About StorySharing™
The theory of Storysharing™
The development of Storysharing™
Exemplar case study
How can I learn more about Storysharing™
References
Sharon is ten years old and has profound disabilities. She has cerebral palsy, is partially sighted, and cannot speak for herself. Some weekends she goes to respite care to give her family a rest from the heavy physical demands of caring for her. One day Sharon went on a visit to the butterfly house at Longleat with her respite care team. The staff member who was pushing her wheelchair didn't realise how big the butterflies were and freaked out. She threw her jumper over her head, screamed and ran, leaving Sharon alone in her wheelchair. Sharon thought this was really funny and she kept laughing about it. But although people who were there mentioned it a couple of times, no-one recorded what had happened or showed Sharon how to tell others about it. So when Sharon went into a fit of giggles at home and at school, no-one knew what had happened. They said things like “you're very happy today Sharon, what's so funny?” but that was all. Sharon got quite frustrated. She had a great story to tell, but no way of telling it and no-one to listen.
Through StorySharing, Sharon was paired up with a friend who was shown how to help Sharon tell her story. Sharon used a big mac (a switch with pre-recorded messages). The friend told most of the story, using a pretend butterfly on a stick that Sharon was able to wave when it was fastened to her hand. At the climax of the story, Sharon pressed the big mac to show how the staff member had screamed. Everyone roared with laughter. Sharon and her friend told the story over and over again and each time Sharon got quicker at anticipating and joining in. A book was made for Sharon about the event. It had a cover made of material which she could feel and a butterfly with sequins which caught her eye. Inside the book was an account of the story with a fabric swatch from a woolly jumper and the pretend butterfly which could be opened out. These tactile mementoes help Sharon to remember how the event felt at the time. Her family can now tell the story with her and she can show her book to others.
Here's how the dialogue went.
Partner. Sharon's got such a funny story to tell you
Sharon: smiles, giggles
Partner: It's about when she went to ....guess where?
Sharon: is supported to show the guide to Longleat attractions
Partner: She had Emma pushing the ...
Sharon is supported to feel the wheels of her chair
Partner: wheelchair. And Emma, you know, just hates things that fly
and tickle. So they went into the ...
Sharon is supported to wave the butterfly
Partner: butterfly house. And Emma had just NO IDEA that the
butterflies were going to be so-o humungous! And one of them flew right past
her, like this...
Sharon is supported to wave the butterfly.
Partner: And you'll never guess! She just went...
Sharon presses the switch to activate a pre-recorded scream
Partner: yeah, she went...
Sharon presses the switch to activate a pre-recorded scream
Partner: And she just threw her cardie over her head like this
(throws cardie over her own head, prompting Sharon to watch and touch it)
And she just ran ran ran out of the butterfly house. And, like, Sharon is
just left there! Only you thought it was so funny, you were just ...
Sharon laughs
Partner: yeah, laughing and laughing. So we don't think Emma's going
there again ever!
This approach looks simple, and indeed it is, but we have found that it takes training and self awareness for partners to adapt to the skills of a person with disabilities and create the spaces that will allow them to contribute.