Communication and Interaction

Future Horizons is focused on supporting all of our learners to increase their social and functional communication skills in a range of different situations. All staff ensure that learners have opportunities to practise their communication skills across the college day. Tutors ensure that exciting and engaging sessions are provided which encourage learners to practise these skills, ensuring that learners continue to make progress.

Intensive Interaction

Intensive Interaction is a communication approach designed to help people at early levels of development, people who have severe, profound, or complex learning difficulties to interact with others positively. Intensive Interaction works on early interaction abilities – how to enjoy being with other people – to relate, interact, know, understand and practice communication routines.

Our Intensive Interaction programme is led by our Social Communication Lead, James Cook, who ensures that a team of Intensive Interaction mentees embeds Intensive Interaction in everyday college life. James works with our learners to develop bespoke Intensive Interaction plans, ensuring that all learners have access to positive social communication across their time at college.

Total Communication

Future Horizons believes in a Total Communication approach. The Total Communication approach is about finding and using the right communication methods for each person. This approach helps an individual to form connections, ensures successful interaction and supports information exchanges and conversations. Combinations of methods are used, which reinforce each other and strengthen meaning for the individual. Approaches used might include:

• Objects of reference
• Makaton
• Visual supports
• On-body signing
• Verbal communication

Our Speech and Language Therapist Kathryn works closely with learners and the teams of tutors and LLAs who work with them to put in place bespoke communication profiles and plans.