What we do

Intensive Interaction

What is Intensive Interaction and why do we use it?

 

Intensive Interaction is a well-established and successful approach, used to encourage people with profound learning disabilities, autism and/or complex needs to make the most of their fundamental communication skills – and to use those skills to build meaningful connections with the social world.

In schools, in families and in a range of adult services, for over 30 years, it has been used to combat isolation and open up opportunities.

It can be a joyful, exciting and revealing way for people to explore self-expression and gain a meaningful sense of connection with others.

It has been called many things since the mid 1980’s – Augmented Mothering, Co-Creative Communication, Responsive Communication – but actually it goes back a lot further than that and is an un-named, universal, human experience.

There isn’t anyone reading this article who hasn’t experienced Intensive Interaction. It is based on the way all humans learn to make their journey from the basic, reactive communication skills they were born with, towards their full communicative potential. For most of us, this will be a range of intentional communication skills which lead to mastering the art of using language.

For many of the people Us in a Bus support, they are still on this journey – and it is our job and our privilege to help them explore their own individual communicative potential.

So, how does it work for us all?

Have you ever noticed that you have a tendency to copy babies? They sneeze, you say “Atichoo!” They open their mouth wide – so do you, often adding a sound or a word. They look straight at you – and you look straight back. They babble – you babble back (even if you think you are singing). Often we are unaware that we are doing it, but it seems to be a response that is hard-wired into us all.

When we copy a baby, we are entertaining and stimulating them, of course, but far more importantly, we are effectively saying “I’ve noticed you!” Every time we do that, the baby’s sense of itself is confirmed. It gradually learns that it can have a deliberate influence on us; it is then ready to make the move from simply expressing its response to a stimulus (it cries when it is hungry or cold or lonely) to demanding our attention – it is on its path to language.

That is exactly what happened to you. But what if you had had a profound learning disability or a complex condition (such as autism) that made you unable to absorb the “I notice you!” messages that people sent you? You could well still be struggling with your sense of self. In fact, the habits, movements, sounds and actions you make yourself might well have had far more impact on your sense of self than anything the people around you were doing to respond to you. You might feel disconnected from the world and the people in it.

Intensive Interaction simply encourages us to re-explore the vital stage of confirmation – the “I notice you” stage of communicative development. If we notice what someone is doing, (at whatever age or stage of development they are at) and find a way of copying it back to them in a way that is accessible and meaningful, we have a good chance of helping them create a bridge between their inner world and the social world.

If Intensive Interaction is that easy, why isn’t it being used with everybody who needs it?

Well, that is our aim at Us in a Bus and we are working towards it through the services it provides and the training it offers. We have to accept that yes, the theory is simple, but it takes skills and determination to persist in its use. We need excellent observation skills, patience, persistence, courage, empathy and more. If you were watching us use Intensive Interaction, you might see us being quite dramatic – moving our arms and swaying in response to someone’s rhythmic rocking. Or it might be hard to notice we are doing anything – because we are quietly echoing the gently “Buh, buh, buh” sound someone is making with their breath.

What we will be waiting and watching for is a subtle change in someone’s rhythm or sound which tells us they have noticed that we are speaking their ‘language’. Then our job is to foster the sense of intentionality that person is discovering, by shifting our response to follow their pauses and changes.

We all know what real engagement feels like when we experience it. Knowing that we are acknowledged, listened to, understood, respected and liked is pretty special. That’s what Intensive Interaction can achieve in the lives of the people we support; what a privilege to be part of the process of Connecting Lives.

Interactive sessions

We visit our clients in their homes, once a week, over a period of time between six months or in some cases five years or more. This commitment gives us all a chance to build relationships as we find out about each other.
Most weekly sessions are shared between a few people who live together. We aim to find out how people express themselves and then work alongside each person to help them develop that self-expression in order to have a greater influence on their own lives and the people around them. This can be a long and subtle process and we aim to make it an enjoyable as well as an empowering one.

So, what actually happens during a Us in a Bus session?

There is no typical session – what happens depends entirely on who the person is and what they feel like that day. What we do know is that there will usually be two Us in a Bus Interaction Practitioners there and they will introduce themselves in ways that are familiar and reassuring to each person. The Us in a Bus Practitioners will make sure the activities which are introduced, and any interactions that ensue, are led by the people there. We use a variety of interactive approaches, including Intensive Interaction, to support and develop people’s engagement and involvement and may use equipment, to explore possibilities with people, encouraging each other’s imagination and exploring comfort zones along the way.

Case Study | Ben

Ben is a young man who has been known to Us in a Bus for a few years. A generally quiet person, who kept his head hanging down…

The smiles became frequent, ben lifted his head, he offered his hand. What a wonderful place to be!

