Virgin Care provides buckets of toys in Exeter

Speech and Language Therapists in Exeter have introduced an exciting new approach to help autistic children feel the difference.

Dawn Roberts, a Speech and Language Therapist with Virgin Care’s Devon Integrated Children’s Services, applied for ‘Feel the Difference’ funding to buy special equipment to increase the children’s level of attention and listening skills, increase social communication and improve speech and language skills.

And the special equipment? A bucket filled with visually engaging toys.

The new therapy approach being introduced by the Exeter and West Devon speech and language therapy team uses high-interest toys and motivating activities to help children with suspected or diagnosed autism develop their ability to interact with others. 

Dawn said, “Whilst shared attention may emerge naturally in typically developing children, some young children do not find it easy to focus their attention jointly with another person and this can impact on their communication, social interaction and access to learning.  Using the high-interest toys has been shown to increase attention and listening skills.”

The sessions involve small groups of children. The adult leader picks one item from the bucket at a time and shows it to the group, playing with the toy and repeating key words.

All 13 therapists in the Exeter and West Devon team have now received training and are using their buckets to support children with Autism Spectrum Condition.

Dawn applied for money to buy the buckets and toys from Virgin Care’s ‘Feel the Difference’ fund which is made available for ideas and projects by frontline teams which improve the experience of using Virgin Care’s services.  Each year £100,000 is ring fenced to support applications for funding.

This approach is being rolled out across the whole of Devon as the Eastern and North Devon teams have also received ‘Feel the Difference’ funding for their therapists’ buckets and toys.