Multi-sensory stories for people with learning disabilities

Storytelling In Your Area - London: 2018 (Jan-Jun)

During 2018 (Jan-Jun) we organised the following multi-sensory storytelling sessions:

Charlton Park Academy, Greenwich. 19/06/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar two of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Students were engaged, they showed anticipation and they worked as a group. [I was surprised that] G showed she really wanted to explore the story props and became “cross” waiting for her turn. A really showed engagement with the props, smiling and animated and didn’t try to grab like she usually does. It was good for staff to see a different way of sensory storytelling. You tell the story quicker than us which keeps them engaged. Could come every week please?”
“Everybody stayed in the circle area. Everybody engaged with all the props. Most wanted more than one interaction with each prop. Assist in their motor skills. One left briefly but came back. Some appeared more exciting than usual. No one had a negative reaction to a new person. [In the longer term this will] encourage them to be open to interacting and trying new things. It was very good.”
“Students were engaged, sat nicely and calmly, lots of eye contact. Each participated and demonstrated their preferences. Four interacted and anticipated more than expected. [In the longer term this will help with] sensory exploration, interaction, working in a group.”
“The students are very sensory and enjoy touch, smell and visual aids. The students enjoy role play and storytelling. One of our students does not usually react positively but she was engaged and smiled throughout. I feel it helps the students relax and understand sharing with their peers. The storytelling was action packed.”
“The students were focused and engaged. [I was surprised that] V tolerated the props longer than expected and was relaxed. C enjoyed the sudden noises and props. [In the longer term this will help with] continuing sensory stories. It was good from start to finish.”

Vale School - Primary, Haringey. 18/06/18

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 29 children with profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all 29 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Kids were involved in the story. They asked a lot of questions and had a chance to express themselves. The way all the stories were told helped to engage children’s imagination. The one about the supermarket was related to the school project The Smile where children learn how to make shopping so it helped them to remember what they have learned. It was brilliant.”
“They all need sensory experiences. The story was simple and very effective. They all gained a lot from the stories. One pupil is very challenging and does not engage but during session he looked and engaged and seemed to enjoy the stories. [In the longer term this will help with] vocab development, focus/attention.”
“Very appropriate stories and sensory props. Students engaged and accessed props. One student was smiling to indicate that she was engaged and enjoying story. Another student touched and smelt, good looking at props. [In the longer term] it supports daily sensory story telling in class. The items were appropriately matched to sensory/cognitive needs of students.”
“Everyone having a go at resources. Making spelling interesting e.g. tapping MILK in the phone. Automatic doors. [I was surprised that] one boy showed lots of interest (more than usual) and listened very well. All students very focussed and keen to have a go using the interactive props. [In the longer term this will help with] being able to relate/remember story/personal experiences to the props. Reinforcing ideas/experiences. I thought it was a great session.”

College Park School, Westminster. 18/06/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 47 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the 47 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

“Plenty of props which helped them to engage. Taking turn opportunities and multi-sensory approach - both more and less able students were engaged. Some of the students who usually drop on the floor were more engaged, sitting on their chair for longer. We got some ideas on how to make our story time more interesting and multi-sensory for all the children.”
“There was lots of sensory input and most students engaged with the story. [I was surprised that] most of them sat beautifully. [In the longer term this will] give them nice sensory opportunities for exploring different textures.”
“Excellent storytelling and our students enjoyed the sensory props. Excellent waiting their turn. Students had a chance at all pages. [I was surprised that] all students were very engaged. One child has participated for more than 10 mins when doesn’t usually sit for longer than 5. Today’s session will benefit our students to learn how to explore during storytelling in class.”
“Turn taking, multi-sensory and multicultural. [I was surprised that] D was smiling and taking turns, M and S adjusted very well to a new room and person whilst S smiled really nicely with the spider page and the whisper. Brilliant way to teach a topic.”
“Allowed each child to individually take part. Turn taking opportunities. Amazing sensory props. [I was surprised that] every child sat patiently throughout both stories and each individual waited their turn. [In the longer term we will] benefit from knowing what sensory input each child likes.”
“Our children love stories and storytelling and particularly love being given the opportunities to participate. The props used during the stories provoked interest and added another dimension of involvement for our students. The storyteller was excellent and geared the performance towards our students’ differing levels of attention and ability, raising her voice and changing the tone to keep them engaged. [I was surprised that] T loved interacting with the many objects and textures and was thoroughly engaged throughout.”