CASE STUDY: READ ABOUT THE SESSION WITH BEN FROM ANNE

Ben lives at home with his mum, dad, sister and dog. He has profound and multiple learning disabilities and epilepsy and although he can move around on the floor by himself he uses a personalised wheelchair for some time during the day to support good posture and encourage him to sit well. Ben doesn’t’ speak but uses facial expression and body language to communicate and to express himself. Ben attends an independent day service three days a week and we meet with him there once a week.

Ben seems to be quite a shy young man who is very watchful and choosy about how and when to engage with people. He loves sound and vibration, especially musical instruments such as the keyboard which he can hold close to his body and face to feel and hear. As Ben has matured he has grown quieter and been using his voice less, perhaps as he concentrates to make sense of the world around him.

Our aims with Ben are based around increasing his self-confidence, particularly within social interactions. We aim to encourage him to express himself, support his emotional well-being and offer opportunities for him to explore his sociability and positively influence our time together. During our time together we put Ben in control of what happens and when, offering him the opportunity to experience a sense of “power” and building his self esteem.

Ben’s interest in sound and music has frequently influenced our interactions and we regularly offer him our keyboard to explore. We rest it on his tray and wait to see what happens. If Ben is interested he reaches out and places his hand on the instrument. Initially Ben only seemed interested in sounds that were sustained and quite loud; he seemed to lose interest if the sound went away too quickly.
Gradually, as we have explored together, Ben’s curiosity has increased and we play games where we gradually change the volume or turn the setting to a different sound. We might reduce the volume until Ben removes his hand…….trying to guess how quiet we can go. We might pretend to take back the keyboard to “play ourselves” when Ben removes his hand. We ALWAYS celebrate whatever Ben does, responding to everything to give him the message that’s he’s in control.

Ben seems to really enjoy these interactions. He sits up tall, often with his “listening” expression on his face and usually with the gentle smile we have come to associate with Ben being interested in what’s happening. Often there develops a rhythm to the sounds as we copy the playing Ben does and this sometimes develops into an improvised piece of music with Ben dictating the tempo and pitch and us using our voices to echo the notes he plays and his breathing sounds. We will usually add words at this point to describe what’s happening and they ALWAYS acknowledge and celebrate Ben’s part in the process. We might sing about “Brilliant Ben who shows us how to play”.

We believe Ben feels a sense of pleasure from this celebration and realises he is in control. We believe this, because he seems to grow in stature as we watch, his smile deepens and he, almost without fail, reaches out and pulls us into a huge hug. He is becoming more confident in these interactions. If he’s in the mood, he quickly and clearly communicates how he wants things to be. There seems to be a direct relationship between his confidence and his communication.

2022 update. We stopped seeing Ben a few years ago now, and often refer to the things we learned from him. He forced us to consider our patience and persistence, and emphasised the importance of reflection on our practice. We’d like to share the card Ben and his mum gave us when we stopped seeing him. What a joyful memory.

“Dear Anne and Nicky, Ben is going to miss you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful journey you’ve been on with Ben. I feel sad, but immensely proud of all that our brilliant Ben has achieved. I’m so very grateful to you both for your tremendous support. I hope the brilliant Us in a Bus goes from strength to strength….. and you carry on weaving your magic”.

Training & Consultancy

Training

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100% of people who gave us feedback said they would recommend our workshops to others

remainingUs in a Bus offers a 1 day ‘Introduction to Intensive Interaction’ workshop, a practical workshop for individuals, groups and organisations.  Some training days are delivered via Zoom and some in person, please check the individual dates for details.

We know that establishing some common ground with people who are often isolated can help them have more of an impact on the world. One of the approaches that can help this to happen is Intensive Interaction, a simple and empathetic way of encouraging people to communicate in ways that are familiar and natural to them.

Our ‘Introduction to Intensive Interaction’ workshop is priced at £85 per person, and we are also able to offer a price of £35 for parents, family carers or students.

The workshops are run by Janet Gurney and are suitable for anyone who wants to communicate and relate more closely with people with profound learning disabilities and complex needs, including Day Service and Support Staff, Home Leaders and Service Managers, Advocates, Families, Occupational Therapists, Teaching Staff and Speech and Language Therapists etc. Janet has over 30 years of experience in supporting people in this way. Her workshops have been developed and delivered in response to requests for Us in a Bus to share some of their approaches to building and developing relationships with people who can often seem ‘difficult to reach’, including people with autism.

Click here to see the 2024 Workshop dates.

