Understanding Intensive Interaction

Intensive interaction is a valuable approach, with the potential to radically enhance the well-being of difficult-to-reach individuals, such as those with profound and severe learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions and emotional problems. This highly accessible book will help families and professionals develop a deeper understanding of this highly-successful approach and its associated issues, resulting in improved communication opportunities within a variety of care, therapeutic and educational settings.
This compendium offers a multidisciplinary perspective to intensive interaction, bringing together the authors' experience and research from different disciplines. A glossary format and thematic structure are employed to enable readers to quickly access topics of interest, and gradually build on their understanding of the approach. Each chapter is devoted to an over-arching concept - including psychological theories of human behaviour, relationship building and maintenance and social inclusion - and illustrated with case studies to support theoretical assertions and offer practical examples of useful techniques.
A useful reference and reflective tool, this book will interest both family and professional carers, support staff, special education teachers, learning disability nurses, social services practitioners, speech and language therapists, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, or anyone who is interested in intensive interaction and wants to learn more.

Graham Firth is the current Intensive Interaction Project Leader for the Leeds Partnerships NHS Trust. He was previously a further education teacher for adults with severe or profound learning disabilities.
Dr Ruth Berry is a consultant clinical psychologist with The Hesley Group, providing services to adults with autism and complex needs, including severe challenging behaviour.
Cath Irvine is a specialist speech and language therapist for people with learning disabilities and autism, Unicef consultant and Freelance Consultant and Trainer for Intensive Interaction.

Introduction. 1. What is Intensive Interaction? 2. Issues Associated with Personal Characteristics. 3. Issues Associated with Social Inclusion (Being with Someone). 4. Issues Associated with Human Communication. 5. Relationship Building and Maintenance. 6. Issues Associated with Human Learning (Developmental Issues). 7. Some Psychological Theories of Human Behaviour. 8. Some Psychological Concepts. 9. Some Issues Associated with the Practicalities of Approach Use. 10. Creating an Interactive Environment. 11. Issues Associated with the Socio-Political Environment. 12. Issues Associated with Approach Development and Dissemination.