Case Study: Lumi Nova and Gabby
How Lumi Nova gave Gabby the tools to manage her worries.
“With thousands of pounds of cuts to schools, and waiting for 3 years for a diagnosis, I’ll jump at whatever practical help I can give to my child…”
Meet Gabby, a 9-year girl from Edinburgh
Gabby* is 9 and lives in Edinburgh. She’s autistic, and is in the process of going through an autism assessment.
Her mum, Julia*, doesn’t view autism as a disability and celebrates the extra abilities it gives her daughter, like being able to spot patterns and have empathy.
But this doesn’t mean Gabby doesn’t face challenges which can make day-to-day activities difficult for her and her parents.
Gabby finds school incredibly difficult: according to Julia, there often used to be “meltdowns” before school in the mornings. Gabby has sensory issues and OCD (related to cleanliness, obsessive thoughts, and ruminating about uncertainty), so getting her to go to activities in person is difficult.
Gabby’s mum and dad would also be unable to leave the house in the evenings as Gabby wouldn’t settle with anyone else. There would be tantrums before they left, when they got back and the day after.
Gabby is verbal but her mum says “girls are great maskers [...] peers would have no idea about the fact that [she is] melting down in school […] there is a whole other level in autism that makes them feel so exhausted and worn out”.
Taking Steps to Help
Julia first heard about Lumi Nova through the Additional Support Needs (ASN) teacher at Gabby’s school. It was also included in the school’s newsletter. At the beginning, Julia was sceptical as she didn't want Gabby spending more time looking at a screen: limiting screen time with Gabby is challenging as she will obsess once she gets into something.
But setting up Lumi Nova was smooth and after the first session Julia noticed that there was a time limit to the gameplay. She really appreciated that aspect. In fact, the screentime limit has helped Gabby build resilience.
The game says “okay, see you tomorrow!”, Julia explained. At first, Gabby wanted to know if Julia could just reconnect it. But once she understood the time limit was built into the game, she got used to it. Gabby found it useful to “play out the scenario of the worst thing that can happen, get through it” and then “pick up again where she left off” the next day, with that good experience to draw on next time.
Gabby worked on two worries with Lumi Nova: staying at home with someone other than her mum and dad; and overcoming anxiety around school.
The Journey
Gabby enjoyed playing Lumi Nova. Her mum said it suited her because she likes things that are repetitive and predictable: she responds well when she “knows the steps she needs to go through”, Julia explained.
It was also effective for Gabby because she could play Lumi Nova in her own time, on her own terms. “It’s good, low-key CBT” Julia explained, but “without doing it in front of an adult or making eye contact”, which Gabby struggles with. It also gave Gabby a chance to do something proactive, rather than ruminating.
Whilst working on the “going to school” challenge, Gabby got into a good routine of playing Lumi Nova in the morning before school. After a half-term break, Gabby had a bug and Julia said the routine was disrupted. But she was hopeful that once Gabby felt better they would pick it up again and complete the challenge.
Noticing Changes
The first challenge Gabby worked on was being at home without her mum and dad. Lumi Nova helped Julia reinforce the message that “you have done it before”, and “it’s hard, but you can do it.”
Although some of the quests in the app were less suited to Gabby’s needs than others, Julia noticed that when she and Gabby’s dad had to go out one evening, “there were no tantrums. And when we got back, Gabby was asleep when we came home and was calm the next day”.
Lumi Nova also successfully helped Gabby “get to school more happily” and she was “calmer” prior to half term. And it’s given Julia and Gabby’s dad “a good way to speak to Gabby about things” and a practical way to “process” some of her challenges “with her.”
“With Gabby, it’s never going to be a one hit wonder”, her mum said. “But [Lumi Nova gives her] the tools [she] needs to manage in life.” She continued: “trying to apply the principles learned in Lumi Nova to different situations […] that will be useful for her whole life”.
Julia has a positive message for other parents: “I really want to reassure parents to give it a go. It’s really helpful and really practical. Don’t see it as a silver bullet, because there isn’t one when it comes to autism. But it's great that it’s flexible and can fit around our time.”
“…just to be able to have access to [Lumi Nova] that I can do with my daughter, it not just helps her… but [also] helps me feel less paralysed.””
*names have been changed