Case Studies
The BOUNCE Approach® in practice
Different settings. Different children. One question.
Real Snapshots from schools, provisions and care settings – each starting with the same question: what does this child need?
Every child below started at At Risk on a two-minute BOUNCE Snapshot. What changed wasn’t the child – it was the understanding of the adults around them. Here is what that looked like.
Engagement
Year 4
Age
4 weeks
Duration
Before
Regularly leaving the classroom, refusing written work and becoming distressed during independent tasks.
What the Snapshot showed
Cognitive overload, anxiety around making mistakes and difficulties with executive functioning.
What changed
Staff understood the distress as cognitive overload, not avoidance – tasks were broken into manageable steps and movement was woven into the day.
→
Potential Risk
Impact: Remaining in class for longer periods, attempting work more independently and needing fewer adult prompts.
“Understanding the overload made all the difference.”
Wellbeing
Primary aged
Age
4 weeks
Duration
Before
Frequent stomach aches and headaches, with daily medical room visits.
What the Snapshot showed
Anxiety and uncertainty affecting emotional wellbeing and feelings of safety.
What changed
Staff understood the body was telling a story – predictable routines and daily emotional check-ins gave certainty and a safe way to be heard.
→
No Risk
Impact: Attendance improved and medical room visits reduced considerably.
“Everything changed when we listened to her nervous system.”
Transition
School aged
Age
4 weeks
Duration
Before
Refusing to enter the school building following the holidays.
What the Snapshot showed
Anxiety around uncertainty and change preventing successful transitions.
What changed
A gradual transition plan paired with sensory tools and a safe person brought the young person back to safety.
→
Potential Risk
Impact: Attending daily, entering school with significantly reduced distress.
“Patience and planning made return possible.”
Regulation
Secondary aged
Age
2 weeks
Duration
Before
Regularly damaging property and becoming verbally aggressive when faced with expectations.
What the Snapshot showed
Sensory overwhelm, nervous system activation and low trust in adults.
What changed
Staff read the behaviour as a nervous system in survival – the environment was adapted, demands reduced and language shifted.
→
Potential Risk
Impact: Incidents reduced significantly; the young person began seeking support before crisis point.
“Finally understanding what they needed changed everything.”
Regulation
Primary aged
Age
4 weeks
Duration
Before
Frequently entering school in a heightened state and struggling to settle.
What the Snapshot showed
The child needed movement and sensory input before accessing learning.
What changed
Staff recognised the dysregulation – movement and sensory input were built into the start of every day.
→
Potential Risk
Impact: Morning incidents reduced and engagement during the first lesson improved significantly.
“Movement first, learning second made all the difference.”
Regulation
Teenage
Age
4 weeks
Duration
Before
Frequent conflict with staff during daily routines.
What the Snapshot showed
Expectations were being introduced when the young person was already dysregulated.
What changed
Staff focused on co-regulation before problem-solving – regulation first, expectations second.
→
Potential Risk
Impact: Relationships improved and the frequency of confrontations reduced substantially.
“Regulation first changed our whole approach.”
What’s next
Learn more about Snapshots
Join our growing community of BOUNCE Practitioners® making a difference every day.
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