Communication & senses · England
Trying sensory equipment
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This guide is for people in England.
Some services lend toys or sensory equipment.
You can try an item before buying it.
Ask your council or local library about loan schemes.
Some schemes are only for children or local residents.
Ask about costs, deposits and return dates.
Check who can show you how to use the item.
Choose something for an activity you enjoy.
You can say no or ask to stop.
Check the item is safe and suits your needs.
Get advice about small parts, batteries and other hazards.
An occupational therapist can help with specialist equipment.
Tell them about health and movement needs.
A swallowed button battery needs emergency help.
Go to A&E immediately, even without symptoms.
Call 999 for severe breathing problems or unresponsiveness.
Weighted blankets need an individual safety check.
They are not right for everyone.
Never use a blanket to stop someone moving.
Notice whether the item helps and feels comfortable.
Stop using it if it causes problems.
Review the trial before buying.
You can return something you do not like.
What you can do next
Ask what equipment you can borrow.
Plan safe use around your needs and choices.
Read NHS advice about accessible toys and play Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- Find your council Web pageFuller information
Ask about Local Offer listings, toy libraries and sensory services.
- Accessible toys and play Web page
NHS advice for families on suitable toys and borrowing.
- Weighted blanket guidance Web page
Professional guidance with information useful to people considering a blanket.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Borrowing sensory equipment and accessible toys
Find loan schemes, try equipment before buying and plan safe, enjoyable use around the person.
Children and adults · England
What a loan scheme can offer
Toy libraries and some disability services lend items to try at home or in activities. This can help someone explore what they enjoy before money is spent. Items may include accessible games, sensory play resources or switches, depending on the scheme. A library loan is not automatically a clinical assessment, therapy programme or promise that equipment will suit you.
Where to look in England
Search the council’s Local Offer, family hubs, local library or family information service for children’s toy libraries and accessible play resources. For adults, ask council sensory services, the community learning disability team, occupational therapy and local disability organisations whether any equipment loans or trials are available. Some schemes only serve certain ages or areas. There is no single national sensory-equipment library available to everyone.
Start with an activity the person chooses
Ask what the person wants to enjoy or do more easily, such as choosing music, joining a game or exploring a story. Notice preferences, including signs of discomfort or wanting to stop. Consider communication, sight, hearing, movement and seating. An ordinary familiar item or a quieter space may help more than an expensive specialist product. Do not require someone to tolerate an item they dislike.
Ask practical questions before borrowing
Check eligibility, referral requirements, waiting lists, fees, deposits, loan length and arrangements for delivery or collection. Ask whether staff can demonstrate the item and provide accessible instructions. Clarify cleaning, maintenance, damage and return responsibilities. Check that the item and attachments fit the person and setting; ask what to do if it breaks or is recalled.
Check everyday safety
Follow the product instructions and any individual clinical plan. Check for damaged wiring, loose parts, accessible batteries, magnets, cords and other swallowing or entanglement hazards. Age labels do not fully address an adult’s support needs. For a person who mouths or swallows objects, seek advice about suitable alternatives and supervision. Keep button batteries secure: swallowed batteries can cause severe internal injury even without choking. If a button battery may have been swallowed, go to A&E immediately; do not wait for symptoms. Call 999 for severe breathing difficulty, unresponsiveness or another life-threatening emergency. Do not make the person vomit or give food or drink while seeking emergency advice.
Ask for advice on specialist equipment
Occupational therapists can consider how equipment supports participation and what risks or practical barriers need addressing. Ask before introducing equipment involving pressure, suspension, movement, heat or electrical stimulation. Give relevant health information and explain how the person communicates discomfort. A sensory label is not proof of benefit, and equipment must not replace assessment of pain, illness, sight or hearing changes.
Weighted blankets need an individual decision
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists says evidence for benefits is limited and recommends individual risk assessment, informed choice and review. Risks can involve breathing, temperature, skin, alertness, movement and the ability to remove the blanket. There is no universal weight or time instruction suitable for everyone. Ask an appropriately skilled occupational therapist before use, especially when the person cannot remove it or clearly communicate discomfort. Never use it to restrain someone.
Try, observe and review
Agree the activity, how the person will choose or stop, who will help and what improvement would matter. Record comfort, participation and any problems rather than measuring only whether someone becomes quieter. Stop if there is distress, breathing difficulty, overheating or other concerning change, and get appropriate help. Review the trial before buying or continuing; a disliked item can be returned.
Separate clinical provision from a library loan
Wheelchairs, seating, communication aids and essential daily-living equipment may need assessment and a different NHS or council provision route. Ask the relevant service rather than relying on a toy library to meet these needs. Before buying privately, ask whether assessment or funding is available and whether the equipment is compatible with the person’s existing support.
Words you could use
“I would like to try equipment for this activity: … What can I borrow, what does it cost, and what assessment, instructions and support are needed?”
More useful links
- Find your council Web pageFuller information
Ask about Local Offer listings, toy libraries and sensory services.
- Accessible toys and play Web page
NHS advice for families on suitable toys and borrowing.
- Weighted blanket guidance Web page
Professional guidance with information useful to people considering a blanket.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 1 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- NHS: accessible toys, play and learning Web page
Professional advice, local toy libraries and trying before buying.
- West Sussex County Council: sensory toy libraries Web page
Example of a local loan service with specific ages and local access rules.
- NHS: occupational therapy Web pageVideo
Assessment of daily activities, adaptations and equipment.
- RCOT: weighted blanket guidance Web page
Individual risk assessment, consent, goals and monitoring.
- RCOT: weighted blankets detailed guide Web page
Limited evidence and relevant health, movement and communication risks.
- Office for Product Safety and Standards: small hazards Web page
Risks from swallowing button batteries and magnets.
- NHS England: button battery ingestion alert Web page
Swallowed button batteries are a medical emergency affecting all age groups.
- OPSS: button battery emergencies Web page
Immediate A&E action without waiting for symptoms; avoid food, drink and induced vomiting.
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