Raising awareness of Intensive Interaction as a neurodiversity affirming approach to facilitating social communication development - 23LCAU50 (Facilitators: Roisin Doherty-Brady, Garth Tucker and Amandine Mouriére)
This is the second in a series of five webinars, which will take place throughout the academic year 2023/24, aimed at supporting teachers and SNAs working with autistic children. This webinar will raise awareness of the value of Intensive Interaction, in facilitating social communication development within a neurodiversity affirming classroom environment. The concept of neurodiversity has gained recognition, and ways to support and accommodate autistic children is changing and developing significantly. As professionals, we seek to move away from traditional practices grounded in remediating student’s deficits and move towards neurodiversity affirming practices embedded in research and autistic perspectives.
Amandine Mouriére, a freelance autism and learning disability consultant and a Team Leader of the Intensive Interaction Institute, will attend this webinar. She will be available to answer questions as we reflect and share practical tips.
Garth Tucker will lead an open-ended interactive discussion by offering a safe space to connect with like-minded professionals, so that we can learn and grow together, celebrating successes as well as collaboratively sharing ideas.
Roisin Doherty-Brady will explore Intensive Interaction as a strength-based practice which supports connection, regulation, active engagement, and meaningful skill building for our students.
As Intensive Interaction is an authentic, child-led practice, it teaches us to use a neurodivergent lens to offer authentic and meaningful supports and accommodations for our autistic children. Intensive Interaction creates a safe environment where spontaneous interactions, intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and successful skill building can be nurtured and developed. We aim to raise awareness of Intensive Interaction as we work towards embedding this practice deeply into school culture.
Future webinars held throughout the school year aim to raise awareness and discussions on Attention Autism, Gestalt Language Processing, and connecting through socially inclusive whole school practices. Future webinars will take place on the 20th of March, the 8th of May and the 5th of June at 6.30pm.
Bio for Amandine
Amandine Mourière is a trainer and consultant who works with both families and professionals. She developed a deep interest in autism whilst working in schools as a teaching assistant and discovered Intensive Interaction in that post. Amandine decided to study Intensive Interaction further and completed her Masters in Autism in 2014. She was very fortunate to meet Dr Dave Hewett, one of the founders of Intensive Interaction, around that same time. He became her mentor, and provided opportunity under his tutelage, to become a trainer and consultant with the Intensive Interaction Institute where she is currently the Training Team Lead. Amandine has published several articles to contribute to the awareness, dissemination, and implementation of Intensive Interaction.
Publications related to the webinar's topic:
Mourière, A. & Smith, P. (Eds) (2022). The Intensive Interaction Classroom Guide: Social Communication Learning and Curriculum for Children with Autism, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, Communication Difficulties. London: Routledge.
Mourière A. & Hewett, D. (2021). 'Autism, Intensive Interaction and the development of nonverbal communication in a teenager diagnosed with PDD-NOS: a case study'. Support for Learning, 37(3).
Mourière, A. (2018). 'Autism and Intensive Interaction & Intensive Interaction with more able people'. In: Hewett, D (ed.). The Intensive Interaction Handbook, 2nd ed. London: Sage
Bio for Garth
In 2009, Garth Tucker achieved his Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the University of Gloucestershire, London campus. He has had many roles in primary education, including being a Class Teacher, Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCO) and an Inclusion Manager in a mainstream setting with a Resource Provision for autistic children. He achieved his National Award for SENDCO in 2012 at the Institute of Education, London. As part of his training for his roles, Garth attended Emily Rubin’s seminars on the practical use of the SCERTS model and he has vast experience in implementing the model for learners with significant needs. Currently the Headteacher of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in London, Garth has developed a passion for special needs provision, inclusion and leadership.
Bio for Roisin
Roisin Doherty-Brady is a qualified primary school teacher. She has a BE’d Hons Degree in Education (1998) and a Postgraduate degree in SEN (2014). She has experience in a variety of educational settings including mainstream, SEN and autism and has assisted school leaders in the opening of autism classes. She offers professional development through webinars and face to face presentations for teachers and SNAs to raise awareness of neurodiversity affirming practices. She continues to remain updated through reading, attending courses and discussing updated practices with SLT’s, OTs, psychologists, Intensive Interaction and Attention Autism mentors and practitioners. Roisin’s children are autistic. As a parent and teacher, she advocates for autistic individuals, reflecting the diversity of voices within the autistic community, promoting neurodiversity affirming practices in teaching and learning.
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