Castlebar School, Ealing. 15/06/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Great choice for our kids to explore the activity. As they overreact to loud noises, the calming voice of the storyteller was a great pleasure for our kids. [I was surprised that] they all showed an interest in the different noises of animals and a chance to explore. [In the longer term] they will hopefully be more interested during storytelling sessions.”
“The children were very engaged and did good listening and looking. They took part in exploring resources as demonstrated by the storyteller - it was lovely. [I was surprised that there was] very good eye contact. Showing curiosity and anticipation. Vocalising - saying hello. [In the longer term] it will encourage them to take part in similar types of stories in the classroom and build up on their investigating skills. All great - thank you.”
“They all enjoyed the sensory aspect of the story. It was engaging for all the children’s abilities and they could all access the session. [I was surprised that] the children with high sensory needs interacted well and participated. [In the longer term we plan] to continue to use sensory stories in class.”
“Enjoyed the story. They used a lot of language, did great listening, signing, good eye contact. [I was surprised that] children were signing, had good eye contact, anticipation from one child in particular, enjoyed feeling all the sensory boards from the story. All smiling, brilliant eye contact. [In the longer term this will help with] interacting with the props, able to use all their senses, hands, nose, eyes. Good way to introduce different animals etc, Our topic is the Zoo so good way for the children to hear/feel/see animals. Very engaging structure for all the children - the adults enjoyed too.”
“They were all engaged in the story which supports their communication and exploratory skills. [I was surprised that] some pupils repeated language. One pupil enjoyed looking at herself in the mirror where she would usually struggle to engage. [In the longer term this will help with] waiting and turn taking skills.”
“They had the opportunity to engage in an activity with an unfamiliar adult and explored new items/textures. [I was surprised that] one child who doesn't usually engage smiled at the Storyteller and explored items. [In the longer term] it helped them develop their curiosity and engage with unfamiliar items.”

Mapledown School, Barnet. 11/06/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 31 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 31 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“The storyteller has reached out to them, made sure they were all engaged and they all responded well. All kids got substantial opportunities to explore the story and props. [In the longer term this will help] mainly as a training session for staff to see how it is done properly.”
“All children were involved and engaged. Responded well to the storyteller, waiting their turn patiently. One student in particular showed their engagement in the story - more than usual - by reaching out to feel the story pages independently and focussed on looking. [In the longer term this will help with] improving their focus on tasks and becoming more tolerant towards sensory input.”
“It was interactive and fun. Turn taking. Over all very good and enjoyed the stories. They were more focussed and engaged than expected. It was amazing.”
“All the students engaged with the storyteller. Lots of smiles and vocalisation. [I was surprised that] one student was partially vocal and another laughed all the way through it. Reading the same story for a term we can see if the students recognise props and show anticipation.”
“Amazing session. Thank you. I keep these separate and use them all the time. Good for my group. I will continue to use them.”
“All of the students, despite individual capabilities as well as impairments, were able to interact and become involved with the storytelling. All of the students reacted better than expected and all students were happy to participate with the sensory equipment within the story. The stories can relate to everyday activities such as shopping and help students familiarise certain sounds and smells. Plus appearance of objects. The storyteller interacted brilliantly with the students and adapted her methods to suit the students individual needs.”

Kingsley High School, Harrow. 08/06/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 34 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 34 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Students focused well and were able to use good listening skills. Three of the students in particular responded better than I expected. They were very focussed and engaged and enjoyed the participation. They sat and attended well the whole session. These sessions help to develop good listening skills and enjoyment of listening to stories. It develops anticipation, waiting and turn-taking.”
“Excellent interactive story. Brilliant presentation. All students engaged. Props in story extremely motivating. One child who often leaves the room remained very focussed and participated throughout. [In the longer term this will help] Students to stay focused and interacting.”
“Everybody engaged, very adequate since all PMLD learners. Pace of storytelling and resources used very motivating. One of our students was so engaged they independently counted the fish in the net. [In the longer term] it helps them focus and learn in a sensory fashion about different themes.”
“I found both stories very motivational and interesting. Students benefited due to large variety of resources (visual, objects of reference and sensory items). They were all engaged and motivated. Also excited about what was coming next. [I was surprised that] all students were very active and interested about the resources. All of them engaged and interacted with every piece of work. I think that if the students had the chance to listen to supermarket story again they would be more aware about going shopping.”
“[The session helped with] interaction, sensory stimulation, turn taking - a different way of learning. [I was surprised that] L was aware every time the blue board was close to her; she smiled a couple of times. N didn’t like the cheese smell and moved it away. [In the longer term] for some of them it would be very beneficial.”
“A cohesive, well-paced, multi-sensory learning experience. Evoking curiosity and exploration skills. Multiple opportunities for expressive communication. [I was surprised that] A interacted with an unfamiliar adult with ease. M kept repeating and finishing storylines. E responded well to all sensory input with spontaneous phrases.”

