get their perspective as the sensory diet needs to be completed at home and in school/nursery.
Following the return of the paperwork an occupational therapist contacts the family to have an in depth discussion and for the therapist to gain more information for them to write their report and sensory diet for the child.
Face to Face contacts
Since July 2020 Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy services have resumed face to face contacts in clinic, school or home settings. During the most recent lockdown our therapy services continued to see children face to face where this was appropriate and the family were happy for this to happen. Some of the observations and interventions required could only be carried out in school and if the child was not accessing a school place at this time then they were placed on hold and allocated a school visit slot for when the schools re opened and these visits have been booked in from 8th March 2021.
Changes to Clinic venues
From 1st April 2021 the paediatric occupational and physiotherapy service will be changing the venues it is delivering clinics from.
We are currently finalising details; however, we are planning the new clinic venues to be The O’Hanlon Centre, Peasley Cross, Lowe House Health Centre, Newton community hospital.
We will be in touch with all families that may be affected by these changes.
Current wait times
If a referral is made now parents can expect to wait 5 weeks for a virtual appointment.
If a referral is made now for PST they will wait no longer than 8 weeks to start the programme.
Recruitment of the Neurodevelopmental pathway Occupational Therapist
Unfortunately we were unsuccessful at recruiting to this post when it was first advertised. The post is currently out to advert; the process for applications closes on 28th March 2021.
