The case
for play
The importance of play for children who are
deafblind and have complex needs
1
Sense is a national
charity supporting and
campaigning for people
who are deafblind and
those with sensory
impairments.
2
Making the case for play
Every day our specialist Children
and Family Support Workers use pla
y to engage with
children who are deafblind and hav
e complex needs.
Play is a vital part of a child’s dev
elopment – it helps them to learn,
to
understand and to grow. Being ima
ginative and creative with play is
particularly important for childre
n with sensory impairments. It is
not about
specialist play; it is about making
all types of play accessible and sup
porting
children to interact.
While we understand how import
ant play is, we also know that it’s
not easy for families
to recognise the best way to play
with their child or how to find the
right play settings.
Many families often ask us for sup
port with play. Our Children and Fam
ily Support
Workers are able to work with fam
ilies to develop play skills and sha
re ideas about
accessible activities. As children get
older, access to play continues to
feature in our
work – this is because young peo
ple do not always have access to
the support they
need to play in their community.
Deafblind Awareness Week 2015
(starting 22 June) marks the beginn
ing of a year-long
Sense campaign that will investiga
te the barriers to play faced by dis
abled children,
as well as what we can do to break
down those barriers. This report ma
kes a start by
examining the specific challenges
encountered by the children and fam
ilies we support.
In September, we will launch an inq
uiry into play and will ask and sup
port families,
practitioners and others in the cha
rity sector to share their experience
s and expertise.
I hope you will join us in this import
ant campaign – together we can ma
ke the case for play.
Gillian Morbey OBE
Chief Executive, Sense and Sense
International
3
Why play?
Play is such a natural part of childhood that
many of us take it for granted. But play is
fundamentally important for every child.
It is important first and foremost because it is
fun. Play is joyful and gives children freedom
to pretend, create and explore. It is such an
essential contributor to a child’s wellbeing
that it is recognised as a right by the United
Nations and the UK.i
Play also helps to promote children’s
development, both educationally and socially.
Through play, children learn how to express
emotion, engage with others and feel a
sense of belonging. It also fosters children’s
imagination and independence. ii
Why is play more
difficult for children
who are deafblind and
for those with complex
disabilities?
When we talk about children who are
deafblind we mean:
•Children who have difficulties with sight
and hearing
•Children who have medical conditions that
are likely to cause problems with sight and
hearing as they grow older (for example,
Usher syndrome).
Children may:
•Not be able to use more than one sense
at a time
•Be slow in responding to things they have
seen, heard, touched or smelled
•Be ‘tactile sensitive’ – unwilling to touch or
be touched
•Take longer to develop skills using vision,
hearing or other senses
•Have changing levels of sight and/or
hearing – they may see an object one day,
but not the next. This is highly confusing
and frustrating, and can lead others to
assume that they can see or hear more than
they can.
All children play, but children who are
deafblind or have complex disabilities play
in different ways to other children. They also
reach key development milestones later than
children who are not disabled. There are
several reasons for this, including:
Sensory impairments affect a child’s
ability to access information or learn by
watching the world around them.
This lack of information makes it harder for
children who are deafblind to engage with
other people, including their families. A key
development milestone for all children is
establishing the ability to share a common
focus on something (people, objects, a
concept, an event) with someone else.1 iii It is
not uncommon for families to find it hard to
engage in this way with their child. Because
of this, some parents tell us that they did not
know how to use play to establish a bond with
their child in their early years.
Many children who are deafblind will also
have a range of complex needs, including
learning and physical disabilities (for instance,
poor balance or limited movement) and
medical needs.
1
4
This is known as ‘joint attention’.
Some of these children may find it
harder to make friends.
Without being able to observe others,
children can struggle to understand what is
appropriate and how their actions – good
and bad – affect their peers. Difficulties
with communication and not being able to
see when other children attempt to initiate
play can be further barriers to children
making friends and playing with others.iv, v A
consequence of these various factors is that
children are more likely to play on their own
or with adults. vi
The availability of suitable play
groups and play spaces for children
who are deafblind.
Some families feel strongly that their child
does best in groups and settings specifically
for disabled children, either because their
child has medical needs or the parent feels
that other parents may not understand their
situation.viii Others prefer for their child to take
part in mainstream activities.ix Unfortunately,
families can’t make the choice that is right for
their child if the appropriate groups or services
are not available in their community.