The Village School, Brent. 25/05/18

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar four of the 33 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Children had the experience of feeling all the different type of material and listening to sounds. All the children really enjoyed it.”
“[The session helped because of the] range of activities on the boards. Particularly kinetic aspects. Highly accessible. S found it difficult to access initially but when modelled to her needs she was able to participate independently. [In the longer term this will help with] ideas for sensory stories. Greater access to stories.”
“The storyteller was interesting and included ALL the children. The children showed interest and were laughing and smiling. All children were included equally which is lovely to see. [I was surprised that] A and S showed excitement and were laughing. H tried to get the storyteller’s interest on several occasions showing interest in what she was doing - she always responded. [In the longer term] the children will all go on a tube train at some point in their lives and the storyteller made it interesting and funny. I thought it was great!”
“They all enjoyed feeling all the bits and bobs from the story. [In the longer term this will help with a] calm story session for them to learn through senses. It was good.”
“[The session helped with] shared attention and turn taking. They were happy and smiling. [I was surprised because] S and D never normally sit in circle time.”

Dysart School, Kingston Upon Thames. 23/05/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 43 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Two rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and four as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

“The children were very engaged and enjoyed looking at each of the boards. One of the class, who finds it difficult to engage in group sessions, joined in with the story and loved looking at all the boards. [In the longer term] we have invested in lots of boxes in the past and feel they would be great to bring out in story sessions.”
“Enjoyed the 1:1 storytelling and tactile objects. One of our students who is not usually able to take part in stories interacted lots with the boards. [In the longer term this will help with] learning new things from stories not told before.”
“Multi-sensory approach to storytelling enabled the pupils to utilise all their senses. [I was surprised that] L sat through the entire session and enjoyed the noises throughout whilst E listened attentively and engaged in each section of the story. [In the longer term this will help with] attention and listening activities.”
“The story might help with going to the hairdressers in the future. They were allowed to touch and have a go with scissors and electric shaver. [I was surprised that] all of the students interacted very well. Taking turns with touching, trying things during the story. All of them got a whole session and listened to the story [In the longer term this will] helping with a trip to the hairdressers. Using a mirror, scissors, shaver.”
“Encouraging positive non verbal communication - eye contact, turn taking and finishing. Multi-sensory and exploring - lovely! Lovely tone of voice and interaction - very personal. [I was surprised that] V was very calm and engaged, T and Y were exploring and focused. Licked a few things - wow! Responded to a new person. Non-distracted by new room environment. [In the longer term this will help with] tolerating new adults and environments. Could use as part of teacher swap!”
“Lovely calm and appropriate approach. Enough time given for processing. Lovely objects to accompany story. [I was surprised that] a class with very little verbal understanding benefited from the session. [In the longer term this will help with] a better concept of the world around them.”

TreeHouse - The Pears National Centre for Autism Education, Haringey. 21/05/18

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 27 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all 27 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“We run Bag Books sessions every day. Our students have developed their group attention, their focus and they really enjoy the stories. [I was surprised that] the students sat and listened - so much better than our first session. [In the longer term this will help with] new stories, group focus, joint attention and reading.”
“[The session helped with] group attention, turn taking, listening to the lead. [I was surprised that] all of them engaged and participated. [In the longer term this will help with] listening skills and group attention.”
“[The session helped with] listening to the lead and sitting as a group. There were some transition issues but all engaged by the end. [In the longer term this will help with] literacy and group skills.”

Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, Barnet. 20/05/18

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of eight children.

