Olivia’s Story
A collaborative approach between Kisimuls highly skilled staff often reaps a wide range of benefits for our young people.
Prior to arriving with us in 2014 Olivia exhibited high levels of anxiety, often ending up in emergency respite care. She would often run to the toilet or garden to avoid being in the classroom, was disengaged and would shout over others and become physically challenging.
She attended an intensive programme of Animal Assisted Therapy sessions alongside a member of staff from the Psychology team Goals included building relationships developing expressive language. independence and confidence Olivia flourished in these surroundings.
Interventions with the Speech and Language Therapy (SalT) team helped build confidence to a point where she would join staff and peers at the table and she also attended one to-one sessions in the sensory interactive learning environment.
As her confidence grew. Olivia continued to prosper within school, she became engaged with all aspects of her curriculum and joined in social situations.
She finished her academic year in a class art gallery. and was able to explain with confidence what she liked about what she produced Work related learning followed, and she also completed her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Her anxiety around mealtimes and particular foods has decreased and all prescribed medication has been discontinued, while her new found confidence is there for everyone at the home to see.