Sensory impairments can impact on
the way in which children play.
Children can struggle to engage in symbolic
play, or pretend play (i.e., where a block
‘becomes’ a car that the child drives around
on the floor). Their attempts to initiate
symbolic play may also be missed if their
movements reflect their different experiences
of the world. Delays in developing their
concept of ‘object permanence’2 and
language vii may also affect this.
The presence of play groups and activities
does not guarantee opportunities will be
suitable for a particular child, however. Though
a group leader of a mainstream activity might
welcome a child, they might not know how to
engage with them.x This can put parents off
bringing their child to that group again.
Though the barriers are numerous and
sometimes complex, children want to play.
Play does as much, if not more, to support
their development as it does for nondisabled children.
Supporting families with play activities is
the most common focus of our early years
interventions. The five families’ stories in
this report demonstrate the challenges that
children and their families experience in
accessing play. They also show the many
benefits of play and highlight the kinds of
support families need.
2
‘ Object permanence’ is the process of understanding
that objects continue to exist even when they cannot
be observed.
5
Abbie: Experimenting
and exploring to
find play that works
Abbie Grace is five years old
and has profound hearing
loss and significant visual
impairment. She has multiple
learning difficulties, a
tracheostomy to help her
breathe, and she can’t walk
or sit up independently.
Abbie’s mum:
‘When Abbie was young she was tactile
sensitive and because she didn’t see or
understand the smiles, looks and speech that
others might respond to, she’d withdraw when
you touched her. Initially Abbie showed little
interest in anything.
Emotional and developmental support came
from Sense. Our Children and Family Support
Worker came to our house with a bag full of
various things. She tried different toys, noises
and colours to see what would stimulate and
interest Abbie. We discovered that anything
with flashing lights would gain her attention.
So initially it was visual. We created a sensory
tent for her and filled it with colourful lights,
laser toys and fibre optics, and found that
when we put Abbie into the tent she became
very relaxed and contented.
6
Over time we’ve explored different objects
with Abbie to stimulate her senses. One
particular item that she really responded
positively to is silver paper – the kind you get
wrapped in after a marathon. I’d place it over
her head and wave and crunch it up in front of
her and she’d giggle. At first, we would have
to place it in her space and play with it for
her. Over the last few months, though, we’ve
started to see her playing with it by herself.
She will roll towards the shiny paper, grab it,
place it over her head and play peek-a-boo.
It’s wonderful to see.
Every time we see our support worker she’ll
introduce new ideas or give us new things to
try to help us to share different experiences
with Abbie, and support her sensory
development. We now notice that Abbie
will play independently. She’s touching toys
she never would have shown any interest in
before and is even exploring them with her
hands and her mouth. We needed a specialist
to support and guide us and this is what our
support worker did. She has shown us how we
can encourage and interact with Abbie in a
beneficial way that is also fun, interesting and
enjoyable for us all.’
Context
each other.
Abbie and her mum needed help to find out how to play with
Abbie might
Their support worker was able to make suggestions about what
dence she
like and, crucially, give Abbie’s mum the inspiration and confi
needed to experiment.
activities, and it
Abbie was sensitive to touch and overwhelmed by ordinary
ally so that
was therefore important to introduce tactile experiences gradu
example of an
Abbie was ready to experience them. The sensory tent is one
helps Abbie
and
environment that stimulates different sensory experiences
ases creative
to focus – it provides her with relaxation and enjoyment, incre
sensory input and improves her communication and mobility.
Benefits of play:
that can
•Sensory spaces provide a relaxing play environment, one
ts. Play helps
encourage children to share a common focus with their paren
Abbie ‘tune in’ to and bond with her mum.
– using touch,
•Early support to help families learn how to play together
help a parent
vibrations, sound and visuals (depending on the child) – can
to better
establish a connection with their child, and understand how
respond to their needs.
s.
• Turn-taking games are fun and help to stimulate the sense
Recommendations:
support from
•All children and their families should have early access to
ention through
specialist workers. Local authorities should make early interv
play a funding priority.
e on how to play
•Parents should have better access to information and advic
. Our top tips
with their child, including how to make their own toys at home
can be found in on page 19.
