Join us and discover the best ways to support your child in the water and how to encourage water confidence in a fun, friendly environment.
Learning to swim is a rite of passage for many children; it is a fun and healthy activity, as well as a valuable life skill. Sadly, for many children and young adults with disabilities, accessing swimming lessons with appropriate pools, equipment and instructors, is no mean feat.
Here at Seashell, we are proud to be able to offer fully inclusive swimming opportunities for both our students and members of the community – and have done so for many years. Our state-of-the-art swimming pool (The Bertie Broome Swimming Pool) complete with moveable floor and self-depositing steps make our environment totally inclusive and make for a highly dignified swimming experience.
Our new parent and baby sensory swim sessions will include lights and music, as well as sensory toys and activities for your child to swim with.
Our Swim instructor, Katherine says: “I love working with children of all ages and have been a Swimming Teacher for over 5 years. I have experience delivering swim sessions for younger children, aged from 6 weeks to 4.5 years, and I will be using my experience to create fun, sensory sessions here at Seashell.”
Sessions are held every Tuesday 12.15-12.45pm and are £8 per session.
This week, health care professionals from across the country celebrate Occupational Therapy (OT) Week to help raise awareness and promote the enormous difference OT has on so many people’s lives.
At Seashell, we are incredibly lucky to have a multidisciplinary team of clinicians based on our campus, including Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists, Audiologists, Physiotherapists, Assistive Technologists and of course, Occupational Therapists! This team expertly support our students in school and college, as well as disabled children and young adults nationally.
So…what is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy (OT) is the implementation of strategies that help people do the things they want and have to do at home, work and everywhere else in between. That could mean overcoming challenges learning at school, going to work or taking part in physical activities.
It’s also a science-based, health and social care profession that is regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council.
What are occupations and why are they important?
An occupation is any activity that we need, want or like to do to live and look after our physical and mental health. We do occupations throughout our life, both independently and with others.
Examples of occupations are:
Self-care – such as washing, eating or sleeping
Productive – such as work, study, caring or domestic activities
Leisure – such as playing sports, hobbies or socialising.
Occupations vary depending on our environment, interests and values, they also change and develop throughout our lives.
What do Occupational Therapists do?
Occupational Therapists (OT’s) help break down barriers that might make an activity or an ‘occupation’ difficult to access. They look at how an activity, or the physical or social environment it takes place in, can be modified or adapted to make things easier. Just as importantly, they will work in collaboration with the person receiving therapy and their support network to ensure a holistic approach is taken.
Some examples of how our Occupational Therapy team support students at Seashell…
A student who has muscle weakness in their hands, may struggle with basic hygiene activities. Their OT would provide therapeutic strengthening and coordination exercises to help hold a toothbrush, hairbrush, and clothing.
A student who struggles with noisy, crowded environments meaning they cannot take part in certain experiences. Their OT would work to help them manage the extra audio input and respond appropriately by using specialised sensory integration techniques.
We are very proud of our Occupational Therapy team at Seashell, who work hard to transform the lives of children and young adults with the most complex disabilities.
Seashell’s OT Team
October is AAC Awareness Month and here at Seashell we want to use this time to celebrate and raise awareness. Seashell Speech and Language Therapist, Sarah has written a blog with a focus on the amazing range of strategies that our students use to communicate.
AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Augmentative meaning enhancing or supplementing speech and Alternative meaning used instead of speech.
Examples of AAC can include:
Sign language
Facial expression
Body language
Gesture
Pictures and symbols
Electronic communication devices
The Speech and Language Therapists here at Seashell work with the children and young adults, and the team around them, to ensure that the right strategies are being implemented and modelled to help these individuals to communicate as effectively as possible, in as many situations as possible.
10 tips for AAC!
Model, model, model! When you use AAC, you demonstrate to the individual how they can communicate. For example, with a communication book, point to the symbols whilst saying the key words. Model all types of communication, including requests, comments and questions.
Make it fun! Be playful and creative and tap into the individual’s interests. This will help motivate them to communicate.
Wait, watch and listen. Allow the child/young person time to process and think about what you have said, as well as time to respond. Pausing is a natural part of communication.
Ensure the AAC is available, always! If the individual’s AAC system is not to hand, they can’t use it! Consistent access to communication encourages spontaneous expression and reduces frustration, making it easier for individuals to communicate whenever they need to.
Ascribe meaning. If the individual expresses something that may appear as a mistake or their meaning is unclear to you, respond to their message as best as you are able as though they meant it. This allows them to explore language and understand the meanings of words through context.