Swiss Cottage School, Camden. 18/05/18

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 38 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar five of the 38 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“[The session worked because there were] different sensory elements in the story. M does not normally engage as well in whole class sessions; he touched and engaged with all the different sensory aspects. [In the longer term this will help with] communication.”
“Our children were engaged throughout the stories. They enjoyed taking part and using the resources. [I was surprised that] two children were sharing the treasure map and looking at it together. Other children enjoyed the story - those that usually find it difficult to interact with activities. This session has given us more ideas for stories and resources which will benefit our children. We will try to include more stories in our weekly timetable. All children and staff were happy with the session.”
“[The session helped with] sensory - smelling, feeling, tickled by snakes. Practicing motor skills e.g. spinning, pulling. Repetition reinforcing vocabulary. [I was surprised that] A sat longer and better than expected. S was more excited than expected and very happy. Z seemed to be listening and well engaged.”
“They interacted in all of the activities and sensory play. [I was surprised that] one participant stayed sitting and was engaged. Once they get used to this new room it will most likely help with their communication and attention.”
“Interactive sensory resources. Students were anticipating what is going to happen next. Students were engaged. Simple language. All students explored props. Very sensory for our learners. [I was surprised that] S was very engaged and showed curiosity - excellent eye contact and, with support, explored all resources throughout the session. Students had opportunities to practice all their fine motor skills. Also the chance to copy words, keywords of the story.”

Jack Tizard School, Hammersmith & Fulham. 14/05/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 35 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar three of the 35 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

“All our students in our class really benefit from sensory input. The use of switches and scents in the stories in particular. Also use of their gross motor skills. Lots of smiles and interaction from storyteller which was great. At present our students have two sensory story sessions a week, both topic related. It was all great. All resources were very inclusive for the students who have different abilities. The storyteller was amazing in how she interacted with students, really attentive and how to engage them individually.”
“[The session helped with] different senses, easily accessible, repetitive.”
“With only two pupils they had a lot of time devoted to them. [I was surprised that] they jumped at the appropriate time and did some good looking.”
“Story props are all passed round to individual child so they all participated in each part of the story. [In the longer term this will help] to make them more aware of their senses.”
“[The session helped with] attention building. It was engaging and the students were anticipating parts of the story. One student reacted to the door slamming which was good.”
“Students had such fun. They were pushed to do something new. Very interactive even the shy pupil in the class had a good go at each activity. They enjoyed the elements of surprise. Pulling the dog lead, ghost train, water spray. Loved Big Ben. Hook a duck was great fun with laughter and concentration. I have now seen how my class enjoyed at a slightly increased pace and not always focusing on communication devices. Letting them communicate individually.”

Bedelsford School, Kingston Upon Thames. 30/04/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 37 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“The storyteller was truly wonderful! She introduced herself to each child in a happy friendly way. She had a very calm manner which the children reacted positively to. One boy who is functioning at P2-P3 gave sustained eye contact. It gave me ideas to take back to the classroom.”
“The multi-sensory resources, repetition and use of Makaton throughout allowed all students to gain so much from session. This is also due to the storyteller's enthusiasm. Loads of fantastic engagement and interaction with the storyteller and resources. A fantastic session. Thank you so much.”
“It hooked the students into the story. There was a good range of resources which students were given appropriate amount of time to respond to. The storyteller's nature put our students at ease allowing them to engage and learn. Thank you!”
“All engaged and participating throughout story. Storyteller included all students to make it a great experience. All tried sensory experiences and made clear choices. Some were able to join in with familiar phrases. [In the longer term this will help with] retelling stories. Listening and attention building.”

Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, Barnet. 23/04/18

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 4 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from one member of staff who judged that all 4 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and commented, "[The session] used the different senses. Very inclusive. [I was surprised that] the children responded well to the different smells, touch and sounds. [In the longer term this] encourages interaction and gives ideas to carers/parents on how to tell a story."

Manor School, Brent. 19/04/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 36 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“All the children made eye contact with the story props. They were also very engaged and having fun listening to the story. [I was surprised that] they all explored the multi-sensory props and looked excited when the props came to them. [In the longer term] it is a great way for the kids to be engaged with story time activities and book reading.”
“[The session helped with] turn-taking. It was multi-sensory and the smelling parts were so fab. Sitting for longer than expected. Responses from all children. All very engaged. Great to see a demo from an experienced storyteller. More please.”
“All the children watched/ looked carefully. They all willing let the storyteller prompt them to interact. [I was surprised that] one child watched the storyteller all around the room. [In the longer term this] shows the benefit of interactive storytelling. It was great.”
“Amazing stories for our children. Loved it. [In the longer term this will help with] learning to sit still and take turns.”
“All children have paid attention. They have been looking and able to participate (prompt was always given when needed). [I was surprised that] all six kids were behaving extremely well bearing in mind they have huge complex needs. [In the longer term this will help with] sharing attention, waiting for turns, sitting in a group. Literacy - reading books multi-sensory. More often please.”
“[The session was] interactive and quick. They all enjoyed Bag Books.”

