How Sense Family Days are bringing joy to children like Leo

Written by Simona, Leo's mum on

There’s something special about walking into a Sense Family Day. Everyone is – if you’ll excuse the pun – having a ball!

Parents. Siblings. And most importantly, children like my six-year-old son Leo who is deafblind.

Simona holds Leo - she has blond hair and is wearing a surgical mask under her chin and Leo has curly hair and is wearing glasses. They are both smiling at the camera.
Leo’s mum Simona with Leo when he was a toddler

In some ways, that seems like it should be a given at playgroups. But I can tell you from personal experience, when you have a deafblind child, that isn’t always the case.

Instead, we’re met with barriers. The venue’s not wheelchair-accessible. The activities aren’t suitable.

And even when everything is fine, it’s just that… fine. As in, nothing dramatic happened. Leo found something to play with, sort of.

Even when nothing is wrong, there’s still this feeling that we don’t quite belong. But not on a Sense Family Day!

Family Days are one of my favourite things about working for Sense. We run them throughout the year, and they are free for families to attend. They are tailored to disabled children with complex needs, but are suitable for the whole family – siblings, parents and grandparents!

Caroline, Children & Young People Service support

Having a ball!

From the moment we arrived, I felt like this was the right place for Leo, and for me.

Leo wasn’t just there, he was playing. He was taking part and actively participating. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do, not a single activity where he was left on the sidelines. That means so, so much.

Leo is wearing a green T-shirt and sitting in a ball pit holding a large orange fish. He sits next to his mum Simona and points at the camera.
Leo with his mum Simona at the ‘Let’s Have a Ball’ Family Day at Sense in Barnet

Leo loved sharing in a range of sensory activities, especially Sensory Storytime.

We included things we knew would be attractive and would work for children who are deaf and have vision impairment. This way he extended his attention, and engaged with what was going on, which was great for him.

Liz, Leo’s MSI (multi-sensory impairment) teacher

Leo attended a Sense Family Day called ‘Let’s Have a Ball’ which was full of ball-themed activities.

There was ball throwing (Leo’s favourite!), songs and activities with balls, a ball pit, even painting with balls. And then a sensory disco (complete with sparkly disco ball) for Sense’s 70th birthday.

Alongside ball-themed activities, there were also sensory music and craft sessions, and a sensory room full of specialist equipment was available throughout the day.

Everything is free-flow, so we could dip in and out of activities depending on what Leo was enjoying, or if he got overwhelmed.

Having that flexibility is so important, and it’s something you don’t often get at many mainstream playgroups.

It’s that expertise and personal touch that really sets Sense apart.

‘Marching ants up a log’

Leo is wearing a yellow hoodie and holding a blue paper bird up to a dark blue bird his support worker is holding.
Leo at a ‘Sensory Storytime’ Family Day exploring movement with a bird toy

Like many deafblind children, Leo struggles with spatial awareness – understanding where his body is in the space around him. He’ll rarely use both hands at the same time.

But at the Sense Family Day, they did a special song and activity called ‘marching ants up a log’ – using a ball and rolling it up a wall to signify the marching ants.

During that, Leo used both his hands together to roll the ball, which is a huge achievement. And now, he’s started doing it at home too!

It doesn’t seem like much, but that coordination is a really important skill for learning sign language or using adaptive technology in the future.

On the surface, a Sense Family Day is a stress-free day out that’s full of adventure. But beyond that, I know every activity has been carefully designed with Leo’s learning and development in mind.

So when you help fund a Sense Family Day, you’re not just funding a day of sensory activities.

You’re also supporting disabled children with complex needs to improve their communication, gain confidence and learn the skills they’ll need later in life.

Trips to the zoo, sailing and climbing!

Leo and I have been to two Sense Family Days so far, and I hope we can go to many more! The ones we attended were at our local Sense Centre, in Barnet, but they also run outside activities like trips to the zoo, sailing, snow tubing, even climbing!

It would be amazing for Leo to try something like that. But I know that so many Sense Family Days are already oversubscribed.

Each Sense Family Day has been so important to Leo’s wellbeing and his development, so the thought of any child missing out really breaks my heart.

Your support is vital to families like mine

I didn’t realise until recently that Sense Family Days are funded through donations from people like you.

Having a deafblind child can feel incredibly isolating, but Sense Family Days give us somewhere to belong. They meet each child’s individual needs, reduce stress, help us feel part of a community – and they do all this while everyone is having a ball!

That is incredibly rare, and I can’t think of a more special gift for another family like mine.

Will you give a gift to support a child like my son Leo to have a ball on a Sense Family Day?

The reason Sense are asking for £40 specifically, is this amount could buy a set of specialist sensory balls in different sizes, colours and textures – just like the ones Leo had so much fun with on his Sense Family Day!

Donate today