Case study – The transformation of Issy

It often creates a daily battle with their personal functioning as well as functioning in the world around us; be it at home, school, community or life in general.

For 3 1/2-year-old Issy, who lives with severe cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk and has associated cognitive delays, the impact of MyBurrow® was a ‘life changing’ event.

“She has started to talk and move and explore her MyBurrow. She responds really well to it. It’s been really wonderful for me to watch,’ says Issy’s mum Lauren.

MyBurrow is a portable fabric pop-up space that can be attached to a carpet through velcro, where it creates a flexible environment that can be explored or simply be a safe place to play, read or engage with others.

Having seen the impact of occupational therapy tools on learning in a clinical environment, it became clear to Special Education teacher Dimitra Baveas that there needed to be a way to incorporate clinical therapy into all learning environments.

“I realised that there was a gap in the ability to transfer the teaching and learning from a clinical situation into a classroom situation,” Ms Baveas says.

MyBurrow was developed to aid children and adults struggling because of issues with self-regulation, anxiety and sensory stimulation and is particularly useful for people with social or communication issues, delayed motor skills or trouble with concentration and attention.

It transformed Issy from a non-verbal, immobile and socially disconnected child to a vocalising, laughing and physically active young girl, who now demonstrates direct interaction with her mother and others around her.

“She absolutely loves MyBurrow,” says Lauren. “She moves so much more than I’ve seen her move in everyday life.

“It’s obviously a different experience and a different sensory environment that she doesn’t get in any other way.

“She feels safe in there and becomes much more vocalised than at any other time.”

Case study provided by MyBurrow. Find out more at MyBurrow.com.au