Education, Health and Care Plans & Intense Interaction

Recently Dave Hewett posted in the 'Intensive Interaction Users' Facebook page, and he shared a question he had been asked by a mother of a child with autism about whether anybody had experience of getting Intensive Interaction stipulated within an Education, Health and Care Plan (such an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan being a UK statutory educational plan for children and young people (aged up to 25) who need more support than is available through generic special educational needs support). 

Such EHC plans identify a child's educational, health and social needs, and set out the additional support required to most effectively meet those stipulated needs. Anyway, Dave then asked members of our 'Intensive Interaction users' whether anybody could share any advice on successfully getting Intensive Interaction stipulated within an EHC plan. Below I try to bring these responses into a hopefully helpful single Blog piece:

KW: My team recommend II regularly in child and adult services and is contained in paperwork. EHCPs will also contain II where it has been recommended by the therapist ... with an additional comment of: JV: Yes, we had it agreed by our therapist.

MB: We have it recommended in our twins EHCPs ... we have sessions to be delivered by SLT to our children with their TAs ... and then for the TAs to use II with the boys both generally in their interactions and in some discreet sessions during the week.

KM: I have typed up a form that captures and rates the adult's competency using PAVE (taken from an idea from Phoebe Caldwell).

SC: No reason why it can't be included under the 'Communication and Interaction's part. Fits in perfectly ... with an additional comment of: EF: Also perfect for the ‘social, emotional and mental heath needs’ section.

BE: In ours we have it in the pen portrait, what is needed for them and in the provision and sometimes in the targets! It has never been queried.

JS: We attend the joint assessment meetings where possible to co-write the EHCP, if Intensive Interaction is needed we put it in ...

GPP: For us it would be in the provision and especially in the Pupil Passport which contains short term targets towards the long-term outcomes. We have a list of provision which is ticked if children access it and II is one of these You may find that the outcomes and provision on the actual plan are quite vague.

DT: Have referred to II in Leeds in care plans for young people and adults as a guide for communicational style and emotional engagement. Not putting in place pure II sessions as an educational strategy necessarily but still helpful because it gives a clear context for lots of things we might do or do less or leave undone.

AH: We always add Intensive Interaction either in the social skills or communication skills section. Normally set it within an outcome or within the how outcomes will be achieved section ... with an additional comment of: DL: We do the same as this at our college.

LM: I’ve stipulated it in a recent EHCP I have amended for a young lady I teach. I’ve written it in the communication part and where the detail of how to support her best is.

HP: Make sure I.I. is written into the 'Provision' as this is then legally binding.

JL: I'd say it's in the majority of plans in a range of sections through the plan. It's crucial it's in the provision section in how to achieve outcomes as some LA's will only fund what's named in the outcomes and provisions (section F).

KM:Yes in many plans I have contributed to. We make sure by including an outcome that is dependent on its use. The framework that describes levels from Encounter through to Student Initiates helps a lot ... with an additional comment of: EBC: Yes, in the provision part,section F.

PJR: We have EHCP targets like: ‘... will engage in intensive interaction activities for up to 10 minutes, at least 5 times a day.’ Obviously the length of time and regularity change depending on the needs of the child. But all the pre verbal children in my department have something similar to that.

So the answer seems to be a resounding 'Yes'. You can, and you should get Intensive Interaction into a EHCP, with the more specific advice being: 

• Be the person that is active in writing up the EHC plan with a mind to including Intensive Interaction. Also, try to get it recommended by a Speech & Language Therapist. 

• You can include Intensive Interaction under the 'Communication and Interaction', 'social, emotional and mental heath needs', 'social skills' or 'communication skills' sections of the EHCP. 

• You should also include Intensive Interaction as an outcome, or put it in the 'how outcomes will be achieved' section. 

• You should set Intensive Interaction specific targets like: Child A ... ‘will engage in Intensive Interaction activities for up to 10 minutes, at least 5 times a day’. 

• You should make sure that Intensive Interaction is written into the 'Provision' section of the EHCP, as this is then legally binding, and some Local authorities will only fund what's named in the outcomes and provisions (Section F). 

I hope this helps all those faced with a similar prospect; and it is always a good idea to exploit the key drivers of an organisational system to support the delivery of appropriate provision for individuals within that system - and sharing an understanding of how it has worked in the past can only be a real help for others seeking similar positive outcomes.

Therefore many thanks should go to 'II Users' - Catherine, Jane, Michelle, Karen, Suzi, Eva, Becca, Jenny, Gaynor, David, Aileen, Jennie, Debra, Louise, Hayley, Ellen & Paula for your very helpful contributions.