About Us
Simply Sensory was founded in 2018 by Julie Cowpe-Stephens and Helen Dillon. Between us we have many years’ experience and expertise working with children and young adults with complex learning, sensory and physical disabilities both within a SEN school and mainstream settings. We believe every child deserves a chance to thrive and be the very best they can be. We are passionate about keeping children at the centre of everything we do. Our aim is to provide training and support to share our enthusiasm and knowledge for sensory approaches to learning to practitioners, parents and carers to enable children and young adults needs to be met, to encourage engagement and interaction and give strategies to support inclusion.
Since 2018, we have been supporting individual pupils within their homes for specialist alternative sensory education, providing sensory sessions and support to best meet the young person’s sensory needs, taking into account environments, resources, and their individual preferences and aversions, visual rehabilitation and stimulation, CASP planning. We also have been delivering hugely successful, comprehensive and bespoke training locally and nationwide, and we are able to adapt to the unique needs of our learners, families and schools and nurseries. We bring years of hands-on experience, passion and dedication to everything we do, and our insight, resourcefulness, and creativity makes a real difference in peoples’ lives.
About Helen Dillon
I have worked in Special Education for over 20 years, catering for children and young adults with complex learning, sensory and physical disabilities.
During my career I have provided outreach support to mainstream schools on visual and hearing impairments, adapting the environment, making resources and developing communication. I have supported pupils on dual placement in many mainstream settings, ran summer schools, after school clubs, college placement and provided private tutoring and support to families. I love technology and provide support on accessible programmes and switch use to engage learners on computers, iPads and touch screens. I plan with teachers to embed a sensory rich curriculum through themes, topics and stories using high- and low-tech sensory resources and sensory rooms and interactive studios.
Since 2009 my specialism and expertise has been supporting children and young people with visual and hearing impairments.
About Julie Cowpe-Stephens
I have worked in Special Education for 37 years. My main area of specialism and passion is in Sensory Approaches to Learning, understanding sensory processing, sensory integration, and regulation strategies.
I also have extensive experience in mentoring staff on understanding sensory behaviours, producing CASP plans – (consistent approaches to support pupils learning), and sensory profiles, with particular emphasis on planning with teachers to embed a sensory rich curriculum through themes, topics and stories using high- and low-tech sensory resources sensory rooms and interactive studios.
I have provided outreach support to many mainstream schools and early years settings on:
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Planning for sensory approaches to learning
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Inclusion strategies
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Support packages and sensory plans
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How to develop a sensory curriculum
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How to create sensory spaces/rooms and environments
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Creating sensory profiles, looking at sensory preferences and aversion with practical strategies to manage daily challenges.