Intensive Interaction

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

Intensive Interaction

Rationale for the


Child-Centred Learning and Activity Session (CCLAS)

What is Intensive Interaction: Intensive Interaction is an approach to the


teaching of early communication attainment. These communication attainments
are the outcomes, knowledge and abilities that in usual development commence
at birth and progress through to the development of speech and language in a
typically developing child. For children with atypical language development these
skills need to be taught explicitly, and Intensive Interaction provides a way to do
this. The learning intentions or outcomes of Intensive Interaction are usually
summarised under the heading of the ‘Fundamentals of Communication’, these
being:

• enjoying being with another person

• developing the ability to attend to that person

• concentration and attention span

• learning to do sequences of activity with another person

• taking turns in exchanges of behaviour

• sharing personal space

• using and understanding eye contacts

• using and understanding facial expressions

• using and understanding physical contacts

• using and understanding other non-verbal communications

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

• vocalising and using vocalisations meaningfully (including speech)

• learning to regulate and control arousal levels

• (probably) the development of neural links

• emotional development and associated and well-being outcomes

(Nind and Hewett 1994, 2001, 2005)

Intensive Interaction is a recognised approach in the document National


Curriculum Guidelines for Learning Difficulties. Qualifications and Curriculum
Authority (2009) Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with
learning difficultie.

SCRUFFY targets: Developed by Penny Lacey (2010), stand for Student-led


Creative Unspecified Fun For Youngsters. They are child led targets, where the
teacher will respond to the changing needs of the child, and support the learning
in the Fundamentals of Communication. The child’s engagement and attainment
will be tracked over a period of time to demonstrate the progressive accumulation
of the Fundamentals of Communication.

Classroom environment: The room should be prepared with a range of toys,


developmentally appropriate activities and materials available and set out.
Different physical areas will be arranged, possibly an area with mats and
beanbags, some things on the floor, activities and toys on the floor and an area
with desks and chairs.

Room Manager: This role will be undertaken by different people each session.
This person stands back a little, and does not take part in the Intensive Interaction.
They will monitor the pupils who are not engaged in 1:1 Intensive Interaction,
ensuring that they are engaging in the available activities safely. The RM also
takes care of any other difficulties, visitors arriving etc. The RM may make notes
and observations on each pupils individual recording sheet.

Practitioners (teachers and teaching assistants): By positioning themselves


the adults should make themselves socially ‘available’ in the CCLAS environment
(indeed, making themselves appear highly available). However, they should
remain relaxed and relatively still at first, observing, not attempting to direct the

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

learners, but looking for the best moments to start to join in with the pupils in play
and other activities, choosing the best moments sensitively and tactically.

The session will proceed in this way, with the adults flexibly joining and leaving
individual pupils or groups as they judge it from the pupils’ point of view. At the
end of the session each practitioner will be asked to fill in the Framework for
Recognising Attainment in Intensive Interaction.

Reasons for organising in this CCLAS way

 The CCLAS way of organising a classroom session provides maximum


emphasis on communication activities, building on the Fundamentals of
Communication and supporting children in their development.
 The CCLAS provides maximum opportunity for carrying out one-to-one
time with each pupil.
 It first and foremost attempts to get the pupils to be relaxed and at ease,
thus feeling settled and comfortable, with a sense of liberty to direct their
own activity, and at the very least, having a sense of shared control over
what is taking place.
 For most of the pupils this CCLAS one-to-one time will be priority time for
communication activities. Each child will therefore frequently have the
opportunity to engage in communication activities with a range of available
adults.
 This CCLAS way of organising a session allows for an agreeable rhythm of
pleasurable and often intense engagements, followed by the child having
opportunity to disengage and be away from adults. However, the child will
still remain within the room and the socially inclusive atmosphere being
generated.
 This CCLAS way of organising a session allows for, indeed promotes
maximum playfulness and play-type activities. Pupils who for instance,
have autism can have difficulty indulging in play, yet much early learning
only takes place during play.
 The CCLAS way of organising a session also incidentally provides
maximum opportunity for the pupils to interact with each other.

