CHILDREN in County Durham with visual impairment are being invited to take part in free Guide Dogs ‘My Time to Play’ habitation sessions, designed to support their development.

My Time to Play will be a new service run by charity Guide Dogs starting in January 2022, aiming to provide the kind of early intervention with very young children with sight loss that can have a positive lifetime impact, as well as provide information, support, and networking opportunities for parents.

This will be the first session in the region that will be run face-to-face.

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The sessions will be run by Guide Dogs’ team of specialists in Peterlee and will focus on five areas of the children’s development: concept development, sensory skills, fine and gross motor skills, self-help, and independence and communication skills.

The date and venue in Peterlee will be confirmed after families register their interest.

Debbie Linford, head of skills and information services (SIS) for Guide Dogs in the North East, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer My Time to Play to children in the County Durham region.

The Northern Echo: The new 'My Time to Play' project is designed for children with visual impairment.The new 'My Time to Play' project is designed for children with visual impairment.

“These fun and supportive sessions will help children with sight loss aged from birth to four years old, develop a broad range of skills through play in a group setting, with each of the sessions based around a sensory story and including songs, movement, and related activities.

“It’s also a great opportunity for parents of children with a visual impairment to come together and get some support too.”

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