Kat
Kat is a young woman, who has learning disabilities, complex needs and lupus. We think that her pain levels fluctuate due to/compounded by her Lupus, and with them her expressions, energy levels and level of engagement.
Kats’ processing time therefore varies from week to week and can differ drastically. Sometimes she responds with a delay in her facial expressions and her laughter which makes it clear that she needs a bit more time to process. At other times she responds quickly and without a noticeable delay.
She doesn’t use speech, but usually clearly communicates via vocalisations, facial expressions and her body language.
When she is very excited or very tired, we respond to her by using the direction of her gaze to indicate which practitioner responds to her at any given time. We create a clear response without layering sensory input and encourage and follow her lead. We each use our creativity differently in our responses too, keeping the interaction interesting and engaging. We always adapt to her pace of processing on the day and when she is excited and can process more and quickly, we fire back our responses and build in surprises and variations in volume and embellishment. We play with proximity and mirror her energetic body language and might choose upbeat songs where she can fill in the gaps quickly with her big expressions.
Matching her exuberant energy and mirroring her also seems to support her processing as we all get into the same mood/energy together. She then often becomes more responsive and seemingly more focused on the interaction and less distracted by what is going on for her in her body.
When she is fatigued, we respond by choosing to join in with one of her vocalisation patterns and/or movements. We stay close with her, choose quieter voices and slower body language as well as maybe use more soothing melodies to acknowledge her.
Example one:
Kat was very energetic and expressed herself with big sudden movements of her arms in close proximity to Anne. She seemed to show Anne that she felt the connection between them by repeatedly resting one of her hands gently on Anne’s knee (something she seems to do with people she trusts). She sometimes has moments where it looks like her big motions overcome her, with her arms swinging rapidly. We know her well and can continue calmly without over focusing on it, but we wonder if these exaggerated movements are connected to big emotions?! Or potential pain waves or sudden body sensations as surprising for her as for us?
We offered her the big red tube to touch and tap, as she sometimes seems to benefit and enjoy having a physical outlet for her excess/abundant energy, and she took up the offer with vigour, tapping the tube often and vocalising loudly, while also focusing on us. The other Interaction Practitioner sat opposite and mirrored her vocalisations and energy, celebrating both. When she seemed to not want the tube anymore, she didn’t throw it or push it away but simply slowed her movements and stopped, ending the interaction in a calm and collected way herself.
Example two:
The interaction Practitioner felt as though she was asking for quiet and her hand, and concentrated focus on her vocalisations.
“She seems to do this at times by slowing down her movements and reaching out for our hands. She continued to tap my hand, gradually keeping it on my hand for longer periods of time. Her loud vocalisations also became quieter and seemingly more focused. It seemed that she began to listen too…waiting for my response before vocalising again. Her bodily movements also became slower and calmer.” (Nancy)
Luca Grys October 2025
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