Welcome to the PAMIS 'Spirit of Stories' Hub,
where people and stories come together
Story has always been central to the work of PAMIS. Stories are everywhere in our everyday lives, they surround us.
Stories help us understand the self and others. They support learning and development, understanding, interaction, engagement and connection.
Developed by Maureen Phillip in 2017, PAMIS Spirit of Stories grew from our belief that everyone is a storyteller and everyone has a right to communicate, be heard and share experiences with others.
Through multi-sensory storytelling, we create opportunities for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), their families and those who support them to connect, communicate, play and imagine together.
The Spirit of Stories is about making space for everyone to communicate and connect in whatever way is right for them.
We offer courses and development sessions for families, schools, day opportunities and support teams to explore multi-sensory storytelling.
Spotlight on stories
With autumn in full swing and the days growing cooler, we wanted to dive into the wonderful world of the otter! Otters are playful, curious creatures who love to swim, dive and explore. Their thick fur helps keep them warm and their sensitive whiskers help them to find food, making them perfectly suited to life in and around the water.
With our prop-less Otter story, there are no items or resources to gather - you use your voice, movements, expressions and sounds to bring the story to life! With the focus on the shared experience, this is a simple, low cost, and accessible approach that families, carers and practitioners can enjoy anywhere.
THE OTTER'S DAY
A 'no-objects required' sensory story told through human and nature-made sounds, gentle touch and guided movement.
Begin in a quiet spot. Invite the person to settle and notice the sounds and movement around them.
Say : "The otter awakens and yawns a big yawn"
Do : Take a deep breath in and sigh it out in a big loud YAWN!
Say : "He lazily stretches out his arms and his legs"
Do : assist the person to stretch out their arms or legs if possible, or gently rub arms and legs.
Say : "Then leaves his holt and pads to the river"
Do : If tolerated, gently tap down legs to feet. Alternatively, gently clapping hands together as 'footsteps'
Say : "With a gentle splash, the otter slides into the cold river"
Do : Clap hands together, making a simultaneous 'Shhhh' sound
Say : "and joins his friends, tumbling and playing in the water"
Do : If tolerated, place your hand over the person's hand so it is gently cupped. Slowly roll your hand over and under theirs in a soft, tumbling motion, gently guiding the movement. Alternatively, cup your hands together and roll them over and under each other in a continuous tumbling motion.
Say : "Suddenly the otter spots the silvery sheen of a fish"
Do : Stop the tumbling motion and make a gasp sound, being aware of any potential startle response
Say : "He darts after it, swimming faster and faster"
Do : Place your hands over the person's hands so they are together in a loose 'prayer' shape. Gently guide the hands from side to side in a slow swimming motion, like a fish moving through water. If touch is not tolerated, perform the same movement yourself, moving your hands across their visual field.
Say : "Then success! He catches it!"
Do : Give a big clap to represent the otter catching the fish in his teeth.
Say : "The otter enjoys every bite of the tasty fresh fish."
Do : Clap softly several times
Say : "With his belly full, he lies back in the soft grass"
Do : Support the person to gently tap or rub their belly or if not possible, gently tap of rub their belly. If touch is not tolerated, rub your own belly and say "yum"
Say : "He lazily stretches out his arms and his legs"
Do : assist the person to stretch out their arms or legs if possible, or gently rub arms and legs.
Say : "He yawns a big yawn"
Do : Take a deep breath in and sigh it out in a big loud YAWN!
Say : "And falls asleep in the sunshine"
Do : If tolerated, rest your hands together beside the person's cheek like a pillow, making breathing in and making gentle shh sounds on the exhale. Or perform this yourself, gently tilting your head into your hands. You could also make a louder snoring noise if preferred.
Access our Resource Library
To access the resources library, you will be asked to sign up.
You will be prompted to:
Create a password and complete the sign-up form.
Check your email for a verification code.
Enter the code to confirm your email address.
Your completed form will then be sent to us for approval.
Once your registration has been approved, you’ll be able to sign in using the password you created .