Never be afraid to make mistakes. Your mistakes help the child/young person understand how to solve their own communication breakdowns. For example, ‘oh dear, I’ve made a mistake, let’s delete that word’ or ‘oops that wasn’t the right category, let’s go back!’
Help the child/young person learn new language by repeating their words back to them using their AAC and then add another word. For example, if they say ‘cat’ you could say ‘black cat’.
More comments, less questions! This allows the individual to share their thoughts and experiences without feeling pressured to respond directly, this can create a more relaxed and engaging interaction.
Create a language rich environment for the individual, this will actively encourage communication and development. Ensure you are using and modelling descriptive language, labelling items and narrating actions through their daily activities to expose them to new vocabulary.
Keep trying! It may not work first time but consistency is key.
The Speech and Language Therapists at Seashell have also created an A-Z of AAC which has been displayed around campus…
We are delighted to share that we have been able to offer a series of free workshops for parent carers of children and young adults with the most complex disabilities thanks to sponsorship from Slater and Gordon Lawyers.
So far, sessions have included Sleep Support, Internet Safety and a workshop focussing on wellbeing and self-care.
Still to come this year is legal support from Slater and Gordon themselves, Benefits advice, Mental Capacity Act information and an Understanding Behaviour session delivered by industry specialists.
We are so grateful that Slater and Gordon Lawyers were interested in supporting Seashell’s family services. So far the partnership has reached 40 parent carers, with many more to come.
Parent carers of disabled children face significant financial inequalities. Many are unable to work due to care responsibilities and the lack of/cost of appropriate childcare, so being able to remove financial barriers and deliver this support for free is invaluable.
The most recent workshop – wellbeing and self-care – was particularly well attended and feedback has suggested that it is an area that our families would the opportunity to engage with more in the future.
An attendee of our most recent workshop on wellbeing said: “It has been incredibly helpful and so lovely to feel listened to and seen as an individual.”
Another parent carer said: “It’s the first time we have been able to attend something as a couple for a long time.”
Rosalyn, a Principal Lawyer at Slater and Gordon said: “Although I regularly meet with families of children with complex needs and disabilities there is usually an agenda and endpoint to the meeting, and so it was a privilege to be able to just listen and absorb information and stories, which I hope will give me a greater degree of empathy and understanding generally.”
Jenny, Family Support and Participation Manager at Seashell said: “The partnership with Slater and Gordon has meant that we have already been able to host some really beneficial workshops for families, as well as some exiting plans for the autumn term. The feedback we get from families attending these events just shows how vital it is that we continue to offer parents the opportunity to attend workshops that not only empower them to increase their knowledge but also to look after their own health and wellbeing.”
The workshops have been delivered both online and in person, in the hope that as many families can access the support as possible.
Deafblindness is a unique disability affecting a wide range of people from babies to the older generation. It can be congenital (from birth) or acquired (occurs later in life) and varies in its severity and impact on the person’s access to communication, mobility and their environment.
What is Usher Syndrome?
Usher Syndrome is a leading cause of acquired Deafblindness across the world, with approximately 10,000 people with the condition in the UK alone (data from 2010). Advancements in genetic testing and these tests being more readily available are resulting in more babies and young children being diagnosed with Usher. It is a condition that causes varying degrees of Deafness from birth with sight loss occurring later in life, and often affects the young person’s balance.
The type of Deafness associated with Usher is sensorineural Deafness which is a problem with how the inner ear or auditory nerve works. Some people are fitted with cochlear implants or hearing aids to support this. Retinitis Pigmentosa is the visual impairment associated with Usher Syndrome. This is a progressive visual loss whereby the young person will first show signs of challenges in dim light or at night (night blindness) progressing to loss of peripheral vision.
The extent to which a young person with Usher Syndrome will lose their vision is very unique to each individual. Some may retain some degree of useful central vision, whilst others may go blind with no functional vision.
What are the different types of Usher Syndrome?
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Profound hearing loss or deafness at birth.
Moderate to severe hearing loss at birth.
Progressive hearing loss in childhood or early teens.
Decreased night vision by age 10, progressing to severe vision loss by midlife.
Decreased night vision by adolescence, progressing to severe vision loss by midlife.
Varies in severity and age of onset; night vision problems often begin in teens and progress to severe vision loss by midlife.
Balance problems from birth.
Normal balance.
Normal to near-normal balance in childhood; chance of later problems.
Children and young adults are diagnosed with 1 of 3 types of Usher Syndrome, often identified through genetic testing. The severity of Deafness and severity and onset of vision loss is different with each type.