7
Ernie: Learning and
growing through play
Ernie and his twin brother,
Ted, are three. Ernie was
born with Down’s syndrome
and sight and hearing
impairments. Ernie also has
weak muscles, as a result of his
Down’s syndrome.
Ernie’s mum, Helen:
‘Ernie’s quite an entertainer. He loves drawing,
arts and crafts, and any sensory play, like
shaving foam, bubbles and things like that.
Ted is the same; they’ve got quite similar
interests – though Ted is a bit more rough
and tumble!
Ernie goes to nursery with Ted. They’ve got
a really nice Special Educational Needs CoOrdinator worker, and the nursery is fantastic.
Ernie loves it there.
At nursery Ernie’s in a room with three to four
year olds and they don’t think anything of
him. I’m sure Ernie doesn’t think anything
differently of them. He does have one-to-one
sessions at nursery for areas such as fine motor
skills, but the rest of the time is spent joining in
and having fun – that’s what it’s all about at
that age, isn’t it? Learning through play and
keeping things interesting and motivating
for him.
Ernie started to learn how to sign from a Sense
Children and Family Support Worker. He
[Graham] was fun and got down onto Ernie’s
level. The boys were at Sense’s Woodside
8
Family Centre in Bristol where they have a
bubble tube. The support worker was using
signs to describe the bubbles and you could
tell Ernie was really receptive to it. Ernie likes
copying things so he just loved it.
Ernie has reached a few milestones at
Woodside. He stood for the first time when
we were doing circle time. Sometimes during
circle time, if a child’s achieved something, we
do a little show and tell. Ernie was sat in the
middle of the circle on this particular day and
stood up and it was really emotional. Some
of the other mums were welling up! That’s
the sort of thing we do there, celebrate new
achievements, and that was one of his.’
Helen Potter, Sense Children and
Family Support Worker:
‘When I first met the boys, Ted was chatting
away, while Ernie would point at everything
and make sounds – trying to be understood.
Ernie’s weak muscles make it very hard for him
to shape his mouth into words. And when he
began to learn to sign, he didn’t have enough
strength or coordination.
I got Ernie pushing his fingers into Plasticine,
pouring glitter over the tables and finger
painting. I’m sure you can picture how the
room looked – colourful mayhem! But during
each activity I made sure Ernie was exercising
the muscles he needed to sign. Ernie happily
sat at messy play for hours, and with each
splodge and splat he made, his hands became
stronger and stronger.’
Context
At Sense’s Woodsid
e Family Centre, staf
f created a supportiv
environment and id
e
entified the best w
ays to interest Erni
his communication
e
in
de
veloping
skills: bubbles and
messy play. With th
made significant pr
is support, Ernie
ogress.
Messy play helps to
stimulate Ernie’s cu
riosity, and provides
for him to explore an
opportunities
d learn. It encourag
es a positive approa
no ‘right way’ to do
ch as there is
messy play. It also
helps to develop co
problem solving sk
ncentration and
ills. The tactile expe
rience gives Ernie th
variety of textures,
e experience of a
stimulating his sens
e of touch.
Ernie’s mum identifi
ed the supportive en
vironment at Woods
something that ha
ide as
s encouraged Ernie’
s
development. Mak
celebrate achievem
in
g
time to
ents, like they do at
Woodside, is somet
be done anywhere
hing that can
.
Benefits of play:
•Play helps childre
n with sensory impa
irments and compl
to use touch to expl
ex needs, like Ernie,
ore the world, learn
and develop comm
and have a better un
unication skills,
derstanding of wha
t is going on around
•This progress will
them.xi
make it easier for Er
nie to communicat
Ted and the other ch
e with his brother
ildren at his nursery.
•A supportive envi
ronment, where a ch
ild feels relaxed an
his or her surroundi
d more aware of
ngs, can encourage
development and
can be used at hom
build skills that
e.
Recommendation
s:
•Families, suppor
t workers and teache
rs should make tim
successes children
e to celebrate the
achieve through pl
ay.
• Communication
support for children
should prioritise th
e use of play.
9
Isaac: Early support matters
Isaac is three-and-a-half
years old. He has CHARGE
syndrome3 and has cortical
vision impairment, as well
as significant hearing loss.
