Intensive Interaction Notes

Intensive Interaction: Development, Principles, and Practices

Overview

Intensive Interaction is an approach designed to help learners at early developmental levels learn the fundamentals of communication. It's based on the natural model of communication learning, particularly parent-infant interaction.

What is Intensive Interaction?

Intensive Interaction aims to help learners who are at the early levels of development to learn the fundamentals of communication. Many learners, such as those at St. John’s, may face significant challenges, including:

  • Being non-verbal or minimally-verbal
  • Difficulties communicating basic needs
  • Complex sensory processing needs
  • Severe anxiety
  • Difficulties being in the same space as another person
  • Potential long-term social isolation or seclusion

Fundamentals of Communication

Intensive Interaction focuses on developing the following fundamental communication skills:

  • Enjoying being with another person
  • Developing the ability to attend to that person
  • Developing concentration and attention span
  • Learning to do sequences of an activity with another person
  • Taking turns in exchanges of behavior
  • Sharing personal space
  • Using and understanding eye contact and facial expressions
  • Using and understanding physical contact and other non-verbal communication
  • Vocalizing and using vocalizations with meaning
  • Regulating and controlling arousal levels

Double Empathy Problem

The Double Empathy Problem theory highlights that communication and interaction are two-way processes. Both autistic and non-autistic people can face challenges in empathizing, interacting, and communicating with each other. In Intensive Interaction, both the teacher and the learner are learning to socially interact and communicate with each other.

The Natural Model of Communication Learning

Intensive Interaction is based on how babies learn the Fundamentals of Communication in usual development. These fundamentals are the first aspects of learning in usual development and are foundational and underpinning to subsequent learning.

The 'natural model' involves:

  • Dynamic, free-flowing, pleasurable activities, with the baby operating as a full and active participant
  • Mutual enjoyment
  • The parent ‘tuning-in’ to the baby
  • Pauses - watching and waiting
  • Following the baby’s lead and responding in a variety of ways
    • Marking - responding with facial expressions and vocalizations that ‘mark’ what the baby did as something important
    • Imitation, joining in, modified reflecting, gentle dramatizations
    • Delighted face and voice
    • Bursts of speech or running commentary

A baby can be an active participant and learn to be a communicator because:

  • The content of the activity is not too complicated
  • The behavior of the parent is not too complicated
  • The tempo of the activity is okay
  • The baby can remain engaged because the parent pauses and allows for rest and processing
  • The baby is motivated because the interaction is enjoyable

In usual parent-infant interaction, over 70%70\% is led by the parent. Autism and a learning disability can impact the ability to take part in an interaction. Parent-infant interaction is mostly natural, while Intensive Interaction is a blend of natural responding and reflective judgment. An Intensive Interaction practitioner needs to use longer pauses and be more observant and reflective.

Intensive Interaction Techniques

Key techniques include:

  • Tune in
  • Be available (facial expression, body positioning)
  • Let the learner lead
  • Hold back, observe
  • Pause and wait
  • Be responsive
  • Be relaxed and unhurried
  • Don’t drive on
  • Don’t do too much
  • Listen with all of your senses
  • Enjoy yourself

The only rule is that the interaction stops when the learner has had enough.

Minimalism

Aim for a sense of ‘minimalism’ in your behavior and technique:

  • Relax, wait
  • Don't drive the activity
  • Hold back, pause
  • Leave time and space for the learner
Phatic Communication

Most communications are not about a concrete goal or outcome. Many learners rely on us to provide social communication opportunities on their own terms.

Progress in Intensive Interaction

Progress is made through frequent and regular repetition. Repetition provides familiarity, predictability, structure, security, and a sense of control. It offers opportunities for repeated rehearsal and consolidation of learning. Within repetition of the same activities, experimentations and variations naturally occur.

Example at St. John’s

A 19-year-old autistic individual with a severe learning disability, minimally verbal, and severe anxiety:

  • Built foundations to being able to access learning
  • Improved wellbeing and lowered levels of anxiety, sense of confidence to experiment
  • Repetition, activities gradually changed, widening repertoire generated
  • Made it possible for staff to make new opportunities, many learning outcomes gradually emerged
  • Opened up her life opportunities through the development of Fundamentals of Communication skills through frequent and regular repetition

Challenges

Potential barriers to using the Intensive Interaction approach with autistic learners include both direct work with the learners and organizational issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why might an autistic learner with SLD find it easier to engage in Intensive Interaction than other approaches?
  • What equipment do you need to do Intensive Interaction?
  • Is it okay to use objects or toys in interactions?
  • Where can Intensive Interaction be done?
  • When can Intensive Interaction be done?
  • Do you join in with all behaviors?
  • The learner is not interacting with you. What should you do?
  • How long should an interaction last?
  • What do you do if the learner walks away / turns away?
  • Should you use spoken language?
  • How do you end an interaction if you need to?
  • Name some of the Intensive Interaction techniques.