Spa School, Southwark. 26/03/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 29 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the 29 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“The sensory aspect was brilliant and helped the students stay engaged. [I was surprised that] all students interacted and enjoyed the stories and followed instructions through sound and touch. [In the longer term we will] use more.”
“They all got to engage with all elements of the story and all got involved. [I was surprised that] D was sensible and engaged with all aspects. Knew when to smell, pull, touch etc. [In the longer term this will help with] waiting and turn taking.”
“All the interactive props. Multi-sensory. J was very wary but soon became very interested with the equipment and loved to touch. [In the longer term this will help] to interact with literature, to improve shared attention skills.”
“They were very engaged in the story session due to the storyteller’s ability to engage the students and the different sensory items. The small group size increased the students’ engagement. Lots of smiling when experiencing the sensory items. Laughing and vocalisations. They are engaged and ready for the next lesson.”
“All students were 100% engaged, enjoying the sensory items, touch, sound, smell. E was focussed the entire session when he would normally lose interest. [In the longer term this will help] support listening for extended periods and following a story.”
“The sensory, turn taking experience was lively and engaging. By the second story those who are normally reserved reached out to the pages. [In the longer term this will help the] story come alive.”

MAC Centre, Lambeth. 23/03/18

A Build-A-Book day involving 12 adults with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The manager commented, “The participants benefited in many different ways. The staff really felt they got an understanding of the system of storytelling and the process to deliver the story. Also the number of participants that a story should be delivered to. It was also fed back that the science – if you like – of storytelling is universal. Service users got the opportunity to use the different drills etc and I look forward to their comments as we use the story. Participation was mostly as expected from service users. Moving forward I think the session has and will help the workers to feel more confident in delivering stories and also in writing their own stories. This is important as they will be delivered in a way which is proven to work and benefits service users. Also the information about how to learn the stories has already proved to be very useful. Thanks very much - it was great to have you at the MAC and re visiting the how and why of Bag Books."

Watergate School, Lewisham. 19/03/18

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 29 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all 29 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Lovely to see different reactions. Lots of participation. Lots of smiles from pupils. Pupils who find it difficult to sit on their chairs did so for a very long time. One particular child tolerated hand over hand support to explore props. [In the longer term] pupils will be able to explore the zoo story again. Interesting to watch reactions when sharing the story again.”
“New experience. Some pupils who are tactile defensive engaged with resources. All pupils enjoyed the stories. All engaged and participated. Pupils with limited attention and listening skills engaged with two stories. Pupils reluctant to touch materials were motivated to explore. Staff able to see how to resource and tell multisensory stories. They can use these more around the school. Excellent - Thank you.”
“They loved all the lovely materials and sensory stuff. They all explored and enjoyed. They each had their own turn with the storyteller. All of them enjoyed it a lot. All of the children gave responses and reactions to props and materials - Smiling, vocalising, moving their bodies. I think today’s session has given the opportunity for children to explore, listen and be engaged in a different activity. It’s been lovely.”
“Lovely pace of story. All pupils interacted. M looked to the person before her anticipating her turn. Smells were popular. Sensory engagement was just perfect.”
“All pupils were interactive at their own level. There were lots of smiles and some reached out to repeat the activities. The speed of the telling was very good, keeping all pupils interested. [I was surprised that] one boy tried each activity as it came to him , rope pulling, swinging basket, beating goats. He followed the storyteller with his eyes in anticipation to what was coming next. It is good to have repetition and the story line is great in short sentences. All cleverly done.”

