Interact Like Me is the second project in the Like Me series, building on the success of See Like Me. It represents a significant step forward in how we understand, support and engage with children and young people across The Children's Trust School.
We have brought together our established approaches to relational interaction, Special Yoga, Soundbath and the Engagement Model into one unified whole-school framework. By aligning these approaches, we have strengthened consistency, quality and shared understanding across the school, ensuring that every interaction is responsive, individualised and centred around the child.
At the heart of Interact Like Me is the belief that communication takes many forms. For some pupils, communication may be through words, while for others it may be through eye gaze, movement, facial expressions, vocalisations or emotional responses. Every movement, expression and interaction is recognised as meaningful communication.
A key strength of the project is the exceptional collaboration between education, therapy and wellbeing teams. Teachers, teaching assistants, speech and language therapists, music therapists and wider professionals work together to ensure each child experiences a consistent and personalised approach throughout their day.
The approach
The approach is built around three interconnected strands:
Adult Engagement Scales
Supporting staff to develop the skills of observation, attunement, responsiveness, waiting and shared attention, ensuring every interaction is purposeful and child-centred. Allows for the learning to happen.
Relational Interaction
Helping adults recognise and respond to each child's unique communication style, building trust, connection and meaningful participation in all learning.
Special Yoga, Soundbath and Regulation
Using movement, breathing, sensory experiences and therapeutic sound to support regulation, wellbeing and readiness for interaction. These approaches help pupils feel safe, connected and engaged, creating opportunities for communication, relaxation and positive relationships.
The impact of Interact Like Me has been transformative. Pupils are demonstrating increased engagement, stronger relationships, improved communication opportunities and enhanced wellbeing. Most importantly, children and young people are being understood on their own terms, with their unique voice, preferences and individuality at the centre of everything we do.
Because every child deserves to be understood. Every interaction counts. Every voice matters.
