This compendium offers a multidisciplinary perspective to intensive interaction, bringing together the authors' experience and research from different disciplines. Each chapter is devoted to an over-arching concept - including psychological theories of human behaviour, relationship building and maintenance and social inclusion.

Intensive interaction is an approach to teaching the pre-speech fundamentals of communication to children and adults who have severe learning difficulties or autism, and who are still at an early stage of communication development. This book is a practical guide to help those wishing to implement intensive interaction in their setting, and it provides detailed advice and step-by-step guidance as well as a consideration of all the issues associated with carrying out this approach. It considers: - preparing for intensive interaction - observing intensive interaction in progress - doing intensive interaction at home and at work - teamwork - wellbeing - record-keeping This book is a straightforward guide for anyone wanting to use intensive interaction with people with severe and complex learning difficulties, people who have very severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairments, and people who have a diagnosis of autism.

Intensive Interaction is an approach to teaching the fundamentals of communication to children and adults who have severe learning difficulties or autism, and who are still at an early stage of communication development. Its simplicity and effectiveness has been one of the major themes in the widespread practitioner dissemination that has taken place during the last twenty years. Despite the human simplicity of the approach, intensive interaction relates to, or is influenced in practice by, a wide range of interconnecting theories and academic standpoints. With contributions from leading authorities, Dave Hewett provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the theoretical landscape of a now established methodology. The most prominent related theories and issues are reviewed, with Intensive Interaction set within their contexts. Issues covered include: - the approach within education and the curriculum - intensive interaction within adult services - effects on organisational change and development - neurology and learning outcomes - intensive Interaction and the Central Triad of autism - emotional learning and development outcomes - adoption of Intensive Interaction Providing a timely theoretical and academic overview to Intensive Interaction practice, this book marks a substantial theoretical waypoint to future development of interactive approaches generally. It is a vital resource of in-depth knowledge for anyone studying Special Educational Needs and Education. Dave Hewett is an independent educational consultant and has published widely on Intensive Interaction since his role in its development.

People with severe autism experience the sensory information they receive from the world completely differently to those not on the spectrum. They feel cut off and overwhelmed, and their behaviour can become very distressed. This handbook shows how we can engage with people who are non-verbal or semi-verbal and sometimes even those who have speech but lose the power to process it when they are in crisis. We can help them to make sense of the world. Intensive Interaction uses a person’s own body language to make contact with them and Sensory Integration develops the capacity of an individual to receive, process and apply meaning to information provided by the senses through targeted physical activities. These techniques can be used to develop an environment tailored to the particular sensory needs of the person with severe autism, reducing factors that cause distress. With illustrations, case examples and a wide range of tried-and-tested techniques, this practical guide provides indispensable tools for parents, carers and other professionals supporting people with severe autism and other learning disabilities.

Based on many years of working with such people, many of whom have withdrawn into a world of their own, Phoebe Caldwell explores the different sensory reality they experience, showing it to be infinitely more complex and varied than is widely understood.

This work is aimed at all who work or spend time with people who have learning difficulties, especially those who do not yet use language. The focus is on opening up the fulfilment and joy of human interaction to people who are remote from communication and companionship.

First Published in 1998. The authors’ aim in editing Interaction in Action is to follow up on the thinking and practical guidance contained in their previous work on Intensive Interaction: They hope to illustrate that Intensive Interaction is not just something that goes on in hospital schools. Here we see the approach used not only by teachers, but also by speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and parents. We see the approach used in people's homes as well as in education and day centres. The contributors have been asked to share their insights, the way they think about Intensive Interaction as well as the way that they 'do' it. This means that the chapters contain both reflective analysis and vivid description. The contributions illustrate how Intensive Interaction has grown and developed as an educational approach and as a way of being with people, and they illustrate the impact on all those involved.

The award-winning creators of Intensive Interaction bring this groundbreaking book up to date with new material covering inclusion and emotional literacy. The book also includes: a brand new section looking at the program's implementation in preschool settings the particular benefits of Intensive Interaction for children who have Autistic Spectrum Disorders a 'how to do it' chapter including ideas for assessment case studies to help practitioners get to grips with the realities of using Intensive Interaction. This book has been updated to include the new SEN Disability Act (SENDA), and developments in new technology.

Playfulness is important; it creates an alternative space where emotional, cognitive and social dimensions can be explored and tested. This highly practical book explores the endless possibilities of using playful, creative and interactive activities to meaningfully engage with children with multiple learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders. The author presents playfulness as ‘an experimental frame of mind’, and encourages practitioners to play with roles, ideas, words, concepts and objects in order to enhance relationships and interventions. By providing accessible steps to playfulness, this text explores some of the contemporary issues surrounding the education of children with severe learning needs, in particular the use of ‘intensive interaction’. This text considers different areas of creative interactive work for practitioners to draw inspiration from, including: Music Interactive Musical Movement Finger Dance Story and Drama Artwork Reflective Circle. The varied array of tried and tested original activities have been devised to encourage the development of social interaction, cognition, play, experimentation and creativity, in particular but not exclusively, for children whose learning needs are more complex. The author also invites teachers working in mainstream, particularly early years and primary education, to investigate the creative possibilities inherent in playfulness and to use the activities in this book to enhance the learning environment. This text offers an abundance of advice, practical strategies and tips for teachers working in special and mainstream early years and primary education. Practitioners such as therapists, care workers, community musicians and creative arts specialists will also find this book useful.

The author sets out an approach based on Dr Geoffrey Waldon's philosophy of the development of understanding, which centres on helping children learn-how-to-learn. The book includes: - The inspirational and well documented story of the author's son, diagnosed at two with autism and as 'basically sub-normal', now a successful professional with a wife and child. - An introduction to Geoffrey Waldon's theory and working methods. - Testimony from parents and teachers, covering autism and a range of learning difficulties. This book does not offer a 'miracle cure' for autism, although the author aims to counteract the prevailing view that autism is a lifetime condition. The author demonstrates that with the appropriate intervention, children with autism - and other special needs - can gain a fuller understanding of the world and learn to take a constructive and contributing place in it. Teachers, therapists, doctors, parents and special interest groups will find this book an important and potentially transformational read. Listen to a podcast of Walter Solomon discuss the story of his son Robert, the motivation behind his new book and how to get started using the Waldon Approach. Listen here Or watch the video here!