Sensory friendly clinic

At BreastScreen Victoria, we invite women and trans and gender diverse people aged 50 to 74 without breast symptoms to have a free breast screen every 2 years. If you’re aged between 40 and 49, or over 74 you are also eligible for a breast screen, however, we recommend you talk to a doctor to find out if breast screening is the right option for you. This is based on individual risk factors such as family history and breast density.   

We are hosting our first sensory friendly clinic for neurodivergent clients with a variety of sensory needs at our Burgundy Street clinic in Heidelberg on Wednesday, 15 October from 10am – 2pm. 

What is a sensory friendly clinic?   

Our sensory friendly clinic is tailored to neurodivergent people with sensory sensitivities.

We have worked with an Occupational Therapist and Amaze, the peak body organisation for autistic people, to ensure that our staff are trained in sensory processing and communication needs. In addition, we have made modifications to the clinic environment to create a calm and inviting space for our clients. 

As part of this clinic, we will offer: 

• a longer appointment time 

• fewer people in the clinic 

• more space to wait for the appointment 

• customised lighting 

• a scent-free environment 

• sensory tools (fidgets)

Our staff will be aware of any individual needs and sensory preferences that you have shared with us when booking so they can support you to feel more comfortable during your breast screen appointment.  

We also encourage you to let our staff know on the day if there is anything else we can do to improve your experience.  

We will also invite you to share your feedback about the experience through a post appointment survey.  

You can find more information about what to expect on this page:  What happens at your breast screen? or by watching this video about the client experience at our Burgundy Street clinic.

Meet the staff at our sensory friendly clinic

The sensory friendly clinic is tailored to neurodivergent people with sensory sensitivities. It runs on 15 October 2025 between 10am and 2pm and we have a limited number of appointments available. Please register your interest by completing the below form*.  

*Please note that our initial contact will be through your preferred method of communication. However, a member of our staff at Burgundy Street will need to call you to book your appointment so we can capture required health questions and to better understand your sensory needs.