1. What did you do? (Method) Lay summary We have qualitative feedback from parents, visitors and the local community that our therapy improves students’ interaction skills, but we need to know if this progress can be objectively and quantifiably measured. We completed a literature review of the evidence base in 2010 which showed limited evidence around social interaction therapy in specialist provisions. We decided to target interview skills as our first research project because at the time there was no research targeting this area with SLCN. This project taught us how to measure interaction skills in a quantifiable way. This knowledge was used to produce a video analysis form of both positive and negative non verbal and verbal skills. A ratio was used to look at how many positive behaviours there were for every one negative allowing us to track progress. Name Rachel Mathrick, Nicola Masterson, Tina Meagher, Kayleigh Morey, Rachael Parsloe Affiliation St Catherine’s School, IoW Next steps : From September 2014 we will be trialling the video checklist and ratio system with a Key Stage 2 group due to start at St Catherine’s. What did you find out? Social Interaction skills can be quantified and measured to show progress for individuals and for groups. Over 3 years of data collection students in school and Sixth Form have significantly improved their Social Interaction skills. Sixth Form students have made similar progress as school students with their SI skills highlighting the importance of continuing Social Interaction therapy with this age group. Termly data highlights that therapy has decreased negative behaviours, such as not interrupting, and increased positive behaviours, such as looking at the person talking, when these have been targeted. Video peers: talking about holidays – no staff support Implications Video assessment checklist and ratio analysis are useful tools which, although time consuming, informs therapy, measures SI skills to show progress & provides data to support qualitative feedback. To ensure impact of working on SI skills is maximised, targeted SI skills continue to be a focus within other SI topics (e.g. Teamwork) and new aims are set from video analysis and generalised to different areas of students’ life. Question/Rationale Does Social Interaction (SI) therapy in a school with integrated SLT improve social interaction skills in young people from 11 to 19 years old with lifelong SLCN? SLTs blindly rate videos (rate videos from group don’t work with) CONTROL: Moderation SLTs check scoring videos in the same way INTERVENTION Social Interaction Therapy Specific SI Aims Agreed RATIOs calculated for every 1 negative behaviour how many positives e.g. 1:3 REPEAT every term to measure progress and identify areas of difficulty to be targeted in therapy 2013TERM 1TERM 2TERM 3 NegPosRatioNegPosRatioNegPosRatio Student A17599 1:0.57 179170 1:0.95 54167 1:3.09 Targeting specific skills

2. With thanks to BSLTRU Easy Access Summaries: See www.speech-therapy.org.uk/lay-titles for further examples.www.speech-therapy.org.uk/lay-titles