Intensive Interaction: Improving Communication in Learners with S/PMLD and ASD

INTENSIVE INTERACTION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................6
RESULTS........................................................................................................................................9
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................15
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
I have been working with children for over twenty years' from overseas and in the UK.
During these years, I have been a class teacher, subjects' teacher, and now a one-on-one and, at
times, on two teaching assistant in my most cherished area of the teaching profession. I have
always been a lover of children since childhood, irrespective of their intellectual capacity. My
lasting relationships with them characterised this. And empathy towards those with disability.
I forged a relationship with one of my classmates' younger brother with Profound and
Multiple Learning Disability (PMLD) in my early years. My respect and tolerance towards him
were so apparent and felt by all so much that he became my conversation partner any time I was
at their ends. Whenever I did not visit them at home, he usually asked of me, and if he does not
see me for a couple of days, he became moody and irritable. Funny enough, my classmate friend
always teased us that he was getting jealous of my attention to his brother. This passion,
coupled with my father being into education, paved the way and encouraged me to take up this
profession as it gave me more job satisfaction than any other.
As a practitioner working in mainstream special needs provision in London, I have always
advocated learners' independence, especially those with Severe Learning Disability or Profound
and Multiple Learning Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder ( SLD/PMLD and ASD). I
believe that every individual should be independent and treated with care and respect, eventually
developing to their maximum potential. It is vital to do more research to find more strategies and
interventions that will enable them to gain independence, self-esteem and improve learners'
quality of life.
This study will present the history and background of Intensive Interaction communication,
theory and practical significance or implication in practice. This study also sorts to reflect on
whether the intervention's current method is in my setting is inline or not inline with theory,
policy, and research. The study will also give some recommendations for practice and further
research gap later in the study. Due to COVID-19, however, there would not be data collection.
The study will be an academic review of the topic- intensive interaction: an intervention for
improving communication in learners with S/PMLD and ASD. My interest area is with learners
with autism.

LITERATURE REVIEW
There have been many theories on communication in literature. Among them include the model
of Charles (1954). He defined communication as a dynamic process where there is an interactive
process between a source and a receiver. Similarly, Schramm (1954) explained communication
as a human communication model from simple to more complex, showing the experience of two
people trying to engage with one another in communication. This model is like the approach
applied in intensive interaction. Another popular model of communication advocated by
Aristotle developed about 2000 years ago. In his study, he claimed that five main factors were
necessary factors of communication. These he labelled as the speaker, speech/message, audience,
occasion, and effect. In his model, he suggested that the speaker construct his/her address for
different people and various motives. I can see the factor of his communication model in public
speech.
It is evident from the above that human communication is first and foremost visual
communication, which accounts for ninety per cent of non-verbal communication. Only ten per
cent accounts for speech which gives meaning to human contact (Hewett,2018). Human
interactions are into two main parts; linguistic means that include spoken sign language and
written, and non-linguistic standards have facial expressions, gestures, pictures, and symbols
(Bogdagshina, 2005 cited in Kossyvaki, 2018). According to the authors, messages conveyed
using the combination of linguistic and non-linguistic means. However, others have argued that
not all communication has an intended purpose (Messer 1994, cited in Kossyvaki, 2018).
Equally, Romeo et al. (2018) researched how a child's environment and exposure to early
language predicts his/her linguistics ability and cognitive skills and academic achievements. The
result suggested that language influence development environmentally by early exposure to
interaction and dialogical. The finding also indicated that early communication intervention
programs that aim to improve children's language development might focus on children's
conversational direction to narrow the gap between them and their peers. The article concluded
that the promotion of conversation might enhance children with S/PMLD and autism
communication ability. Hence, Intensive Interaction needs to be included in the learners'
timetable to improve their interaction, thereby promoting their confidence and self-esteem
(Burton and Dimbleby, 1995, in Hewett 2012). Authors viewed self-esteem as a valuable factor

that relates to our use of communication. They believe that it is a crucial bridge between learners
with communication difficulties and their peers and their environment.
2.1 Intensive interaction
Even though communication is an essential aspect of human existence, this becomes an issue
with learners who have autism and other learning difficulties (Cardwell, 2005). As the
abovementioned title, practitioners who used intensive interaction to help in this regard are
proven effective.
Intensive interaction is a communication tool aimed at helping children or adults with disabilities
(e.g., SLD/PMLD and ASD) with their communication and socialisation skills with others in
their surroundings (Nind and Hewett 1994). Intensive interaction was born out of the interaction
between a mother-infant relationship where the infant initiated a sound or movement then
imitated by the mother and reinforced. The authors explained that this form of physical contacts
during interaction enhances communication at whatever age of a human being.
Caldwell (2006, cited in Hewett, 2018) defines Intensive Interaction as using the learner own
non-verbal body language to get in touch with them. At the same time, (Cath 2010 cited in Firth,
Graham et al.) describes Intensive interaction as a conversation between two people, the learner,
and the practitioner, respectively. The conversation adjusted by the practitioner, who is a much
more competent communicator. That is to enable an exchange between both parties to contribute
to and be equal participants in a conversation. Also, Ruth (2010, cited in Firth, Graham et al.)
defines Intensive Interaction as an approach used to find a connection with someone that was
difficult-to-reach before.
Theories in Support of Intensive Interaction.
A model for understanding how communication and sociability develop naturally in children
sparks the interest of Nind and Hewett (2001), known as 'augmented mothering'. They analysed
mothers/caregivers and infants' interactions right from their first year of life through imitation
and reinforcements. This study aimed to have an insight into the way the interactive play goes
between the two parties. Precipitated by Gary Ephraim's (1979, in Hewett and Nind, 2001), the
interactive approach helps develop the growing child. Bowlby (1969) 's attachment theory
focuses on attachment's psychological constructs, bonds that form between mother, caregivers,
and their infants.

Vygotsky (1978) wrote on the social-culture theory on how human beings learn. In his social-
cultural approach to cognitive development, Vygotsky pointed out that human knows through a
more experienced adult in society. These people could either be peers/parents/caregivers who
guide through the task until such a time that competency achieved. His sociocultural learning
theory seen in Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding principles.
Like in Intensive Interaction intervention, the partitioner builds on the learner's initiative, which
serves as a basis of the interaction process (Vygotsky, 1978). He believes that everyone has two
stages through which skills development occurs, i.e., the difference between where a learner does
a task without the support and where support is needed to complete a given task, known as the
Zone of Proximal Development.
Vygotsky (1978) sociocultural theory of learning can vividly be seen in the techniques and
approach of the Intervention of Intensive Interaction when applied or used to influence a learner.
Also, our mirror neurons are involved during intensive interaction.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology refers to the particular technique or procedure that is helpful in analysing,
Processing selecting and identifying the information about chosen topic this section allows
readers to critically evaluate the overall reliability and validity of the research and provide a
outcome that can be measured on the basis of success. to make study successful it is necessary
for the researcher to use research methodology so they can create result that could be helpful to
provide useful information.
Research type
There are two types of research that are quantitative research methods and qualitative research
method (Arantes do Amaral, dos Santos and Rodrigues., 2018). Qualitative research method
refers to the known numerical data collected by the researchers using the cuties an article's that
does not contain any numbers. while quantitative data include numbers and figures , The
systematic investigation conducted by the researcher by gathering the quantifiable data by
performing the statistical, compounds and mathematical techniques. To make this study
successful researchers of this study will use qualitative data which means it will be a theoretical
presentation and finding