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

What the members of staff need to do in CCLAS sessions

 Be relaxed but purposeful.


 Be highly observant of each individual child – ‘tune-in’ to them, learn to read
their signals.
 Learn to recognise with each child when the child is in a ‘let’s do it’ state
and then ‘go for it’, but also to recognise when a child has temporarily had
enough.
 Pause, know when to wait and let the child process.
 Relax, go slowly, do not rush, or ‘drive-on’. Pause, give pupils time to
cognitively process and do things.
 Take a rest for their own sakes’ when they need it during the session. This
way of working allows for the adult to take a rest.
 Be technical and objective throughout the flow of the activity, recognise
progress outcomes, make evaluation notes (see page 4) and at times take
video recordings as part of the usual flow of CCLAS activity.
 Be aware of other members of staff, stay in communication with them, take
time to observe (or even video) colleagues when something interesting or
exciting is taking place.

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

Intensive Interaction
Child-Centred Learning and Activity Session (CCLAS) Plan

Class: 5 Session times:

Key Stage: 2

SCURFFY targets - Student-led Creative Relevent Unspecified Fun For


Youngsters (Lacey, 2010)

Class target: To promote the development of the Fundamentals of


Communication, through child led play and Intensive Interaction.

Individual pupils: These will be devised after the initial period of Intensive
Interaction has taken place.

e.g. Continuing progress with frequency and duration of II activities


More, subtle but tangible developments in use of eye contacts/facial expressions
More vocalisations and a development in the range of vocalisations
Measurable development of turn-taking sequences

Term Planning

Spring 2 Classroom organisation: Tables moved to Practitioners: Emily,


the side. Bean bags + mats in one corner, Jo, Georgia, Sophie
resources placed around the room. Trial and Vicky
different resources for the first few session,
alternating each session. Room Manger:
Anna
Identify specific children for each practitioner
to work with at the beginning of each
session.

Intensive Interaction CCLAS: up to


30minutes

RM – prepare the children that the session


will finish in 5 minutes, 2 minutes etc…

Practitioners to write up notes during this


time

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

A Framework for Recognising Attainment in Intensive Interaction


Name: Term:

Encounter: Date + staff initials:


The student or client is present during an
interactive episode without any obvious
awareness of its progression.
e.g. a willingness to tolerate a shared social
atmosphere or environment is sufficient
Awareness: Date + staff initials:
The student or client appears to notice, or
fleetingly focus on an event or person involved in
the interactive episode.
e.g. by briefly interrupting a pattern of self-
absorbed movement or vocalisation
Date + staff initials:
Attention and Response:
The student or client begins to respond (although
not consistently) to what is happening in an
interactive episode.
e.g. by showing signs of surprise, enjoyment,
frustration or dissatisfaction
Date + staff initials:
Engagement:
The student or client shows consistent attention
to the interactive episode presented to them.
e.g. by sustained looking or listening, or
repeatedly following events with movements of
their eyes, head or other body parts
Date + staff initials:
Participation:
The student or client shows anticipation of, and
engages in, taking turns in a sequence of events
during an interactive episode.
e.g. by intentionally sequencing their actions
with another person or by intentionally passing
signals repeatedly back and forth
Date + staff initials:
Involvement:
The student or client makes active efforts to
reach out, consistently join in, or even comment
in some way on the interaction.
e.g. by sequencing their actions and speaking,
signing, vocalising or gesturing in some
consistent and meaningful way

Student Initiated Interaction: Date + staff initials:


The student or client independently starts an
interaction (that cannot be described as
repetitive or self-absorbed behaviour) and
engages another person in the activity with
social intent.

Room managers observations/General comments:

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Intensive Interaction Recording Sheets

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