Intensive Interaction - any experience?

[sphil]

The Autism Outreach teacher was talking to me yesterday and said that they want to try this at school with DS2 to try to encourage more speech and interaction (he's progressing very well with this at home but not so well at school). It's used quite a bit in Somerset I believe. It seems very similar to Floortime to me. Anyone have any experience? (I have looked in archives and there are some posts, but from quite a while ago, so wondered if anyone had more recent experience?)

This is the book that has been recommended on the Challenging Behaviour Network (see Snowdrop thread):
Using Intensive Interaction and Sensory Integration: A Handbook for Those Who Support People with Severe Autistic Spectrum Disorder (Paperback)
by Phoebe Caldwell (Author), Jane Horwood (Author)
It was recommended by a parent in response to another's about meltdowns (at least that's where I think I saw it, could have been MN!?). Its about £12.30 on Amazon. I am working up to getting it.....

They use it at ds1's school with the very profoundly autistic kids. I went to a talk where a teacher described using it with a boy where every other method had failed with very good results. It was/is also used with good results with Gabriel - from the book "Growing up severely autistic they call me gabriel".

I've read quite a bit about it, and occasionally when sitting waiting for the bus tried a bit with ds1 (well what I think it is from reading a few books) and he responded well.

I think it's certainly worth a go and see what happens. I don't think it will confuse at all and it seems a very gentle/respectful technique iykwim.

Tbh I'm just delighted that the school want to do ANYTHING intensive with him!

Quick proud Mummy moment - the Autism Outreach woman said she has 100 children on her caseload and DS2 responded best to the 'trial' Intensive Interaction session of all of them.

Fantastic!

Phoebe Caldwell is quite a woman. She did some traiinng with us years ago. Drove her own van which had a workshop in the back, decided what everyone needed, then jumped in the van and made it!!

Brilliant.

She was middle aged, wore chords and was terribly posh. I thought she was fab!

Er...cords

. I somehow see chords as posh cords...

Phoebe Caldwell really seems to like severely/profoundly autistic kids/adults and people with LD's as well- it really comes out in her writing (and warms me to her). Will picture her in cords next time

oh look there's a video

you tube video here I think Phoebe Caldwell says its like son-rise - it certainly looks it. If it wasn't her someone said it. Less cult like though perhaps

Hmm - looking at that video and reading a bit more it seems as if it's usually used with kids who are much less engaged than DS2. I'm now wondering if he's like this at school and that's why they've suggested it.

Having said that, the principle is one that works well with him (although joining his stims doesn't work - he just looks bewildered). It just needs to be taken up a notch with him I think.

I wonder if they're just talking about applying it in a different way. At ds1's school I know they use it as a main technique with the most profoundly affected children - who are functioning at the same level as the children on the video- but I think they use it as a supportive technique with other children as well.

nice but rather brief Guardian inteview with Phoebe Caldwell discussing Intensive Interaction

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/oct/03/guardiansocietysupplement

Gosh is she 74?

Her books are lovely to read.