Boy, 5, was afraid of the ice-cream van and going to the zoo

Ali Hutchinson with son Dresden Hutchinson, 5.
-Credit: (Image: Cheshire Live)


A special school in Whitby, Ellesmere Port, has had a 'transformational' impact on a five-year-old boy who was afraid of ice-cream vans and trips to the zoo. Ali Hutchinson, 35, from Ellesmere Port, has told how her son Dresden, who is autistic, previously struggled with music so much that the family had to avoid it at all costs.

Dresden's dislike of music caused such extreme distress, it meant the family had to leave before the singing started at birthday parties, ice-cream vans had to be avoided, and Dresden's little sister couldn't be sung to. But a primary school in Whitby has had a hugely positive impact on Ali's little boy. Hinderton School - a primary school for children with special educational needs - has helped calm Dresden's anxiety whenever music is played.

Dresden is now showing an interest in musical instruments, and even has his very onw ukulele - a change Ali credits to the Hinderton School. Ali is so grateful she has pledged to walk 100 miles to show her gratitude for the school that has completely changed her son's attitude to music, reports Cheshire Live.

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"Before Dresden started at Hinderton, he had this huge barrier with music and singing specifically," said Ali, from Great Sutton, adding that Dresden "couldn't cope" with the sound of music, finding it incredibly distressing and the source of terrible anxiety.

Ali added: "When he started Hinderton, we were saying that we needed to make sure there was no music anywhere in the school otherwise we’d never be able to get him back there, that was how extreme his distress was."

But music is a huge part of life at the school, Ali says, with music being a key part of the curriculum and also being used to communicate with children with communication barriers, such as songs being used to signal dinnertime and home time, and Ali worried this would make the school inaccessible to Dresden.

Dresden Hutchinson, 5.
Dresden Hutchinson -Credit:Cheshire Live

However, Ali says music has now become "part of his daily life very naturally" through teaching at the school. She said: "They gradually introduce music through the curriculum. They have ukuleles in every classroom that the children explore, and they had a live band who came into the classroom and let children explore the instruments. It was all done in a way that reprogrammed the negative associations with music and singing and made it something he could explore on his own terms."

Dresden Hutchinson, 5, watches assistant headteacher Carole Christian play harp at the Hinderton School
Dresden Hutchinson watches assistant headteacher Carole Christian play harp at the Hinderton School -Credit:Hinderton School

Ali and partner Edward Lamb, 40, were astounded to see a picture taken at the school of Dresden intently watching from close quarters as assistant headteacher Carole Christian played the harp. Ali said: "He was interested in it and chose to go and look at it, even though it was playing music. It was such a huge thing for our family."

Dresden's new-found tolerance for music has had a huge impact on the family, as Ali explained: "We’re now in a position where I can take him to the local Co-op even though it plays music, and if you had told me 12 months ago that I’d be able to do that I’d have laughed. It would have felt bonkers to us back then.

Dresden Hutchinson with Edward Lamb
Dresden Hutchinson with Edward Lamb

"It has opened up the world to us, and as a way of expressing our family’s gratitude we would like to raise some money so that Hinderton can invest in some more musical instrument and can pay to get a live band in to do some work with the children."

Ali has challenged herself to walk 100 miles in October to raise funds for the school's music provision, and has started a fundraising page to gather donations. She will fit the walking around both Dresden and little sister River, 2.

Of the school, Ali said: "They are fabulous and we fully appreciate how lucky we are to have a place there."