Developing a Sensory‑Friendly, Welcoming Clinic Environment

We are delighted to share some recent developments within our MDT clinic that reflect our ongoing commitment to creating spaces where children and young people feel welcome, safe, calm, and understood. We know that when children feel regulated and emotionally safe, it becomes easier for them to engage, communicate and take part in clinic appointments in ways that feel manageable. With this in mind, we have been continuing to adapt our clinic environment to better meet the sensory and emotional needs of the children and young people we work with.

Supporting Sensory Regulation in Everyday Ways

Over recent months we have expanded the range of sensory supports available at reception and throughout the clinic. These supports are freely available and reflect the fact that everyone regulates differently.

Children and young people can now access ear defenders to help reduce any sensory overload. We have also added tactile regulation supports, including sequin boards, which allow children to engage their hands in a calming and grounding way.

Our weighted teddies have quickly become a firm favourite, with children and all ages (including a few staff!).

To support visual and movement base regulation, we have introduced a bubble lamp, offering gentle, soothing visual input, and Move ‘n’ Sit cushions for children who benefit from subtle movement while waiting or during sessions.

These supports are not viewed as “extras” but as part of our commitment to creating a neuro-affirming environment, one that quietly accommodate differences in sensory processing, regulation and communication.

Making Feelings Visible and Heard

We are also working to better understand how children experience our clinics emotionally. We recognise that emotional check-ins can be challenging, particularly for children who are non-verbal, who find verbal communication difficult, or who are still developing the language of emotions.

To support this important area, we are introducing a range of communication-friendly tools to enable children to show us how they are feeling when they arrive and before they leave the clinic. These include:

• Velcro feelings boards with clear, accessible visuals

• Feelings wheel offering a wide range of emotional states

• Simple, age-appropriate visual options to indicate how safe, calm or happy a child or young person feels

There is no expectation or pressure for a child to engage with these tools in any particular way or indeed at all. The invitation is there to communicate that every child’s thoughts, views and feelings matter. For some children, simply having the opportunity to choose a feeling card is a powerful step towards building emotional literacy and trust.

Shaped by Families, Guided by Lived Experience

These developments have been shaped directly by feedback from children and families and our Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy teams. We are deeply grateful for the insights and suggestions shared.

We know that small changes to the environment can have a meaningful impact on how safe a child feels. Our ongoing aim is that every child and young person feels:

• Welcome and accepted as they are

• Supported to regulate in ways that work for them

• Heard and valued

We will continue to listen, learn and adapt so that from the moment you walk through our doors, the clinic feels like a place where children and families can breathe a little easier.