How my specialist support kept one little explorer in school

When I first met Harvey, he was bursting with energy and personality. He was eager to play with me, proudly showing off everything he knew about colours and shapes. He’s got this sweet, angelic smile, the kind of smile that people always comment on.

Harvey, who was born deafblind, is a fearless explorer. During one of my visits to his nursery, he made a beeline for the scariest parts of their outdoor play area. Everyone watching was on edge, but the balancing beams and stepping stones were no match for his confident outlook on life.

But it hasn’t always been easy for Kim to get the right support for her youngest son. When I first met them, they were in a rough place. They didn’t know what support Harvey needed or how to access it.

A late start

When I first became involved, I was shocked by the lack of support that had been in place for Harvey and his family. There was no specialist understanding of his needs as a deafblind child, and getting an education, health and care plan (EHCP) was proving difficult.

Without Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) expertise, vital aspects of his learning and communication were being forgotten.

When he finally got some specialist input, I worked closely with them to share an MSI perspective. This made a real difference in shaping the understanding around his needs.

The lack of early intervention delayed access to things like pre-Braille skills and assistive technology. Both could have opened up his world much sooner. He needed a tactile and sensory approach, a strategy that would help him feel his way through communication and learning. A strategy that I helped to implement in his life.

Building the right support around him

To ensure Harvey stayed in education, I had to focus on building the right support network around him – not just for Harvey, but for the people who care for and teach him. I brought everyone together, from his family to his teachers, as well as the local authority.

A coordinated approach with MSI strategies was needed to support his development and independence. At his nursery, I worked closely with the team to share ideas on how to adapt activities to better support his needs. I modelled a sensory approach to lesson planning and provided extra communication-based training for their staff.

Together, we discussed what meaningful inclusion looks like for Harvey, things like how to build a sensory-rich environment, how to communicate in ways that made sense to him, and how to make sure he could safely explore and learn with confidence.

A new chapter

I still visit Kim and Harvey, which I love, it’s one of the favourite parts of my job. Even when families move forward, they often need continued support, especially during transitions.

I’ll be visiting his new school soon to keep working with the staff, ensuring they have the right MSI support around him. There’s always work to do, but so far, I’m thrilled to hear he’s loving school and that they adore having him there.

Through our Toy Library scheme, we recently lent Kim and Harvey a Tonies box – an audio toy that plays stories when you place different tactile characters on top.

At first, he didn’t like it and wasn’t interested, because it didn’t make sense to him. But since figuring it out, he is completely hooked. “You can’t have it back!”, Kim texted, half joking!

It might seem small, but it shows how his confidence and engagement have grown. When we first intervened at his nursery, he found listening difficult but by adapting his environment we have made listening more enjoyable for Harvey. Kim put it well herself:

Without support from Sense, there’s no way Harvey would still be at nursery

Kimberly Hind, Harvey’s mother

For other professionals or families in similar situations, I’d say this: don’t give up.

The system can be slow, and progress can feel frustrating. Disabled children and their families need people to stand beside them, and that is exactly what Sense is here to do.