Intensive Interaction Regional Support Groups - what are they, and who are they for?

The other week I was kindly invited to the first meeting of the Kirklees Intensive Interaction Regional Support Group (II RSG) .... thanks for that Aileen ... and I have recently noticed an increase in reports or posts asking about local II RSGs across the UK - which is great. It is now over 10 years since the idea of these Regional Support Groups took shape. Initially Cath Irvine (one of the founding directors of the Intensive Interaction Institute) wanted to help create locally accessible and supportive Intensive Interaction communities, and these came to be called Intensive Interaction Regional Support Groups.

So what are such Regional Support Groups for? Well, according to the section in the 'Intensive Interaction Handbook' (2nd Ed, Sage, 2018) their purpose is to:

• Support current Intensive Interaction practitioners e.g. by sharing and discussing case studies and/or video and collectively reflecting on good Intensive Interaction practice.
• Support and encourage novice practitioners e.g. parents, by providing a shared and supportive learning environment.
• Disseminate Intensive Interaction knowledge and information e.g. about conferences, practice guidelines, new books & DVDs, training opportunities, etc.
• Provide opportunities for peer support, problem solving and celebrations of success.
• Emphasise and further the multidisciplinary nature of Intensive Interaction work and provide a place for productive networking.
• Participate in relevant studies/questionnaires when requested by others researching the use of Intensive Interaction.

Central to the idea of creating accessible Intensive Interaction ‘Communities of Practice’, the UK Regional Support Groups were encouraged to provide a friendly and open forum for Intensive Interaction focused discussion and collaborative learning. Generally meeting every few months, each group is seen as semi-autonomous and democratic in nature; the groups run by the membership specifically for the benefit of the group’s members. 

Although there is often a basic agenda, the content and structure of each meeting should address the specific concerns of the people who attend. Sometimes RSG meetings are arranged around a particular theme or presentation, and in the past these have included:

• looking at the latest Intensive Interaction information or training resources e.g. the newest  Intensive Interaction DVDs and/or books.
• an ‘introductory’ presentation for parents e.g. setting out the basics of Intensive Interaction for parents who want to know more about the rationale or techniques used.
• video analysis for Intensive Interaction e.g. how to structure collective video analysis most productively.
• record-keeping and analysis to highlight progress in Intensive Interaction.

Responsibility for organising the RSG groups can be relatively fluid, although there is often a dedicated individual or small group of practitioners that act as a contact and organise the dates and venues (and refreshments!) for each meeting.

Thus our Intensive Interaction RSGs have now become part of the fabric of Intensive Interaction support and dissemination in those areas lucky enough to have them. More RSGs are currently being proposed and/or set up in other locations across the UK to help support, encourage and maintain Intensive Interaction for their members, and those they care for and support. Can you get involved?