Isla's Story | Stable and Wild

Isla's Story

"I just wanted to say how impressed we are with the animal therapy sessions that you are providing for Isla. It is so lovely to see how well she is responding to this. Thanks very much for providing a fantastic service’"
Isla's school

"I just knew she would love it, the difference in her is so lovely, she hasn’t been outside on the front garden for a long time. I am so glad we listened to her. She is looking forward to next week already, she is counting the days and ticking them off her chart’"
Isla's mother

*name changed for anonymity

About Isla

Isla is a 11 year old girl who has been diagnosed with ASD, Global Developmental Delay, Anxiety, Pica, and Sensory Processing Disorder.

Her high level of anxiety means that Isla actively avoids leaving her home, leaving her car, meeting new people (especially fearful of meeting new men), going to school, not being with her mother in the home, and going to the toilet. This list is not exhaustive.

Auditory sensitivities play a strong role in Isla's anxieties, causing a fear response. She wears ear defenders in her home, all the time, even sleeping in them.

Isla has a keen interest in animals and other living things. Before participating in sessions at Stable and Wild, she was beginning to spend more time playing at the front of the house and would go for a short walk with her mother.

At Stable and Wild

As Isla did not feel comfortable leaving her home, it was decided that a virtual session plan would be the best way to introduce Stable and Wild to her, with the hope that she would one day be happy to attend a face to face session.

Initially, Isla's coach arranged for photos of rabbits and guinea pigs to be sent to the Isla prior to her first session to help her to familiarise herself with them. It was decided that she would work with the quieter animals to avoid triggering her auditory sensitivities.

Isla's coach had a check in session with her mother prior to the first virtual session where the means of contact and timings were agreed and then a photo of the coach was sent to Isla so she knew who she would be working with on the screen.

Virtual sessions were planned to take place once a week for 30-40 minutes.

Impact Measures and Outcomes

Virtual sessions have proven to be a huge success with Isla presenting herself on screen each week, engaging in conversation with her coach and asking questions to coach
The coach has observed that noisy animals have proven to spark curiosity rather than fear.
She indicated that she would like to meet the animals at home. The coach made this happen and Isla's final two Stable and Wild sessions took place face to face in the family home, along with two rabbits from the farm to help to facilitate the session.
Trust has been created and built on between Isla and the coach.
For the first time in a long while she has expressed excitement about taking part in something and is happy to leave her bedroom to engage in the session.