More recently a fourth type of Usher Syndrome is being diagnosed which is characterised by late onset vision loss (from midlife) and late onset Deafness (from late teens to midlife). This type is not thought to be linked to challenges with balance.
Living with Usher Syndrome
Even though a young person is diagnosed as having a certain type of Usher, each person will go on a completely different journey, experiencing sensory change and loss at different times, and processing and adapting to these changes in different ways. No two people with Usher Syndrome are the same.
Children with Usher Syndrome are often late to walking due to the challenges faced by their Deafness or by the Vestibular Dysfunction linked to the condition.
Living with a lifelong, changing, progressive condition is a rollercoaster of emotions for the young person and their families. They often say that just as they are accepting the condition, their vision changes and they are “right back to square one again”, having to relearn skills and find different ways of doing things. Challenges change as the young people move through their education and into adult life but with the right support in place, people with Usher Syndrome are capable of living successful, independent and fulfilling lives.
Here at Seashell, we do our bit to offer support for ordinary living for those with sensory related disabilities and even offer sensory training services to help people living with sensory impairments.
How Seashell can help
Seashell Trust is a UK-leading disability charity and specialist in supporting children and young people with complex difficulties, disabilities and additional communication needs. We have harnessed this unique expertise to create a range of specialist assessment, support and disability training services that we provide to families and organisations across the education, health and care sectors.
To find out more about what we do and who we are, don’t hesitate to get in touch on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.
At our special needs college and specialist residential school, we ensure that our deafblind students thrive in an environment that is suited for them. In September 2023, our Royal College Manchester moved into Dockray, the former Royal School Manchester building. Locational changes like this can pose problems for deafblind students, but we were sure to take the necessary steps to make the adjustment as smooth as possible!
On the first day in the college building, one student appeared to recognise the space. He wanted to rapidly map the building, both upstairs and downstairs, and took himself to the room where he was previously based as a school student, taking staff with him. He explored the resources in the room, and once it was clear to him that this was now a storage room, he accepted.
Now that he was familiar with the environment, he quickly accepted his new classroom downstairs and his separate sensory diet room, which he accessed for short periods throughout the day. Another student also seemed very happy to return to her old familiar room!
How We Familiarised Our Students With Their New Environment
Building basic daily routines is integral to making our students feel at home in their new learning environment. Our routines encourage our students to map their area, building their orientation, mobility and independence. Within no time, our students were already making massive progress, with one student quickly able to map from the classroom to the kitchen with just a touch of reassurance on her back! Another was able to make their way to the gym when presented with his object of reference!
Whilst certain practical skills are important for helping deafblind students get around, there are also many ways in which we can improve the environment to support them.
How To Improve The Environment For Deafblind Students
There are many ways in which you can better suit your learning environment for deafblind students. Making your space as accessible and tactile as possible is integral to helping students understand the space around them.
You should set up your space with tactile cues which students can associate with different areas, be it textured walls or handrails. Sensory cues like lighting can be an excellent way to familiarise students with their environment and guide them from area to area. When it comes to visual cues, contrast is another important way to aid visually impaired students. For example, darker paints on door frames can contrast the shade of the door to make them far easier to see and recognise. The same goes for contrasting furniture against the walls and floor! It’s also important to keep background noise to a minimum to ensure that deafblind students’ limited hearing isn’t affected.
Here at Seashell, we’re always looking for new ways to improve our space to best accommodate our deafblind students and foster confidence in them as they move around our grounds. It’s paramount that we do our bit to make students feel both comfortable and supported whilst in our care.
Deafblind Support At Seashell
Now that you have a better idea of what the environment for deafblind students should be like, why not consider enrolling your loved one in our schools or colleges today? We also offer sensory training to help people understand the needs of deafblind people and support them as best they can. So whether you’re looking for disability training or SEND support, Seashell can help you out.
Why not also consider donating to our disability charity so we can continue creating safe and practical learning environments for those living with deafblindness?
Written by : Debra Lally (Royal College Manchester Advanced Practitioner) Liz Shaw (Royal College Manchester Tutor)
Deafblindness is a unique disability. Despite what you may think, it is not simply blindness plus deafness. The impaired senses cannot compensate for one another, making it a distinct disability which impacts on the individual’s ability to access information, communicate with others, and develop independence and mobility. This means that Deafblind people require specialist support provided by a trained MSI Intervenor. But what is an intervenor, exactly, and what does their role involve?
What is an Intervenor and what do they do?
An intervenor is a trained professional who acts as the “eyes” and “ears” of a person who is deafblind, providing specialised communications services and support.