Isaac doesn’t use speech,
but uses gestures and facial
expressions to communicate.
Recently he started to use
signs. He has a younger
brother who is one-and-a-half
and a little sister who is due
in July.
Isaac’s mum, Kelly:
‘We only started to receive support when
Isaac was two. Before then, our paediatrician
kept writing referrals to our local authority,
but nothing came of them. I was trying to get
speech and language therapy for Isaac and
really struggled. I was lucky I was at home and
had time to do some research. We bought or
made sensory toys for him ourselves.
Our Sense Children and Family Support Worker
was the first person who spoke to us about
Isaac’s multi-sensory (MSI) needs. Nobody
had ever discussed this with us before. Once
she got involved everything started getting
easier for us.
She focused on touch and brought a game
with her, which is about developing senses
using touch and music. When our support
worker introduced us to that type of play it
gave me a chance to bond with Isaac, taking
into account his needs. It also enabled me
to step into his world, and I think it helped us
both feel less isolated from one another.
When they are babies and young toddlers,
children with MSI are working so hard to
understand the world around them. As parents
we don’t have any awareness of what they
are going through; we can’t experience the
world the way they do. I was quite stunned
and I didn’t know how to interpret what my
baby was trying to tell me. Our support worker
explained how Isaac experiences things and
why he behaves in certain ways. And it was like
putting the pieces of a puzzle together. It is so
good when someone helps you to understand.
We now have a multi-sensory support worker
who has been working with us since last
March. She often picks Isaac up from nursery,
and they’ll go to play groups, the local pool
or the Plymouth Aquarium. He loves the
aquarium with all the fish!
Isaac is a really confident little boy. He is quite
robust actually; he just gets on with it!’
3
10
HARGE is a rare condition that can affect different
C
parts of the body. The most common problems are
with the eyes, ears, heart, nasal passages, feeding
and with growth. Many children born with CHARGE
are multi-sensory impaired as a result.
Context
mum should have received greater
Though Isaac is thriving now, Isaac and his
done to identify Isaac’s needs and to
support earlier on. More should have been
ired.
understand the types of help that were requ
an
Because Isaac is deafblind, he is entitled to
xii
with the right expertise.
assessment from a professional
behaviour and way of communicating
Isaac’s mum found it hard to interpret his
helped her to understand Isaac and
when he was a baby. Their support worker
in’, or being able to identify the little
become more attuned to his needs. ‘Tuning
make to signify they want to play, has
signs that children with complex needs will
xiii
e children in play.
been identified as critical to engaging thes
Benefits of play:
ren who are deafblind develop
•Using touch and music in play can help child
their senses.
impairments can help parents bond
•Toys designed for children with sensory
to initiate play themselves.
with their children when they are not sure how
Recommendations:
tify children who are deafblind as
•Local authorities should do more to iden
uring that relevant professionals in
early as possible. They could do this by ens
ived training about deafblindness
education, social care and health have rece
information with other agencies.
and understand the importance of sharing
uld receive a specialist assessment,
•Once a child has been identified they sho
meet their needs.
and specialist support must be provided to
nts need help ‘tuning in’ to their child
•Early support should recognise that pare
together.
so that they can find the right ways to play
11
Ruby: Families
supporting families
Ruby is seven and has CHARGE
syndrome. She attends a
school for deaf children and is
very determined. She has an
older brother who she loves to
boss around.
Ruby’s mum, Lesley:
‘When Ruby was younger I wouldn’t take her
to regular toddler play groups. I felt vulnerable.
I couldn’t be bothered to explain to other
parents what was wrong with Ruby, and I
wanted to go to places where I could meet
people who would understand me. I did not
see what Ruby and I could get out of it.
12
We were introduced to Sense by Ruby’s Vision
Impaired and Hearing Impaired teachers
when Ruby was 18 months old. After getting
in touch with Sense, a Children and Family
Support Worker came round with all sorts of
toys and equipment. She brought a big bag of
toys and a resonance board, and it was great
for Ruby – she used to get so much sensation
and feeling from those toys.
Our support worker told us about the Sense
playgroup, Sparkles, in Barnet. It used to take
me 40 minutes to get there, but it was worth it.
I found everything I needed: we could borrow
toys, Ruby could mix with other children and I
became friends with the parents.
