We see Belinda for an hour, once a week at her home on a 2:1 basis. She is independently mobile and appears to enjoy leading us around her home. She doesn’t use words to communicate but vocalises a variety of sounds which we listen and respond to. In the six months that we have been seeing her, her confidence has grown and she has started to show us her playful side. She often walks around her home, directing and leading us by taking our arm or hand and choosing which rooms we are going to visit on any given day. She started by leading us in to the shared spaces such as the lounge, but as our relationship with her has developed she has progressed to taking us in to her room. Using one of our new, ergonomically designed wheelie stools, we were able to connect with her on a physical level that allowed us to catch her eye more frequently. Whilst being led around her home she started to gently push me as I wheeled myself on the stool in front of her. I playfully pushed myself further away and she smiled, laughing at this response.
Eye contact, although initially often fleeting, has become more prolonged and Belinda will sit close-by as she explores objects that we have brought with us. Using this shared, joint attention as we celebrate things that she does, aims to increase her self-esteem and lets her know we are noticing her, that she is in control and that she is fun to be with. As she drops objects of hers on the floor, we make sounds on the keyboard or we drop to the floor in an exaggerated way, often eliciting a smile from her in response.
Playfulness developed further during another session, as she appeared to ‘feign’ injury by walking oddly. She started to laugh after we sought a member of staff to check her shoes. With no injury evident she promptly stood up and continued walking perfectly as if she had been teasing us all along. Laughing and smiling she continued to lead us, and we got the distinct impression she was pleased with herself for duping us. In this way she continues to constantly surprise us, and it is a pleasure to spend time with her, exploring how her confidence to engage in this way grows. We can’t wait to see what tricks she has up her sleeve in the future.
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