Marjorie McClure School, Bromley. 15/03/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 33 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“All students were engaged and it was obvious how much they enjoyed the session. [I was surprised that] all were engaged. One pupil really struggles with concentration and she was focussed the entire time.”
“Engaging sensory and interactive story. They were each actively part of the story and had a role to play. Pupils started needing hand over hand guidance but then were interacting independently. One autistic pupil was really engaged and enjoying much more than lots of activities. [In the longer term this will help with] engaging in stories / ideas for class. Thank you, the pupils were really engaged and enjoyed the stories. Loved it.”
“Children with vision problems were able to feel what animals were in the story. They were able to use their motor skills and patience waiting their turn. Some are easily distracted or lose interest easily but they were able to sit patiently and wait their turn without any intervention from staff.”
“I like the repetitiveness of the story when the students are getting a chance to touch the props. I liked that all the props were accessible for all the students and easily adaptable if not. Covered all senses and hand eye coordination. Very engaging. [I was surprised that] they all really enjoyed the session and got engaged. I think that all stories in school should have a sensory focus to them as a lot of students learn through all their senses and a sensory story is more engaging than a normal story.”
“All the children loved the sensory part of the story. They showed excitement for each prop and waited their turn patiently. All 100% engaged. One child, who usually shows little reaction in lesson, showed anticipation for the pig and actively played with the props in the zoo story. She also followed the prop around the circle with her eyes. Another child finds it difficult to stay focused and she remained in her seat the whole session. [In the longer term this will help with] understanding stories. Physically involved in the lesson. It was excellent and everyone really enjoyed.”
“It was clear from the interest and anticipation shown by the children that they were totally involved and enjoying the Bag Book experience. The chatterbox in the group calmed right down to wait his turn. All pupils were fascinated and no one distracted the group. I think some pupils would benefit daily. It would definitely improve listening and attention skills.”

Camp Simcha, Westminster. 14/03/18

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 10 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from one teachers who judged that all bar two of the 10 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and commented, "Thank you so much for coming along again. They just love it. One dad said " He loves your stories". Another said "Thank you for your time, I’m so pleased he has these at school." Really good day.”

Kestrel House School, Haringey. 09/03/18

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 26 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder.

Dalston CLR James Library, Hackney. 06/03/18

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling training for 14 librarians.

Oaklands School, Hounslow. 05/03/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 44 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar three of the 44 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

"All engaged well with the sensory experience. They found it funny and enjoyable. Delivery was strong and engaging. [I was surprised that] J found it very funny and engaging. D sat quietly and stayed focused."
"Sensory stimulation, interactive and inclusive activities. [In the longer term this will help with] attention and listening. Exploring objects. Social skills. All good."
"Today’s session benefited the students because it helped them to listen. Furthermore they got the chance to have fun which they enjoyed. One of the students looked more interested in this than in any other lessons."
"Brilliant. They loved it. All thoroughly enjoyed this thank you. [In the longer term this will help with] interacting with each other."
"Kids seemed happy and engaged."

Marlborough School, Bexley. 27/02/18

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder.

Beatrice Tate School, Tower Hamlets. 26/02/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 40 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar six of the 40 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

"Students were all focused and engaged with the Storyteller and a few children repeated words and phrases from the story."
"It’s good to have all the pupils sitting with their group for the same session. To acknowledge each other and share a story with them. Storyteller very confident and friendly. Very good. Amazing reactions for at least half the pupils - bald head and mirror. Word copying and development from two pupils that are not always verbal. One student stayed sitting / waiting / participating for the whole session. He usually gets up and walks off! Benefits - to share whole class story, shared attention, word development, exploration in a sensory way, waiting anticipation."
"All students really enjoyed both of the stories. Great experience for all. [In the longer term this will help with] getting used to feeling and experiencing different textures and materials."
"Thanks for doing a story at the lunch time club."
"They were attentive and enjoyed exploring the items. The group was very calm and interacted well - looking up, smiling and listening. [In the longer term this will help with] improved communication. More of it!"
"Listened to new vocabulary, engaged with a new person and listened. J and S really engaged in the sensory parts of the story, sometimes smiling and they touched the objects."

Gesher School, Brent. 23/02/18

Our Storyteller ran two multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 10 children (the entire school) with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all bar one of the 15 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“The pupils engaged as a result of the high level of interaction. They enjoyed the sensory aspect and being able to feel the different materials. They benefited from the repetition and all getting a turn. All pupils engaged, listened and participated well throughout session. [In the longer term this will help with a] good understanding of plants growing."
"All the children were able to access the session and importantly they all enjoyed it. It helped reinforce the key skill of turn taking in a fun engaging way. The tactile aspect really helped one of our children to engage whereas he normally finds sustained focus quite challenging. [In the longer term] they will be prepared for these types of stories and know expectations of how to engage with them. It was really engaging."

