PAMIS
Multi-sensory Storytelling
Working & learning together for involvement
29th October
Acorn Centre, Inverurie
Jenny Whinnett
PAMIS Grampian Co-ordinator
Communication
 Most people with PMLD have no speech
- communication is usually non-verbal
 A minority will use a few single words
 Some are able to use a few signs and/or
symbols - eg Makaton, Boardmaker or
SignAlong
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Why Storytelling?
Worldwide tradition of storytelling
Storytelling is an age-old tradition that has
existed since the dawn of time and in every
culture. It is many things to many people. It
is entertainment, a way of passing on a
culture’s history, or a way of teaching to both
the young and old. Storytelling is an art.
Lambe 2002
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Storytelling: an
age old tradition
An Séanachai
The Importance of
Storytelling
“One must have a story, it’s one of the things humans do.
Not just have a story, but tell a story”
Chinua Achebe 2000
“Storytelling is a vital ingredient of human experiences”
Keith Park 1999
“….for most of human history ‘literature’, both fiction and
poetry has been narrated, not written, heard, not read”
Angela Carter 1991
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Multi-sensory Storytelling
Principles – The Book

The Pages
 7 or less
 Colour is neutral
 Reading card is laminated (matte)
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Multi-sensory Storytelling
Principles – The Book

The Sentences
 On reading card
 One or two per page
 Short and rounded
 No word overload
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Multi-sensory Storytelling
Principles – The Book

The Stimuli
 One per page
 Speech (word sounds relate to the
concrete object/material)
 Age appropriate
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Multi-sensory Storytelling
Principles – The Book

The Book Cover
 The Box is the cover
 Tactile symbol & title (1 or 2 words)
 Recognition & choice-making
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Principles – The
Storyteller
 Uses voice expressively

intonation, inflection, tone pitch,
volume



speaks slowly and use pauses
implies atmosphere
allows time for acoustic
processing

Objects are always
presented in the same
way

Presents objects within
person’s personal field
of vision, hearing
& reach

Reading is an active
process
 Stick to the storyline


no deviation/ad lib
but, encourages, prompts the
person to interact with the
stimulus
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Example of a
Multi-sensory Story
page & stimuli
complete story
The box – the book
cover & tactile title
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
PAMIS Real Lives: Real Stories

Personalised

Tactile symbol,
(sign) and word(s)


Designed and
developed by
parents, carers & staff
Based on real
experiences

Accompanied by a
photo storybook

Built-in agreed
learning targets

Progress evaluated
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Susan Seaside Story
Evaluation
Parents
“The story was an activity to share with the family”
“It was tailor made for my daughter’s enjoyment
and interest”
“My son has an entertaining and educational story
that gives him pleasure, and informs him too”
“Her responses are much better than I had expected, it
is difficult for me to get things she responses to, but
with her story she responds to the stimuli most
times”
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Evaluation
Teachers
“She has shown lovely positive reactions to the
final pages”
“She never tires of hearing it and always responds
positively to it - head up and eye contact!”
“They have been great for encouraging all kinds of
awareness not only sensory but also social and
have become a really valuable tool in the class”
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Exploring Literacy…
Through multi-sensory stories
Focus for
setting specific
learning
targets & new
skills
Support and
information
sharing within the
development
group
Interaction
Enjoyment
Attention
Listening
Recognition
Comprehension
Learning
Anticipation
Sequencing
GOOD FUN
Collaboration
Library of
personal
sensory
storybooks
Teaching and
training
materials
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Parents’ comments on the
need for accessible material
“… she appears terrified and I don’t know where to
start, I cannot find any materials that are appropriate
or suitable for her developmental level”
Mother of 9 yr old girl, who had just begun menstruating
“…he constantly tries to open doors in the house
looking for him (his dad) he seems puzzled and
depressed. I don’t know what to do, how to explain
that Chris is not coming back”
Parent whose partner had died very suddenly
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers
Contact Details
Mrs J Whinnett
Grampian Co-ordinator
Unit 5 Badentoy Business Centre
Badentoy Crescent
Portlethen
Aberdeenshire
AB12 4YD
E-mail:
jenny.pamis@btconnect.com
Tel: 0044 (0) 1224 784456
pamis – in partnership with people with profound learning disabilities & their carers