InterAct

InterAct merges the foundational

skills common to Speech/Language
Intervention and Applied Drama.

Structure
Reducing formulation load
and impact of latency,
processing load,
working memory

Context
Scenes in which to rehearse
skills, using and perfecting
tools, speech acts, and
social cognition

A NEW CONCEPT
IN THERAPY

Content
Developing shared
experiences and
building on group
interests

It creates a content and context

for therapy, while reducing the
formulation load for children with
challenges in social communication,
and works towards a tangible goal.

Rationale

Method

Outcome

The group was formed to address basic principles of social

discourse and provide supported opportunities to use and
rehearse communication skills meaningfully, and successfully.

All sessions were video recorded by a student who was also an active
participant of the group. Both the SLP and drama instructor also
participated, serving as supports and facilitating from within, rather than
exclusively through the student and teacher hierarchy. Our last two sessions
were held in a theatre, providing an opportunity for transition, as well as
heightening anxiety and dysregulation - these conditions often lead to
difficulty in accessing skills while one is functioning in more rudimentary
brain stem activity of fight or flight.

Observation of video recordings helped to illustrate the following

descriptions:

Five children from existing therapy caseload (developmental age 10-13)

Clarity of speech production improved for all

DEMOGRAPHICS

Rate of speech production improved for all

Two children with diagnosis of ASD

Fluency, motivation, and articulation improved for the child

concerned

Activities were based on elements common to both the study

of applied drama techniques and the development of
communication skills. These foundational skills include:
developing, maintaining, and integrating experiences of joint
attention, reciprocity, perspective taking, negotiation, verbal
and non-verbal communication, emotional expression, and
modulation of speech acts such as articulation, vocal
intensity, speech fluency, and intonation.
In our pilot project, the children were involved in staging a
performance drawing on their preferential skills, strengths,
and creativity, while working collaboratively and utilizing the
skills they were taught.
The exercises were designed to help the children with the
multiple aspects of conversation, while having to
lead/follow/enter/exit/interrupt/modify/and monitor the
simultaneous aspects of communication, more aligned with
reality than traditional therapeutic intervention.

one with diagnosis of social communication disorder and anxiety disorder

All children remembered and delivered their lines

Blocking (staged movement), and posture improved for all
participants
Eye contact improved for all participants
Spontaneous discourse was found to increase

one child with bilateral hearing impairment with history of selective

mutism and social anxiety

Emotional expression improved for two group members

one child with fluency and speech sound disorder, as well as challenging
oppositional behaviors.

Volume remained an issue for the two children with disorders

of anxiety although amplication devices were tolerated,
and used in the production

TIME FRAME
Ten weeks foundational skill development (relationship building,
awareness, attention, engagement, attunement, turn-taking; reciprocity)
Five weeks development of cohesion, perspective taking, and group
inter-dependence
Seven weeks characterization, scene and script development,
memorization, modulation, expression, fluidity, staging, blocking,

Attention and focus improved for two children

These observations were rated on a 5 point scale, and the numbers

were added to indicate total number of factors impairing
communication. The contrasting bars below were developed from
observations of the initial session, and the final performance day.
These observations look promising. We are attempting to develop
objective evaluation of outcome, which will begin in January 2016.
We look forward to our research collaboration with UBC.

rehearsing, refining

Preliminary Outcomes

Next Steps

FACTORS IMPAIRING COMMUNICATION, BASED ON

repeat program with greater

referral base and demographics

VOLUME FLUENCY ARTICULATION NON-VERBAL (EYE CONTACT, POSTURE)

MOTIVATION ATTENTION

20

outcome measurement research

with University of British
Columbia January 2016

18
16
14
12

(FROM
RATING
SCALE)

POST-INTERVENTION

8
NUMBER OF
FACTORS
IMPAIRING
COMMUNICATION

PRE-INTERVENTION

10

collaboration welcomed

4
2
0
JE

JO

Vinni Panikkar
M. S., RSLP
Speech/Language
Pathologist

Megan Bunting-Fox
M.F.A.
Applied Theatre

For more information, please contact

vinni.panikkar@gmail.com or visit our website at

www.granvilleislandspeech.ca