From Isolation to Intimacy: Making Friends Without Words

Caldwell is the developer of an approach to Intensive Interaction for communicating with non-verbal people with severe learning disabilities. In this guide to using her approach, she explores the nature of close relationships, and shows how they are based not so much on words as on the ability to listen and respond in terms that are familiar to the other person. As background, she overviews relevant concepts of intimacy, body language, and theory of mind, and outlines the stresses experienced by people with learning disabilities and with autism. She then covers techniques of Intensive Interaction for establishing contact and building a relationship with non-verbal people, and gives examples of recent encounters with children and adults with autism spectrum disorders and cerebral palsy. The method is accessible to anyone who lives or works with non-verbal people. The author is affiliated with the UK's National Health Social Services and Community and Education Service. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Phoebe Caldwell has worked for over 35 years as a practitioner with children and adults with autism and people whose severe learning disabilities are linked with behavioural distress. She was a Rowntree Research Fellow for four years, trains management, therapists, practitioners, parents and carers in her successful approach to Intensive Interaction. She is employed by the NHS Social Services and Community and Education Services to work with difficult-to-provide-for individuals. In 2009 she was awarded the Times/Sternberg Award for pioneering autism treatment and is soon to be awarded a DSc by the University of Bristol.