General advice for all the needs in this category:

• Talk to the child/young person to find out what they feel is best for them
• Consistent routines, provide pictures, symbols or photos to support understanding.
• Multi-sensory approach to learning, this could be in the form of visuals, actions and movement to support learning.
• Small group work when required
• Manage fatigue, not just with rest breaks it could be a movement break/brain break.
• Risk assessment without being risk adverse – young people with physical disabilities can experience some risk taking.
• Promote independence
• Accommodate equipment for posture, there needs to be adequate space within the classroom to use and access equipment easily.
• Reasonable adjustments to the environment and facilities – ramps, handles, height adjustable furniture, technology
• Adapted resources – scissors, writing equipment, wobble cushions, writing slopes
• Flexible delivery of the curriculum, this can include pre and post teaching of new subjects, chunking information.
• Prompts for organisation for the child which will support their independence, for example prompt sheets on desks or on bags of what the young person requires.
• Additional time for processing, learning and responding to instructions and requests.
• Opportunities to develop social and emotional relationships.
• Movement breaks
• Supervision at unstructured times when required.
• Ensure that, in conjunction with health professionals, any individual health care plan is maintained and arrangements for any specific training from health professionals are put in place, this can include epilepsy, bladder and bowel, gastrostomy feeding, diabetes, manual handling for example.

View and/or download the full Sensory and Physical Needs Toolkit