Sensory storytelling stimulates responsiveness. The effectiveness of an adapted version of Multi-Sensory Story Telling on the responsiveness of moderate to profound multiple disabled individuals in South Africa.

Abstract

The effectiveness of an adapted version of Multi-Sensory Story Telling (MSST) on the responsiveness of 50 moderate to profound multiple disabled individuals from a residential children’s home and associated day-care centres in South Africa was evaluated. MSST aims to stimulate responsiveness through reading stories with multi-sensory stimuli. The development in responsiveness was observed during an MSST training of ten sessions. Generalisation effects were examined with a new untrained story. Short and long term maintenance effects and the moderating role of fine and gross motor functioning were examined, as well as if the characteristic elements of MSST matter for its effectiveness. Responsiveness increased during the MSST training. Social responsiveness developed gradually, while manipulative responsiveness started to increase after five sessions. Only increases in social responsiveness were generalised towards the untrained story and maintained after six weeks without MSST. Both social and manipulative responsiveness gains from last years’ training period were not maintained after nine months of lower frequency MSST since then. Fine motor functioning moderated the development of social responsiveness positively, while gross motor functioning moderated the growth in manipulative responsiveness negatively. Quality of MSST positively influenced the effectiveness of MSST on the development of both social and manipulative responsiveness. The results indicate that MSST is a promising intervention to stimulate the development of responsiveness of multiple disabled individuals in South Africa, but that frequent sessions of high quality are essential to achieve and maintain these gains.