Hermione
SWAN
Hermione was in SCUBU for 48 hours after her birth due to feeding problems, she was also very blue. At four months old a health visitor thought Hermione seemed floppy for her age and that her head seemed large. One minute we were at a mother and baby group, the next at an emergency appointment at the doctors getting her checked out. The months that followed were a blur of hospital appointments and tests. She had numerous MRI scans and everything always comes back normal, we have had a lot of genetic testing.
Progress very slow
All but one doctor had written her off of achieving anything. She had a nystagmus, audio neuropathy, low muscle tone, global delays, severe learning difficulties, mobility issues and was non-verbal. We did not have an official diagnosis and Hermione is classed as a SWAN (syndrome without a name). She first sat unaided at age 2 and walked aged 5 but tired easily, although she has always progressed, albeit very slow in her own little way. She attends a special needs unit attached to a mainstream primary school.
TST relaxing for her
We first heard about the Scotson Technique through a friend of mine and thought what have we got to lose. Hermione has been coping with the exercises very well and finds them very relaxing. We always do them with the baby channel TV programmes on as she does find this channel calming.
We noticed exciting changes
Over the first six months of TST we have noticed some exciting changes in Hermione, she has started making different noises, and she has managed to do jigsaw puzzles on her own, which she has never done before. School have also noticed differences in her.
She seems to have calmed down and doesn’t have so many meltdowns, she is more inquisitive and sociable and she is full of mischief and can be very funny.