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Below is an account of Aiden's improvements from before
the therapy to date. Please also note we do not practice
any NHS prescribed physiotherapy on Aiden.
Before The Scotson Technique
No speech, constant writhing movements, poor concentration,
cannot sit unaided, very poor vision, constant eye movements,
very poor motor skills, no leg support when standing, beginnings
of spinal curvature, very poor head control, extremely laboured
breathing, eptegelenic tendency.
*October 2003 – Before treatment – note spinal
curveture, and chest deformaty*
After 6 Months – April 2004
• 3hrs of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
Many single words and sounds, calmer movements, improved
concentration, sitting balance beginning, eyesight improved,
hand movements better, beginning to take weight on legs.
Spine straighter, head control better, breathing better,
more restful sleep.
After 12 Months – Oct 2004
• 3hrs of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
Over 100 words, putting two together, generally calmer,
long periods of concentration, recounting memories etc,
eyesight further improved (confirmed by consultant), fine
movements skills better, weight bearing for longer periods
and beginning a stepping action, Spine much straighter,
head control better, breathing better.
After 18 Months April 2005
• 3hrs of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
More words than we can count! 6-8 word sentences, recent
assessment by NHS graded as within normal limits for age!!!,
saying nursery rhymes and singing songs, very good concentration,
can count to 10 unaided, remembers address and phone number!
eyesight much better, grasping anything and everything,
moving around floor independently, normal lumber curve beginning
to enable unaided sitting, standing with less support, kicking
a ball, head control better, eptegelenic tendency gone!
Confirmed by NHS brain scan.
*April 2005 – note straight spine and normal chest
structure*
Year 3 – Oct 2006
• 2hrs of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
Aiden has developed a considerable vocabulary, has shown
great intelligence and has an incredible sense of humour.
He can count to 100, as well as 1-10 in Spanish, and is
showing a natural ability for Mental Maths. His eyesight
is considerably improved as is his head control. He is fully
continent and he is able to weight bear quite well with
assistance. Aiden has obtained two Drama qualifications
from LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), both
with Distinction! Aiden now has a powered wheelchair which
he is mastering quite well and is giving him a sense of
individuality. All in all Aiden is developing very well
both physically and mentally, he is showing what can be
done for children with CP.
Year 4 – Oct 2007
• 2hrs of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
Treatment continues well, but during the year we get a powerful
reminder of how important it is to keep the exercises going.
Aiden is growing fast and maturing well, but with each growth
spurt there is an increased demand on his respiratory system.
As one outweighs the other we see old movement patterns
return, twitching and uncontrolled movements increase and
breathing becomes laboured once again as his diaphragm struggles
to cope with both the growth spurt and his general increased
activity, all made even worse by a return to disturbed sleep
patterns. This is a cycle we now recognise well! –
A prescribed change of exercises from the clinic are needed
to upgrade the respiratory system and after a few weeks
Aiden returns to normal.
We now understand why it is so important to continue Aiden’s
treatment at Advance right through his childhood years,
Adolescence and through into Adulthood. His respiratory
system continues to need a ‘help up to the next gear’
each time he grows or we see a return of his old symptoms.
Year 5– October 2008
• 1hr of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
As the cycle of the previous year seems to plateau and
Aiden stabilises – we see an increase in his learning
and academic capabilities. We begin an online maths programme
and Aiden’s assessed ‘maths age’ is in
line with his chronological age. His understanding is becoming
far more complex and he begins to show an aptitude for electronics
and engineering - i.e. he can play for hours making motorised
Meccano models, and gets very frustrated when ‘Mum’
doesn’t even know what a parallel circuit is? –
Its wonderful to see his progress – we take so much
for granted now and assume that Aiden will develop like
normal children but we forget how severely he is affected
and how his life could have been so much different. Our
yearly visits to his consultant are routine – no illness,
no problems, no medication and no surgery. We forget this
is not the norm for a child like Aiden – usually with
age comes increased problems, bone deformities – dislocations
– the signs that a week structure cannot cope with
the increased demand yet Aiden seems to be doing just fine.
Year 6 - Jan 2009
• 1hr of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
Aiden is growing from a child into a young boy – his
weight bearing is good and his sitting balance continues
to improve. His learning too stays in line with his age
and life is good.
*Jan 2009 – good weight bearing* *Nov 2009 –
improved sitting balance*
Year 7 - Now - 2010
• 45mins of treatment a day, 6 days a week.
Where are we now? – Aiden’s progress at Advance
is astounding by anyone’s standards – from a
baby with sever breathing problems and the onset of bone
deformities, a prognosis of continuing major heaths problems,
learning difficulties and general poor quality of life –
to now when nothing could be further from the truth. –
Aiden is well – happy – progressing beyond all
our expectations and with each trip to Advance we see even
more to be happy about. It’s wonderful seeing the
results, but the hours of therapy to achieve this have to
be a life changing commitment from both the child and the
adults performing the exercises – this is no quick
fix. Andy continues to carry out Aiden’s exercises
6 mornings a week. And Ade (as he now prefers to be called!)
requests them to be done when he feels he’s not breathing
well. Our life at Advance continues...
*April 2010 – Linda Scotson delivering her latest
set of exercises*
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