Kitty’s Story
Kitty is a student who joined Treloar’s in September 2013 when she was 12. She has made remarkable progress since joining us. When she arrived, Kitty was thought to have limited cognitive ability and could not walk, talk or express herself. Our multi-disciplinary team have been working with her and with help she began to use an alphabet board to spell out words and start to communicate for the first time in 12 years. Her first word was “lonely” but from this small step she has come on leaps and bounds: she can now count to 100, order coins correctly, and say how Henry VIIIs wives parted company with him!
The multi-disciplinary team comprises, teachers, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, student support assistants, and assistive technologists. They are now working with Kitty to give her more independent access to tablet technology and are ultimately working toward a switch system on her wheelchair so she can get about by herself. Kitty recently helped the multidisciplinary team with her own review – something that she could not have done before joining us.It is anticipated she could go on to take some GCSEs and has moved to work in a higher ability class.
Kitty’s mother has seen the difference too:
“Of course as her parents we have a good idea of what Kitty can do, but it’s always been an uphill struggle to convince others. So it is such a relief that she is learning with the experts now and that we can hopefully find ways to make what she knows more accessible to the rest of the world!Thanks again Emily. I forwarded your email to both of Kitty’s grandmas who are also both clucking with pride!” – Jane, Kitty’s Mother
By providing the specialist staff, equipment, facilities and experiences for our students, this is the difference that Treloar’s makes and how we help unlock the lives of our students. We are all incredibly proud to be able to make such a difference.