DOLPHIN therapy in the USA has been a great success for a disabled Trowbridge schoolgirl and her parents.

Eight-year-old Leanne Barnes, who has rare neurological disorder Retts Syndrome, has just returned from a two-week stay in Florida with her mum and dad.

Leanne, a pupil at Larkrise School, can't talk and the disorder severely affects her hands but her overjoyed parents watched the therapy help her to indicate her wish to swim and even to grip a dolphin's fin.

Mrs Barnes said: "The therapy has given us all so much to be able to work with as well as giving Leanne a great deal of pleasure.

"A lot of people might think it is just about getting into the water with dolphins but it is about a lot more ."

Retts syndrome attacks the nervous system and causes a variety of symptoms including epileptic fits and problems with movement and speech.The Dolphin Human Therapy Centre, at Key Largo, uses the experience of interacting with dolphins as a reward for children when they respond to questions.

Therapists worked intensively with Leanne for 45 minutes a day, aiming to keep her attention and to encourage her to respond and make choices.

Her mother said: "The responses Leanne made were such great achievements for her and us. It may not seem like much but for us small steps like these really are something amazing."

Initial research on using dolphin's to help handicapped children began in the late 1970's.

Since 1988 the therapy developed in the USA has helped over 30,000 families from 54 different countries.

The trip for Leanne and her parents cost £7,500 and was made possible by the generosity of people from Wiltshire and beyond. Some of the money was donated by a fund set-up in the name of another local girl, eight-year-old Charlotte Wakeham, who is fighting a brain tumour.

Mrs Barnes said: "I want to thank Charlotte's Chance of Life Fund and Frome Football Club's players and supporters and the many people that have been generous and behind us in this."

The family now hope to continue using the techniques hey learnt in the US.

"We will give Leanne every chance we possibly can to better her quality of life. We will never give up."