Louise
Louise is a gentle woman who expresses herself with vocalisations and facial expressions, both usually clearly conveying if she likes/dislikes something. We think that she has a great sense of humour and enjoys social interactions and influencing others, as she will sometimes smile and often use her voice in appropriate moments to respond, provided her boundaries are respected.
Louise’s delayed processing time seems influenced by her sight, which seems to be in 2D. She has difficulties with depth perception and can therefore be surprised by something being close already or falling onto her before she was expecting it to. Her energy levels also play a role.
We have known Louise for years, and build on this by trying new things, making changes and adding surprises that rely on the trust in our relationship.
We use a variety of strategies, to make processing for her easier throughout the session:
- Acknowledging her comfort items and knowing/acknowledging that she’ll be able to process changes faster with her comfort item at hand but also having faith in our connection to enable us to spend purposeful time without them.
- Combining a new item, with her comfort item:
Use her comfort items but change them, hide them in one of our items (like a drum) or put one of her comfort items (e.g. fabric) around our items.
Use her comfort item in a new way, for instance placing them on us (on our head/shoulder etc) to engage her with us and our facial expressions.
- Use one of her comfort items stretched between us, or high up so she can pull it towards her (processing connected with proprioception). Provide some resistance once she is used to it to expand on the proprioceptive input.
- Introducing new items slowly and seeing if she might touch them slightly. Doing the same (facilitating turn taking) and adding a verbal commentary on how the new item feels to us giving her time to choose exploration or not.
- A step-by-step approach to changes of proximity, to then develop faster changes and include up and down movements for interest/playfulness
As her comfort items’ texture, looks, sound and smell are well known to her, they seem to not add to the sensory information that needs to be processed, but instead support her in settling herself. Consequently, she has more room to process other sensory input like ourselves, our interactions and new equipment.
Repetition and pauses are key elements in interactions to give enough room for processing, and we continue to use a slow build up with equipment and changes. As she gets easily startled but actually seems to enjoy some element of being surprised, we tried counting to three before dropping something like fabric or a soft ball. After observing her responses closely, we then use her own vocalisation three times. “Sh! Sh! Sh!” instead of numbers. When counted out loud she is often startled; maybe numbers have no meaning to her. When we started using her own sound, plus movement for her visual preparation and left a gap, she would usually look up at us and what we were about to do: e.g. throwing/floating a colourful fabric towards her to land on her knees and therefore was more prepared. Observation: She didn’t startle anymore and could fully enjoy the surprise element.
Proximity
Playing with proximity by rolling back and forth slowly on our wheeled stools and giving time to predict our motion but also adding surprise moments. Learning and respecting her comfort zone and maintaining the action within this mostly, but adding calculated and repeated moments of drama and surprise, which she has time to take in. Her observation of things that are further away gives her time to process and look without something being imminent, close and potentially frightening. She seems to enjoy looking at things that are further away too, and the positive dynamics created increase when we move more. It also gives us time to build things up in a different way, coming closer (with the equipment/or just ourselves) bit by bit. She can take everything in multiple times until it is close to her, might be touching her or in reach for her. This approach should feel safe as it is without expectations. It takes pressure off and leaves more room to process the visual element. Both Interaction Practitioners use a chair with rolls underneath, allowing free movement around the room. They are positioned away from Louise so that all three people build a triangular shape. When Louise reaches out or looks at one of us, the chosen Practitioner rolls towards her. First slowly for her to take it all in, and later quickly and with sound effects (added interest) with joy and embellished facial expressions. When she lets go or pushes lightly, we roll back again to the original position.
Louise has been given the lead, a choice of who will come closer and a means to reverse the proximity again. The extent to which she engages varies, but is consistently present, provided the processing elements described above are maintained.
Luca Grys October 2025
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