You did not need to explain to anybody
what was wrong; if you came along with a
feeding pump and a suction machine,
it was accepted.’
Context
While we want children to be welcom
e wherever they want to play, it is also
important that they, and their families
, feel safe and supported. At specialist
family groups, parents can help each
other and get expert support from sta
ff who
understand the best ways to create pla
y opportunities for their children.
In our view, both the child’s developm
ent, and the quality of the support the
ir
parents receive, is of equal importance
.
Benefits of play:
•Many parents who attend our fam
ily play groups tell us that the support
and
information they receive from other par
ents is invaluable.
•This is especially needed in a child’s
early years, when parents could be fee
ling
overwhelmed and confused. Families
also tell us that the earlier they receive
help, the sooner they can provide the
right support to their children.
Recommendations:
•Every local authority should provide
accessible play opportunities that me
et a
range of needs, including specialist and
mainstream settings.
•Disabled children and their families
should be involved in the design of pla
y
spaces and sessions to ensure they me
et their needs.
13
Abi: Providing
understanding and support
to create play opportunities
Abi is five. She has vision and
hearing impairments and uses
a cane to find her way around.
She wears hearing aids and
communicates via clear speech.
Abi’s mum, Tracy:
‘Abi likes anything her friends like – arts
and crafts, going to the park. It is a bit more
difficult for her to get involved when they play
physical games, like chasing each other on a
playground, or hiding. She ends up being the
one who has to chase them or they hide and
she can’t find them.
We can’t go to most soft play places as they
are too busy, too noisy and too hectic, which
Abi finds overwhelming. We have missed a few
birthday parties as a result.
We are trying to do a mix of activities with
Abi – keeping her involved in mainstream
activities on the one hand, but also going to
some tailored groups for disabled children.
MoorVision, a local charity for children with
vision impairments, runs arts and crafts
groups that Abi likes to go to. She used
to do gymnastics as a preschooler, which
she enjoyed – it also helped her physical
development. However, now she is at school
age, there is so much demand for the weekend
classes that selection is based on ability, so we
have stopped attending.
14
A big barrier to Abi participating in
mainstream activities is the attitude of people
who run the groups. The desire to make
activities accessible and inclusive is hugely
important, but it is also important that they
work in partnership with us and the intervenor
to understand Abi’s needs. Our group leader
at Rainbows is a SEN teacher at school, so she
is on the ball.
We went to story time in a library and some of
the leaders ensured it worked well for Abi. They
gave her a second copy of a book, so she could
follow, or allowed her to come up close and
have a look. But other leaders just don’t get it.
Quite a lot of Abi’s friends go to an afterschool club. They do some group games and
activities based on physical mobility, which
can be challenging for her. Abi could take
part if she had one-to-one communication
support, but this isn’t possible with the
number of hours she gets with her intervenor4
each week and the way intervenor service
operates. She would love to be able to go more
often and be with her friends.’
4
A
n intervenor provides one-to-one support to a
child who has been born with sight and hearing
impairments. The intervenor helps the individual to
experience and join in the world around them as much
as possible. They promote their personal and social
development, encourage independence and support
their communication. Intervenor support is usually
funded by local authorities’ children’s social services.
Context
in is limited by
Abi’s ability to take part in the play activities she is interested
er of hours her
the skills and knowledge of play group leaders, and the numb
intervenor is available.
knowledgeable
While it is unrealistic to expect every play group leader to be
lot about
about deafblindness, if they are receptive, they can learn a
individual children from their parents.
parents a much
Intervenors support children’s independence and give their
would be able to
needed break. If Abi had more hours with her intervenor she
take part in more mainstream play activities.
Benefits of play:
hments
•Through playing, children can build strong emotional attac
and friendships.xiv
Recommendations:
plays so that
•Parents should have an easy-to-use record of how their child
leaders. The
they can share that information with non-specialist play group
to set out how
‘Play Passport’5 (see page 20) is a tool that parents can use
be shared with
and when their child likes to play. The Play Passport can also
professionals, schools and other families.
e that the
•When assessing a child’s needs, local authorities should ensur
able to take
child is given adequate intervenor support so that they are
.
advantage of the play opportunities that are right for them
5
sion.
D
eveloped by Debby Watson PhD and shared with her permis
15
What next for Sense’s
play campaign?
