FACULTY FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

27 - 28 APRIL 2021, VIRTUAL CONFERENCE


Graham Firth

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Intensive Interaction Project Leader: Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Founding Director: Intensive Interaction Institute 

After working for 6 years as a care-assistant in a large residential hospital for people with learning disabilities in the 1980s, Graham went on to gain his initial teaching qualification. Initially working in mainstream primary schools, he then moved into further education for students with severe or profound learning disabilities; it was with such learners that he adopted Intensive Interaction as his main classroom practice. 

In 2003 Graham took up the post of Intensive Interaction Project Leader within the Learning Disability Psychology Department at Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (although I am not a psychologist!). Graham continues to work locally, nationally and internationally to train and support others to adopt, develop and sustain their Intensive Interaction practices or services. 

Over the past 17 years Graham has published a range of Intensive Interaction books, training packs and research and position papers. Graham was a founding director of the Intensive Interaction Institute, and has also organised the UK Intensive Interaction national conference over the past 14 years. 

You can view Graham’s weekly Intensive Interaction Blog at: http://intensiveinteractionblog.blogspot.com  


The importance of Intensive Interaction in learning disability services: co-constructing person-centred social engagement for inclusion and development

Intensive Interaction is a mainly responsive social communication approach most often used with people with severe or profound learning difficulties and/or autism. The approach focuses on using the ‘Fundamentals of Communication’ (Nind & Hewett, 2001) e.g. dynamic exchanges of vocalisations or body movement, of facial expressions, eye contact or physical contact, as a means of establishing and developing ‘mutually enjoyable’ social communication exchanges. Based on infant-caregiver models of interactivity, Intensive Interaction is described as being ‘task-less’ and open-ended in nature, rather than being directive, or goal or target orientated.

This presentation, illustrated by two video case studies, looks to briefly set out the potential to sensitively and responsively co-constructing improved social inclusion with those service users with a communication or social impairment, through Intensive Interaction. The presentation will also aim to identify the potential for improved social communication outcomes and performances in a number of domains for both children and adults.

FPID 2021

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