Success Stories - Dorton House School
Sarah, Year 9
Sarah is a pupil at Dorton House School (DHS) whose mother, Sally, is keenly aware of the positive impact that the RLSB has had on her daughter's life so far:
"The RLSB has given Sarah access to a good education: it has supported her in all her health needs and has given her opportunities that she would not have had elsewhere. The RLSB has also enabled us as a family to participate in things with Sarah that we would not be able to do by ourselves like the fantastic ski trip to Italy. DHS has given Sarah the chance to take part in every aspect of school life, something that did not happen when she was in mainstream education".
Whilst commenting on the support provided by the RLSB as a whole, Sally is quick to emphasise the importance of Sarah's inclusion within her school dormitory unit:
"The unit is very important to Sarah as the staff have given her a home environment where she knows she is well cared for, which makes things just that bit easier for us".
Whilst Sarah's education is clearly a high priority for her mother, learning independent living skills and gaining mobility training is also a key element of Sarah's schooling at the RLSB as Sally explains:
"For Sarah it is important that she is taught how to do many things that other children learn by copying us: she is being taught how to be as independent as she can and is able to travel on her own".
Another key element of Sarah's schooling at the RLSB is the level of social interaction that she is exposed to as Sally explains:
"Living at Dorton House gives Sarah the chance to be with other children of all ages and learn how to socialise with them.
The RLSB has given Sarah a great deal which in turn reflects on our whole family. If ever we have felt that we have had a problem, the staff at the RLSB have always been there for us to lend their support. Through DHS we have met other families and have become friends. It is good to have the others to compare notes with them and then to realise that sometimes we are all going through the same thing. Having Sarah has opened up a whole new world to us, has changed us for the better, and Sarah is growing up into a wonderful person, with the full support of a school, a unit that enjoys her company and a family that loves her to bits".
Archie, Year 8
Archie is a pupil at Dorton House School. His mother, Paula, descibes his progress:
"I don't like this, Mummy. I want that" , hardly the words that a parent would ordinarily welcome from their child, but then Archie our 12 year old son is no ordinary child. He was born with anopthalmia, (a condition that means he has no eyes), a minor brain deformity, a severe harelip and a cleft palette.
In September 2003, Archie started at DHS. Within weeks, we were noticing improvements in Archie's general happiness and demeanour. December 2005 was the first time that Archie really understood Christmas, and was able to join in his sisters' sense of anticipation and excitement: you can imagine the difference it made to our celebrations!
However, this success seems almost insignificant when compared to Archie's meteoric progress. The RLSB's teaching staff and therapists have performed minor miracles, in enabling Archie not only to find his voice, but also to use it to express his own opinions! We now hear all about Archie's likes and dislikes, his friends and their activities, his favourite toys and pastimes and most importantly, why he has been naughty!
Obviously my family feels an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone at the Royal London Society for the Blind. I hope I have helped to illustrate the impact that the RLSB has been making to families like mine for such a long time."
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