Case Studies
John Grant School
The pupil featured in this film (image blurred at parental request) can find regulation very challenging. In the water, she often screams and is highly unlikely to be comfortable with being held, let alone with putting her head into the water. Her first Musical Hydrotherapy session was a huge, and very emotional, surprise to all: for the last 15 minutes she was lying back floating, held, communicative and full of happiness. Ed, one of her teachers, tells the story:
“I’m very surprised with where we’ve got to at the end of the session, how relaxed she is, she’s laid down with me and Carmella, built up that trust very quickly, so I’m amazed. She’s put her ear in the water and she’s definitely been really interested in the music… so I think this is something we’ll see develop a lot over the next few weeks and months. She’s already asking us for ‘water hug’ as she’s calling it.. .she’s engaging really nicely with the staff so that’s a lot more than she normally did, in one session, that’s amazing, I didn’t think she’d progress so much.
Later on that evening I had contact with her mum and she replied that she was very relaxed at home and then this morning when I picked her up from her dad he said that she was a different person, she was just very relaxed, very calm, she slept really well, so absolutely amazing. In class, we’ve also seen that she was very relaxed. Sometimes she might get upset, she might scream, she might want to run out of the room, but that afternoon, after the session, she was just quite happy being in class, engaging with staff.”
Leigh Academy Milestone
“I teach a little boy, Jermaine, who is very excitable in the water. Due to his condition, he has really severe scoliosis of the spine - he’s always in a half bent over position. When we first got him into the pool, he was very excited and was still very curled up in himself. But then by the end of the [Musical Hydrotherapy] session, he was having moments of real stillness, lying on his front, completely stretching his spine, and then allowing us to put him onto his side and actually putting his ears into the water to listen to the music (and he’s never put his head into the water before). So just allowing him that real moment of peace and calmness, but giving him these really good stretches on his back…. for him that change is massive, and I know that going forwards now he will allow us to do more and more of that, which will really benefit him long-term. Just to [see him] allow himself to let go, put the trust in someone else and listen to the underwater music, was one of the biggest WOW moments.”
Lucy Sparks, PMLD teacher
