Amir’s Progress
(name changed for anonymity)
Amir is a student at one of the special high schools we work with through our Learning Programme. He has a PMLD profile, is non-verbal, and uses a wheelchair. Amir is full of joy and energy and gets excited for his 1-1 sessions, but he’s had limited access to music sessions that really fits his needs. While he’s animated and enthusiastic, Amir can sometimes find it hard to respond to the world around him, which makes working and communicating together a bit of a challenge.
Over the past two terms, Amir has been working with Alan, one of our practitioners, and the progress he’s made has been incredible. At first, Amir wasn’t very aware of Alan’s playing or changes in the music, like when Alan stopped or started. To meet Amir where he was, Alan used a drum—a perfect fit since Amir naturally engages by knocking with his fist. This simple starting point made music fun and easy for Amir to connect with.
Alan also introduced Amir to Thumb Jam on the iPad, experimenting with different placements so Amir could use his fingers instead of his fist. Over time, Amir’s tapping became much more deliberate, and he started reacting to the sounds he was creating. Eventually, he even began noticing and reacting to the pauses and shifts in Alan’s playing, turning the sessions into a collaborative experience.
Now, Amir shows so much excitement when playing in sync with Alan, showing that he is beginning to have more awareness to the people around him. These person-centred sessions haven’t just boosted Amir’s responsiveness, they’ve given him a chance to express himself and for the first time he has taken the lead.
