What is Intensive Interaction?
Intensive Interaction is designed to meet the learning needs of people who are still at early stages of communication development. The approach works by progressively developing enjoyable and relaxed interaction sequences between the interaction partner and the learner. These interaction sequences are repeated frequently and gradually grow in duration, complexity and sophistication. As this happens, the fundamentals of communication are gradually rehearsed and learnt in a free-flowing manner.
Who benefits from Intensive Interaction?
Intensive Interaction supports pupils at Ifield School who are pre-verbal or who have yet to complete their learning of the Fundamentals of Communication. This includes pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), Autism, Multi-Sensory Impairment and Global Developmental Delay. Intensive Interaction helps learners to enhance their social communication through developing the Fundamentals of Communication.
The Fundamentals of Communication
• Enjoying being with another person
• Developing the ability to attend to a person
• Concentration and attention span
• Learning to do sequences of activity with a person
• Turn taking in exchanges of behaviour
• Sharing personal space
• Learning to regulate and control arousal levels
• Using and understanding eye contacts
• Using and understanding facial expressions
• Vocalising and using vocalisations meaningfully (including speech)
What does Intensive Interaction look like?
Intensive Interaction is a child-led approach therefore there is not a standard ‘look’ of Intensive Interaction. Intensive Interaction sessions can take place anywhere and everywhere- wherever the learner is happy and relaxed, it can be done in a busy classroom or a quiet sensory room. The interaction sequences are repeated frequently and gradually grow in duration, complexity and sophistication.
Intensive Interaction is an established part of the curriculum to support our learners at the early stages of communication. Kirsty Jewell is the coordinator for Intensive Interaction and is responsible for ensuring high standards of Intensive Interaction across the whole school. This includes measuring progress and impact, sharing good practice and ensuring it is integrated throughout the school day.
