How Intensive Interaction Works

The key principle of intensive interaction is that the child leads the activity. This means that there is no particular goal to the activity.

For example, the goal is not for the child to take turns rolling a ball or to play peekaboo with you, and you are not telling or showing the child what to do. Instead, the session should go with the flow.

• Join The Child

  During intensive interaction it is essential that you enter into the child’s ‘world’ in terms of your physical position, but also the way in which you think and feel. Learn to accept the child as they are and enjoy what brings pleasure to them.

  It is important that you are ‘tuned in’ to the child and scanning for any tiny leads or signs of response.

  Make yourself available so that the child can access you. Often your body posture will gently imitate that of the child.

• Respond

  Respond to what the child does by:

  • Joining in or imitating.
  • Making your voice/face/body language delighted and interesting to celebrate what the child is doing.

  It is important to stop when it becomes clear the child has had enough.

• Repeat & Expand

  Both within a session and between different sessions there should be a lot of repetition of actions and sequences. This helps to provide familiarity, predictability, security and a sense of control.

  Within these repeated actions and sequences take opportunities when they arise to develop variations and expansions.

• Use Pauses

  Pauses are essential while you wait and see what the child will do next.

  The atmosphere should be relaxed and informal, so don’t do it too much!

• Further Reading

  • Access to Communication by Nind, M. & Hewett, D (1994) London: David Fulton
  • A Practical Guide to Intensive Interaction by Nind, M & Hewett, D (2001) BILD