Welcome
Welcome to my website. Here you will find information about the services I offer and information about resources and approaches to working with and enhancing the quality of life of people with severe learning difficulties.
My interest in working with people who have severe learning difficulties started in 1976 when I commenced my first teaching post at a special school in Hertfordshire (see About Dave Hewett for more detail). Quite quickly I realised that I was particularly interested in working with the children who were more ‘difficult to reach’, who had fundamental communication needs, who often exhibited what is termed ‘challenging behaviour’. Many of these children had diagnoses of autism. In my third school, sixteen years ago, with Melanie Nind, I started researching and then writing about the approach to teaching communication abilities we were developing that is called Intensive Interaction. Intensive Interaction has become a widely known and used approach and it may be that your interest in it is the main reason for visiting this website.
Since 1991, I have been working nationwide, providing courses and consultations to services and professionals involved in the education and care of people of all ages with severe learning difficulties and/or autism. Thus, I work with schools, further education colleges, social services and health service establishments, groups of professionals such as speech and language therapists, as well as organisations such as charities within the ‘voluntary sector’. I also work with parents and families of people with severe learning difficulties.
Please feel free to contact myself or my assistant, Sarah Forde, to discuss services I might be able to provide to you. Feel free also to contact me simply to discuss something that is interesting or concerning you.