There are many and varied barriers that
make it hard for deafblind children and those
with complex needs to play. This report has
sought to show that these barriers can be
overcome – and should be – so that children
are able to experience the joy of play, as well
as the developmental benefits.
In our research, and through our
conversations with families, more issues
came up than could be covered in the
scope of this report. These additional
issues included:
•Children being prevented from playing
because some adults are risk averse
•A lack of information about the number
and availability of accessible play settings
across the country
•A lack of research about the impact of
play on developmental progress for
children who do not communicate with
formal language.
16
There is obviously more work to be done
to fully understand the barriers to play
experienced by disabled children. This is why
Sense is launching a wider inquiry into play
in the autumn.
We have made practical recommendations
that can be implemented by families,
professionals and local authorities. More than
anything, however, we hope that this report
can be used as a tool by families to ensure
that they receive the right play support for
their children who are deafblind.
Summary of
recommendations
For parents:
For local authorities:
•Parents should have better access to
information and advice on how to play
with their child, including how to make
their own toys at home. Our top tips can be
found on page 19.
•All children and their families should
have early access to support from
specialist workers. Local authorities should
make early intervention through play a
funding priority.
•Parents should have an easy-to-use record
of how their child plays so that they can
share that information with non-specialist
play group leaders. The ‘Play Passport’
is a tool that parents can use to set out
how and when their child likes to play.
The Play Passport can also be shared with
professionals, schools and other families.
•Local authorities should do more to
identify children in their early years. They
could do this by ensuring that relevant
professionals in education, social care
and health have received training about
deafblindness and understand the
importance of sharing information with
other agencies.
For practitioners:
•Once a child has been identified they
should receive a specialist assessment, and
specialist support must be provided to help
to meet their needs.
•Families, support workers and teachers
should make time to celebrate the
successes children achieve through play.
•Communication support for children
should prioritise the use of play.
•Early intervention should recognise that
parents of deafblind children need help
‘tuning in’ to their child so that they can
find the right ways to play together.
•Disabled children and their families
should be involved in the design of play
spaces and sessions to ensure they meet
their needs.
•Every local authority should provide
accessible play opportunities that meet
a range of needs, in both specialist and
mainstream settings.
•Local authorities should ensure that the
child is given adequate intervenor support
so that they are able to take advantage
of the play opportunities that are right
for them.
You can keep in touch with the play
campaign at www.sense.org.uk/play
17
Endnotes
United Nations (1990). United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Available: http://www.unicef.org.uk/
Documents/Publication-pdfs/UNCRC_
PRESS200910web.pdf. Last accessed
11 May 2015.
ii
Lester, S & Russell, W (2008). Play for a
change. Available: http://www.playengland.
org.uk/media/120438/play-for-a-changelow-res.pdf. Last accessed 14 May 2015.
iii
Nunez, M (2014) Joint attention in
deafblind children: A multi sensory path
towards a shared understanding of
the world. Sense: Glasgow Caledonian
University
iv
Murdoch, H (2002) Early intervention for
children who are deafblind. London: Sense.
v
Preisler, G. (1993) A descriptive study of
blind children in nurseries with sighted
children. Sweden Child: care, health and
development,19, 295-315
vi
Celeste, M (2006) Play Behaviors and
Social Interactions of a Child Who Is Blind:
In Theory and Practice Journal of Visual
Impairment and Blindness, February,
75-90.
vii
Finn, D; Fewell, R and Vadasy, P (1988)
The Play of Young Children Who Have Dual
Sensory Impairments Communication
development in young children with
deafblindness: Literature review Oregon.
i
18
See Ruby’s story.
See Abi’s story.
x
Abi
xi
Pizzo, L & Bruce, S (2010) Language and
Play in Students with Multiple Disabilities
and Visual Impairments or Deaf-Blindness
Journal of Visual Impairment
& Blindness
xii
Department of Health (2014). Care and
Support for Deafblind Children and Adults
Policy Guidance. Available:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/
system/uploads/attachment_data/
file/388198/Care_and_Support_for_
Deafblind_Children_and_Adults_Policy_
Guidance_12_12_14_FINAL.pdf. Last
accessed 14 May 2015.
xiii
Watson, D (2014) ‘Go-getters’ and ‘clever
little cookies’: a summary of a multimethod study on playfulness and children
with PMLD. Bristol: University of Bristol.
xiv
Lester, S & Russell, W (2008).
viii
ix
Top tips for playing
with deafblind children
1Make sure your child is comfortably
positioned and as relaxed as possible.
