What are additional needs?
If your child has a health or developmental condition that is impacting their everyday life, this is often referred to as an additional need. Additional needs can take many forms. It could be that from birth your child has had some extra challenges in life, or these challenges may have become clearer to you as your child has grown.
Your child’s additional needs could be:
- Developmental
- Physical
- Learning
- Behavioural
- Sensory
Your child’s needs might be easily met with a regular care plan or a more creative approach to their management. Some additional needs may continue throughout life and as a family, there will be times you may require support from a number of services.
All children and young people should have access to the right services, at the right time, to make sure they can reach their full potential.
What support do we offer?
We have a dedicated team who are on hand to provide support to children and young people with additional needs. Their aim is to make your child’s visit as easy and stress-free as possible by making reasonable adjustments.
Examples of reasonable adjustments include:
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter
- Alternative appointment times
- Adaptive communication
- Longer appointment times
- Quieter waiting areas
Getting support for additional needs
If your child needs support for their appointment at Alder Hey, please discuss this with your child’s care team.
If your child requires any further reasonable adjustments which are felt to be outside of our remit, then please contact our Learning Disabilities and/or Autism Team for assistance at 0151 228 4811 ext. 3322/4221 or email [email protected].
Sensory challenges
A visit to Alder Hey can be challenging if you are a young person with sensory challenges. Strong smells, loud noises and bright lights can be too much for a young person and can increase anxiety. However, we want you to feel relaxed and have the best experience possible. This short film will help you and your family help prepare for your appointment at Alder Hey.