What does the role of an Intervenor involve?
The intervenor works consistently with the Deafblind person to facilitate access, reduce their likelihood of becoming socially isolated and support them in connecting with their world. The Deafblind person is likely to have some useful residual vision and hearing but needs to be taught how to use the information they are receiving through their distance senses effectively.
The intervenor will also support them in learning how to integrate this with all the other sensory input they are receiving, including tactile, haptic, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory. Without this, there is a real risk of them functioning at a level which is far below their capabilities.
The role of the Intervenor spans both home/community settings and educational settings, thereby offering access to visual and auditory information and access to communication. This works to facilitate relationships with others and promote the independence of Deafblind people. By providing sensory access to learning and activities, intervenors help Deafblind people adapt to the many environments around them.
The motto of intervenors is “To do with and not for!” as this allows the Deafblind person to have confidence and a sense of agency!
Seashell’s Sensory Training
Here at Seashell, we offer our very own sensory training program to help people support Deafblind people. Our course offers you the knowledge from experts in Deafblindness, as well as in-person experience at our campus in Cheadle Hulme, South Manchester.
If you’re keen to help transform the lives of children living with complex sensory conditions, we are excited to support you in your learning!
How Seashell can help
Seashell Trust is a UK-leading disability charity and specialist in supporting children and young people with complex difficulties, disabilities and additional communication needs. We have harnessed this unique expertise to create a range of specialist assessment, support and disability training services that we provide to families and organisations across the education, health and care sectors.
Written by Veena Ramrakhiani. Qualified Teacher of Multi-Sensory Impairments/ Deafblindness; Seashell Sensory Support Team
Find out more about our popular Intervenors Course here.
Sensory rooms make use of various stimuli in order to engage the senses of people living with a variety of sensory conditions. These rooms aim to support people in developing their senses, fostering a new level of confidence, independence, and accessibility in their everyday lives.
Sensory rooms can benefit a massive variety of conditions, from Deafblindness to autism, with proven effectiveness for a whole selection of people. Here at Seashell, we make use of sensory rooms at our facility to support young adults with complex needs, helping them learn, relax and engage.
As part of Seashell’s campus transformation, our Audiology team were given an opportunity to design an industry-leading Audiology Clinic within the new Moulding Foundation Building.
What is an Audiology Clinic?
Using our specialist knowledge and understanding of children and young adults with the most complex needs, our fantastic team of experts were able to create a specialist Audiology Clinic that is as accessible as possible – designed with both students with hearing impairments and deafblind students in mind. But what is an Audiology Clinic, and how can it support students?
Our Audiology Clinic is designed to test students’ hearing and sight, offering them the opportunity to move freely and safely around the room. Providing both enrichment and learning opportunities, our Audiology Clinic is an undeniably valuable asset to our campus.
Our Layout
Learning from the difficulties of our previous suite within an older building on campus, we knew we wanted to remove any physical hazards, such as heavy cabinets and leads. We designed a space with limited exposed wiring, disguising it in trunking. Cabinets have been replaced with wall-mounted screens with protective casing. These changes allow our students with visual impairment to move around and map the room freely and, importantly, safely.
Sensory Testing
We next looked at the testing accessibility for our deafblind students. In a typical Audiology suite, we use a test called VRA (Visual Reinforcement Audiometry), which encourages children to turn when they hear a sound by rewarding them visually with a toy or cartoon. In order to make this more accessible for students who are visually impaired, we have had lighting installed which allows us to light up the side of the room where the sound is. This has enabled us to offer a bigger visual reward for students who may struggle to focus on a small screen or toy.
We are also able to instantly change the colour of the lights which allows greater flexibility to find a colour that may be accessible.
Fostering Enjoyment
Lastly we looked at adding more enjoyment for our Deafblind students. We have updated our toys to include bigger items, such as beanbags in a bucket, to allow VI students to participate in games. We have also added a vibro-chair to support the students to relax and settle into the room.
How Seashell can help
Seashell Trust is a UK-leading disability charity and specialist in supporting children and young people with complex difficulties, disabilities and additional communication needs. We have harnessed this unique expertise to create a range of specialist assessment, support and disability training services that we provide to families and organisations across the education, health and care sectors.
Written by Kate Ellor, (Senior Audiologist) Seashell Trust
We offer a variety of communication courses, suitable for beginners or those wanting to brush up on existing knowledge.
British Sign Language Level 1 will take beginners through the first steps to learning sign language. It’s a great way to learn the basics and opens the doors to the potential of learning BSL at higher levels.
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