To find out more about Janet please Click here

Janet Gurney was formerly Chief Executive and then Director of Training at Us in a Bus and has over 30 years of experience of working with people whose learning disabilities and complex needs can throw up barriers to communication.  She is now semi-retired but proud to be able to continue offering training in association with Us in a Bus. We estimate that she has trained over 10,000 people.  She works to make a difference by exploring early stages of communication and sociability.  One of the approaches that can help this to happen is Intensive Interaction, a simple and empathetic way of encouraging people to communicate in ways that are familiar and natural to them.

Using the experience that has come with sharing time with people with learning disabilities and those who care for them, Janet has developed workshops, coaching and mentoring programmes and consultancy services to help anyone communicate and relate more closely with those who have profound learning disabilities and complex needs, bringing meaning and value into their lives.  Janet is a committed and inspiring practitioner and trainer, demystifying ‘techniques’ and encouraging people to get creative and have fun with the people they support.

Janet has a degree in Social Administration and Humanities, a Certificate in Training at post-graduate level and was awarded a British Citizens Award in July 2020. She trains professionals and carers across the UK, Ireland and has worked in Russia, Poland and Italy.  She has worked closely with Phoebe Caldwell, an expert in the field of communication, exploring how an understanding of sensory processing issues ensures that Intensive Interaction can be as useful to each person as possible.

The Caldwell Autism Foundation is a charity which promotes the work of Dr Phoebe Caldwell, focussing on the advances she has made over the last 40 years in supporting communication with people with autism and/or complex learning disabilities. Our trainer, Janet Gurney, has for many years worked closely with Phoebe, who endorses Janet’s “Introduction to Intensive Interaction” workshop. As part of their work in making sure as many families and professional as possible can access this training, The Caldwell Autism Foundation is funding bursaries towards Janet’s on-line workshops, which Us in a Bus organise. If you are interested in applying for a bursary, please do so by email to info@usinabus.org.uk

Training & Consultancy

In-House Training

Janet Gurney, delivers in-house workshops and conference presentations across the UK and internationally, introducing participants to the theory and practice of Intensive Interaction, and to an understanding of how sensory processing issues can be an integral factor in ensuring Intensive Interaction is as effective as possible. Janet is happy to discuss how the content of each workshop can be tailored to meet the needs of the participants and the people they support.

For more information, including costs, please contact admin@usinabus.org.uk or telephone 01737 823310.

“I’d just like to take a few minutes to thank Janet Gurney for the Intensive Interaction training session she ran in Dublin yesterday. I have been using Intensive Interaction principles in my professional work for many years, but I don’t think it’s ever really made as much sense to me as it did yesterday! I really appreciated the opportunity to discuss the challenges and rewards of working with people with PMLD, in what I felt was an understanding and supportive environment, and Janet’s presentation style really facilitated looking at my everyday work with new eyes and fresh understanding.”

Comments from Catríona Campbell, Speech and Language Therapist after attending Janet’s training.

Training & Consultancy

Consultancy

We have trained over 10,000 people on how they can improve their engagement with those who have learning disabilities and complex needs.

Making Intensive Interaction part of people’s daily lives often requires a shift in workplace culture and environment.  Consequently, Us in a Bus is increasingly being asked to provide consultancy services.  We can work alongside clients and staff to help make those shifts a reality.

Us in a Bus provides a range of consultancy services.

  • Hands on development, practice and mentoring, to promote the particular needs of people with profound learning disabilities.
  • Zoom sessions to support practice, trouble shooting and reflection.

To discuss your specific needs please contact our Practice Manager, Anne Laney, by email – anne.laney@usinabus.org.uk.

Development and Practice

Development and Practice involves Us in a Bus Interaction Practitioners working alongside support staff to explore Intensive Interaction at the support staff’s workplace. Usually between six and eight sessions are recommended, involving four staff and requiring people for support staff and us to work with. The two hour sessions are delivered weekly (same time each week) for places close enough to travel to; and in blocks over a few days/week for places further from Redhill.
During that time, the Interaction Practitioners use a mixture of coaching, mentoring, training and reflection to help staff develop their own practices and become confident in their use of Intensive Interaction, so that it becomes part of the culture of that unit by the end of the Development and Practice input.

“I found the meeting helpful because I have been able to check out that I am understanding Intensive Interaction properly and get feedback. This has helped a lot with developing deeper conversations and interactions with the people I work with”.

Trouble Shooting

We can provide ongoing support for staff who have been involved in either our Workshops or our Development and Practice sessions. This is facilitated by an experienced Interaction Practitioner and can be delivered in a variety of ways, Zoom being one. These meetings encourage staff to reflect on, share, and develop their practices. Staff are also encouraged to gain confidence and experience in ‘passing it on’ to colleagues, ensuring that the culture of Intensive Interaction in their workplace is sustainable. People have found these meetings useful in terms of encouragement and ideas.

Please contact anne.laney@usinabus.org.uk to discuss your requirements and costs.