Communication and interaction
Total communication approach
The Total Communication approach recognises that everyone communicates in different ways and aims to support individuals by using a wide range of methods such as speech, signs, symbols, gestures, and visual supports - to enhance understanding and expression.
By combining these approaches, it ensures communication is accessible, meaningful, and tailored to each person’s needs, promoting inclusion and participation.
Total communication approach resources
Pre-teaching (subject specific language)
Pre-teaching is a proactive approach where key vocabulary, concepts or tasks are introduced to pupils ahead of whole-class teaching, helping them feel prepared and confident to engage.
Delivered in short, focused sessions, it allows pupils to become familiar with new learning in a supportive, low-pressure context. Adults can clarify meaning, model expectations and address potential misconceptions early.
Unlike reactive support, pre-teaching reduces barriers in advance, enabling pupils to participate more independently and successfully in subsequent lessons.
Pre-teaching (subject specific language) resources
Intensive interaction
Intensive Interaction is an approach designed to support individuals who are at an early stage of communication development by focusing on building positive, responsive interactions.
It involves tuning into the person’s own behaviours and interests and responding in a way that mirrors and extends their communication, helping to develop attention, engagement, and the foundations of social connection.
Intensive interaction resources
Social stories
Social stories are short, personalised descriptions designed to help individuals understand social situations, expectations, and behaviours.
They use clear, simple language and often include visuals to explain what is happening, why it is happening, and how to respond. This supports individuals, particularly those with communication or social difficulties, to feel more confident and prepared.
Comic strip conversations and scripts to support interaction
Comic strip conversations and scripts are visual approaches that support individuals to understand and navigate social interactions.
By using simple drawings, symbols, and written dialogue, they break down conversations into clear, manageable steps. This helps to explore thoughts, feelings, and perspectives while guiding appropriate responses and building confidence in communication skills.
Social stories and Comic strip conversations resources
Attention Autism
Attention Autism is an approach that uses highly engaging, visually stimulating activities to capture and sustain attention, particularly for individuals with autism or communication needs.
Through a structured sequence of interactive stages, it aims to develop focus, shared attention, and communication skills in a fun and motivating way, encouraging participation and enjoyment in learning.
Attention Autism resources
Speech sound intervention or language programme (Language Link)
Speech sound intervention focuses on supporting individuals to develop clear and accurate speech by targeting specific speech sound difficulties.
Through structured, evidence-based activities and practice, it helps improve pronunciation, intelligibility, and confidence in speaking, enabling individuals to communicate more effectively in everyday situations.
Speech sound intervention or language programme (Language Link) resources
Lego therapy (social skills)
LEGO® therapy is a structured, play-based approach that uses collaborative LEGO building to support the development of social communication and teamwork skills.
By encouraging individuals to take on different roles and work together towards a shared goal, it promotes turn-taking, problem-solving, and interaction in a motivating and supportive environment.
Lego therapy (social skills) resources
Zones of Regulation (overlap with SEMH)
Zones of regulation is a structured approach that helps individuals recognise and understand their emotions and levels of alertness, using four coloured zones to categorise different feelings and states.
It supports the development of self-regulation skills by teaching strategies to manage emotions, improve behaviour, and enhance overall wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Zones of Regulation (overlap with SEMH) resources
Talk boost
Talk boost is a targeted, structured intervention programme designed to support children with delayed language development.
Through engaging, small-group activities and adult-led sessions, it focuses on building key communication skills such as listening, vocabulary, and sentence structure, helping children to make progress and access learning more confidently.
Talk boost resources
Colourful semantics
Colourful semantics is a visual approach that uses colour-coding to support the development of sentence structure and grammar.
By assigning colours to different parts of a sentence (such as who, what, and where), it helps individuals to organise their thoughts, build more complete sentences, and improve understanding and use of language in a clear, structured way.