Blowing Bubbles and Breaking Through Barriers

Five-year-old Scarlett is a friendly, imaginative, outgoing little girl with great humour. She loves drawing, watching Peppa Pig videos, balloons and playing in cubby houses and sandpits.  

In May 2022, Scarlett’s mum Micci engaged Everyday Independence to support Scarlett with emotional regulation and challenging behaviours.

In providing early childhood supports (early childhood intervention), Everyday Independence Key Worker Bianca jumped on board with some strategies to support Scarlett and Micci. First up, Bianca introduced social stories to support Scarlett with brushing her hair daily. They used a special rainbow brush that made hair brushing more enjoyable for Scarlett, embedding this activity into her routine so they could brush away the ‘knot monsters’, as Scarlett calls them. Storytelling has helped Scarlett identify her emotions and verbally express them, and she’s now confident that with her rainbow brush and troll spray, she can keep the knot monsters away! 

To help support Scarlett with emotional regulation, they read stories centred on different emotions, pausing to chat about the emotions and the triggers. Bianca also introduced ‘bubble breathing’ to Scarlett, which involved pretending to hold a bubble wand and making big, controlled breaths to blow bubbles into the sky. Additionally, Bianca supported Scarlett in drawing emotions and used a visual timer to encourage her to complete activities and tasks on time to achieve an organised routine.  

Another key milestone is that after refusing to go to the hairdresser, Scarlett is now excited to get her own ‘Bianca haircut’! The milestones don’t stop there – Scarlett’s emotional regulation and behaviours have improved so greatly that she could happily be a flower girl in a recent wedding. 

Micci also shared that her husband and Scarlett’s father passed away in February tragically and that Bianca supported the family through their grief.

Since her father passed away, Scarlett now connects with him by using her bubble wand to blow bubbles up to him in the sky.  

We are so proud of Bianca, Micci and most of all, Scarlett for the growth surrounding her challenging behaviours, and it’s warming to hear that Scarlett and Micci received optimal support and care from Bianca through an especially challenging time.  

Next on board to support Scarlett to thrive is Physiotherapist Sourabh, who will assist Scarlett in building her gross motor skills. We can’t wait to learn what this resilient little girl and her equally resilient mother will achieve next.

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