2Some children can only use one sense
at a time initially, so do not do too
much too quickly – try only one or a few
things at a time.
3Children need time to respond and do
things for themselves. Let the child feel
for things without pushing them – you
can use hand under hand guidance to
feel things together.
4Observation is important so as not to
miss any of the child’s milestones, such
as increased babbling or increased use
of visual or hearing skills.
5Develop turn-taking games. These can
include action rhymes, cradling, rocking
and bouncing games. They provide
opportunities for stimulating the use of
vision, use of hearing, and toleration
of touch.
6Offer play with food. Children who are
developing normally will have lots of
opportunities to experiment and play
with their food. This is a precursor to
interacting with other substances such
as paint, Playdough and clay. Children
who are deafblind, by contrast, may
require feeding by an adult. Playing with
food substances, such as instant whip or
custard, will allow your child to explore
through vision, touch, smell and taste at
their own pace. In this way, children can
learn about the properties of substances
and how they can change.
7Use a resonance board. This is an aid
that feeds information back to your
child through vibro-tactile means.
Objects can be placed on the board
around your child, who feels the effects
of his or her own random movements
on the objects through both touch
and vibration.
8Choose toys that suit your child’s needs.
Plastic toys are not interesting if you
cannot see the colours or hear the tunes
they play. Everyday objects (such as
a mirror or Christmas lights) may be
better than toys, but always check for
safety. For example:
• Different types of brushes
• Textured fabrics
• Torches, preferably with
different colours
• A foot spa.
9There are objects ‘out there’ waiting
to be discovered and played with,
and we need to bring this world closer
to them. Children should be supported
to develop their early play and
sensory skills.
10Create a ‘sensory environment’ for the
child. These can range from specialist
rooms that may be found in schools
or day services, to an environment
that has been set up for the child at
home. For example, a pop-up camping
tent could be used to create an indoor
sensory ‘room’ that encourages a child
to learn, to look and to explore.
19
Photo
here
20
I feel playful if:
(this could be things like: I‘m comfortable, I’m out of my chair,
you’re tuned in to me, I know you well, etc.)
You can tell if I’m enjoying myself by:
(this could be things like: I’ll raise my eyebrows, I’ll giggle, I’ll sign ‘more’)
People who make me feel playful are:
(this could be names of actual people, or people who are lively,
people who know me well, people who sing, etc.)
I like it when people:
(this could be things like: tickle my toes, sing ‘row the boat’, etc.)
21
I like to be playful with:
(this could be things like: toys, objects, etc.)
I like to watch:
(this could be other children, things that swing, things that sparkle, etc.)
Children I like to be playful with or near are:
(this could be names of known children, siblings, cousins, classmates,
older children, more able children, etc.)
My favourite playful thing is:
(this could be something like: being tickled, peep-bo, or it could be my shiny mobile, etc.)
22
If I don’t want to be playful any more I will:
(this could be things like: I’ll turn my head away, I’ll close my eyes, I’ll scream, etc.)
I’m not likely to feel playful if:
(this could be things like: I’ve just had a seizure, I’m hungry,
I’m tired, I don’t like you, etc.)
I am frightened by:
(this could be things like: water, balloons, loud noises, etc.)
Please remember:
(this could be something like: I can only see you if you
are close to me, I love rough and tumble, etc.)
23
About Sense
Sense is a national charity that supports and campaigns
for children and adults who have sensory impairments
and complex needs. We provide tailored support, advice
and information to individuals, their families, carers and
the professionals who work with them.
We believe that each person has the right to choose the
support and lifestyle that is right for them; one that takes
into account their long-term hopes and aspirations.
Our specialist services enable each individual to live as
independently as possible, offering a range of housing,
educational and leisure opportunities.
Sense
101 Pentonville Road
London
N1 9LG
Tel: 0300 330 9256 (voice)
Text: 0300 330 9256
Fax: 0300 330 9251
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sense.org.uk/play
#playalong
Registered charity number 289868