Intensive Interaction and baby signing

The basis for intensive Interaction is the fundamental ability to engage and communicate with others.  This ability is without prejudice, nor judgement.  When a new baby coos and gurgles, a mothers instinct is to coo and gurgle back.  Mirroring the vocalisations made by the baby.  The baby may like this interaction and coo or gurgle again.  The mother responds and so a conversation ensues.  The baby at this point is unlikely to understand spoken english as a language but does understand that he liked what had just happened.  The mother on the other hand, probably unwittingly, used a language relevant to the baby to reiforce his initial vocalisation.  With established and experienced knowledge and practice of using Intensive Interaction, a practitioner is able to use the language relevant to their 'interaction partner' and establish a trusting a safe relationship within which a level of communication can be maintained.  Their relationship acts as a platform upon which the building blocks of communication can be placed.  The practitioner, with knowledge of using his tools of communication creativley will be able to move the interactions on into a 'conversation' and thus both experiencing the fundamental principals of turn-taking, sharing, eye contact and anticipation.

Baby signing is a significant and particularly useful tool.  When babies are around 6 months old they develop the dexterity and ability to gesture.  A naturally occuring predisposition.  If a baby is taught relevant signs (these must be relevant to the baby's world) he will establish an understanding for these signs, so long as they are taught with the spoken word.  The key is to teach signs that are relevant and useful to the baby.  With this in mind, you in turn are learning what is relevant.  You are also learning their language.  By using sign language to engage one another, it is important to establish eye contact, give enough time for the sign to be understood: introducing the concept of turn taking.  The experience of understanding what is being communicated is both rewarding and empowering.  If you use sign language with your baby he will learn to anticipate what will happen.  Your relationship in turn will be enriched with a deeper understanding of each other.

Two approaches to communication, which on the surface seem unrelated, yet draw such parallels to oneanother should be celebrated if the practitioner has the arena in which to excercise them.  Emily Darnton, Teacher and Founder of Little Signers has developed a baby signing programme based on the principles of Intensive Interaction and Makaton.

Emily teaches baby signing in more of a multisensory and creative way, by incorporating methods of Intensive Interaction and using some of the basic principles of communication (building a safe and trusting relationship, using eye contact, presenting opportunities for turn-taking and understanding how to move interactions forward into a meaningful game).  Learning how to use sign language is only one small aspect in the journey towards understanding each other.  Babies will benefit immensly from parents understanding more the principles that underpin effective communication and by learning methods used by Intensive Interaction Practitioners.