Listening with All Our Senses

Overview

The three texts brought together in Listening with All Our Senses offer a new perspective for those supporting people with ASD and/or profound and multiple learning disabilities. Phoebe Caldwell emphasises the importance of shifting the focus away from the label of ‘challenging behaviour’ and instead offers practical advice for ways that we can help to alleviate the distress that may be at the root of such behaviours, by communicating with people on their own terms and in their own ‘language’. She uses multiple case studies from her years of experience in the field to illustrate Intensive Interaction and the innovative techniques that she has developed for entering the person’s world, as they experience it, and approaching two-way communication from this perspective.The compendium includes a new introduction written by Phoebe Caldwell, and You Don’t Know What It’s Like also features an updated ‘GP’s viewpoint’ provided by Dr Matt Hoghton.

Author Biography

Phoebe Caldwell is an Intensive Interaction practitioner working mainly with children and adults on the autistic spectrum, many of whom have behavioural distress. Phoebe’s methods combine using a person’s body language to communicate, with paying attention to those aspects of an individual’s environment that are triggering sensory distress. For four years Phoebe was a Rowntree Research Fellow looking at best practice. She teaches management, therapists, parents, teachers, advocates and carers, nationally and internationally. She is also employed by NHS, social services and community and education services to work with individuals they are finding it difficult to provide a service for.She has published seven books and four training films and a number of academic papers. In 2010, she was awarded the Times/Sternberg Active Life Award for work on autism and contribution to the community, and in July 2011 Bristol University awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Science for communication with people with autism.