Case Study 1 - Starting a photo storyboard

I have found with my 10 year old son that visual aids are the best, so when it came to preparing for transition to a new school, we decided to help him create a photo storyboard.

I began a story board starting with photos of home and all of us who live here. He took this to school and carried around for a few days before deciding to let others look at it. With his LSA he then began taking photographs on his v tech indestructible camera. The photos were very random: the toilet, the carpet etc but they were his. He would bring them home and I'd print them and add to his book. We eventually got pictures of people and playground and his book became very thick.

The next step was the visit to his new school which we did when it was closed. We were able to get in the grounds and walk around and he took more photos. I got the receiving LSA to give a photo of her and that went in his book.

The LSA visited my son at his old school and he was happy to share his book with her. He was then invited to visit the new school and take photos. On the first visit his old and new LSA were with him as he took random photos. He then came home and shared his book. This went on for several visits until he was able to sit in his new class for a short time and now he had a camcorder so he recorded it for us all to watch.

We then broke up for summer holiday and this book became a bible we had lying around and everyone was encouraged to look at the book and talk about it.

Just before the dreaded first day we went back to the new school and took more photos and had a picnic on the field.

We have been amazed at how well he has transferred and he is doing so well.