The Alexandra Centre for FE, Camden. 23/02/18

Our Storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 17 young adults with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all bar three of the 17 young adults had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“The storytelling had a good feeling and it was good for the sensory needs of students. They also saw storytelling in a different style. [I was surprised that] M liked the spiders; S liked the candy floss page; A liked the sound of the ghost train; and J liked the lights. The sessions will benefit them as it’s different. Everything was good.”
“Three of our students were very engaged and interacted well. They smiled at the storyteller. [I was surprised that] with the second story two of our students had positive and unexpected reactions. This session helps our students to interact during the lesson.”
“Most enjoyed but was the end of Friday afternoon. Some paid attention a lot more than I thought they would. [In the longer term this will help] us to see stories being told that we have.”

Highshore School, Southwark. 05/02/18

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 43 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the 43 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

"Very interactive and sensory indeed! The pupils did enjoy the sensory experience. Two girls who are usually quiet in literacy lessons were excited during the storytelling session. As a matter of fact, all the pupils were excited and did enjoy the storytelling session. This is a fantastic learning experience for SEND pupils and for others at KS1, 2 & 3.The sensory input is great! The storytelling can be adapted to a reading text pupils are reading at school."
"[The session helped the pupils] try something they haven't done before. All great!"
"They were all engaged with both stories and it was pitched at the perfect level. M was extremely engaged. It was perfect we all had fun."
"Students were all engaged and seemed to enjoy the story. The visuals were excellent and they all participated. Almost all of the class was able to stay focused for the entire session which is not always the case. [In the longer term] it may help the students to better visualise stories they are being told. It was very good."
"Students were able to actively take part in the stories. All of the students interacted with the story in a positive way. Students were encourage to engage and experience a story on an individual level."
"[In the longer term this will help] give confidence to interpret the story in their own way."

Paddock Secondary School, Wandsworth. 29/01/18

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar three of the 36 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

“Extremely inclusive. Caught attention of students who don’t always participate or attend. Fun, creative, turn taking. Opportunities for communication. Multisensory learning. [I was surprised that] two students both showed a good level of interest and interaction. [In the longer term this will be] great for imagination, interaction with peers and adult storyteller turn taking. Helps eye contact. Uses senses, great for our students. EXCITING. Good for manual dexterity. Well done and thank you.”
“They all sat lovely and seemed to enjoy both the stories. They were all very good and seemed happy. [In the longer term this will help] by having weekly storytelling sessions. It was very good.”
“They were able to engage with the story. [I was surprised that] most students were able to stay for whole session. It is an activity that can be accessed by all abilities and brings a group of students together that may not necessarily all be together at any one point.”
“Taking turns, listening skills, sitting in a group, interacting with different objects and resources. Experiencing unfamiliar activity with unfamiliar person. Some students who find it very difficult to sit down in a group managed to sit and maintain attention and focus.”
“They all joined in. The objects and resources were very good. Maybe a smaller group as two found it hard to engage. [I was surprised that] H enjoyed taking his turn and only left the room once which is great for him.”

Greenvale School, Lewisham. 15/01/18

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 18 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all 18 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

"Our students benefitted from today by having sensory, social engagement. We felt R really engaged and enjoyed all the stories. N was very focussed. [In the longer term] the storyboard will give them more focus and longer attention span."
"Students benefitted by the story to smell, touch and stay focused. They all enjoyed. [I was surprised that they] stayed focused and laughing. [In the longer term this will help with] learning to listen, attention span, understanding a story. Well presented and lots of fun."
"A was really calm during the session. S had amazing concentration. All did well with turn taking. [I was surprised with] A and S without a doubt. Such a good way for them to understand stories."
"[The session helped with] learning to focus and relax and to wait their turn in the story. T was very relaxed. E and S participated more than expected. [I was surprised that] T was very relaxed. E and S participated more than expected. [In the longer term this will help with] focus. More effective stories. Attention span. More please. The Storyteller was fabulous with our students today. I think all the staff involved have a better knowledge now of how these work."

Rutherford School, Croydon. 12/01/18

A Build-A-Book day involving 15 children (the entire school) with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented, “The pupils really enjoyed the whole activity. Several of the pupils interacted really well, staying awake and alert, who would normally be really sleepy. It helped with social interaction and listening skills.”

END

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