Intensive interaction

What is intensive interaction?

Intensive interaction is an approach designed to help people at the early stages of communication development. It was developed by the Intensive Interaction Institute.

Intensive interaction is a fun and enjoyable way of developing your child’s communication. It is used by a wide range of professionals, support staff and families.

What does intensive interaction do?

Intensive interaction works on developing fundamental early interaction and communication skills including:

• enjoying being with another person
• sharing personal space
• developing attention span
• learning to do sequences of activity with another person
• taking turns in conversation
• understanding and using physical contact
• understanding and using eye contact and facial expression
• understanding and using non-verbal communication like gestures
• using vocalisations with meaning

Principles of intensive interaction

Imitation

Copy what your child does by repeating vocalisations, physical behaviour or actions, and respond in a way that is meaningful, recognisable and enjoyable for your child.

Joint focus and joint action

Look at and explore objects in the environment together. Do things together or at the same time. Examples include:

• exploring fabrics, photos, toys
• passing objects or toys back and forth
• looking in the mirror together
• listening to sounds and playing with instruments
• making noises together
• playing with a ball
• watching bubbles
• singing action songs

Eye contact and exchanging facial expressions

You can do this by playing games like peek-a-boo, pulling faces, or looking in the mirror together. You could demonstrate or copy facial expressions like smiles, tongue movements, yawns or sneezes.

Building anticipation

Start an activity then leave space for your child to anticipate and react. For example, say “ready, steady… go!” with a long pause in between steady and go for your child to make a physical movement, eye contact or vocalisation.

Ideas for anticipation building games include:

• bubbles
• tickling
• chasing
• putting cars down a ramp
• throwing your child in the air or helping them to jump
• peekaboo (by leaving a big gap: “peekaaaa… boo!”)

Starting to use intensive interaction

Watch, wait and tune in to what your child is doing. See what they’re interested in and try to enter their world in terms of physical position and how they’re thinking.

• follow your child’s lead
• let them show you what to do
• don’t do too much
• let your child’s play, movements and vocalisations guide you
• respond to what they’re doing using body posture, imitation and joining in
• make your voice, face and body language look exciting and interested in what they are doing

Props and toys

You don’t necessarily need lots of props for intensive interaction as you can use expressions, vocalisations and body movements. However, some equipment that might be useful includes:

• scarves
• musical instruments
• balls and ball runs
• bubbles
• mirrors
• balloons
• cause and effect toys
• sensory materials like feathers or brushes
• wind-up toys
• slinkies

It’s really important to follow your child’s lead, so use objects they’re interested in.

Finishing a session

Pause and stop. It’s really useful to pause sometimes while you wait and see what your child does next, and don’t forget to stop when they’ve had enough.

Even if it’s only been a very short interaction, short and enjoyable play together is much more beneficial than a longer interaction that leaves everyone feeling frustrated.