NL Productions UK

14/04/2023

LOOK AT THEIR LITTLE FACES 😱😍

05/04/2016

I was so excited to receive my copy of Understanding Suraj: Uncovering the person behind multiple disabilities from NL Productions UK, and I wasn’t let down.

This is a 45 minute DVD presented in four parts, including a background of Suraj narrated by his father, an observation of Suraj, and unpacking the current approach to being with Suraj. The story is honest, showing the disturbing self-injurious behaviour that Suraj had used for years, and using the voices of support workers and therapists to talk how they now approached Suraj.

Some viewers may struggle with the various strong English accents of narrators in Understanding Suraj. While the DVD appears to begin with subtitles, these don’t appear to continue (as far as I could see). While I’ve spent time with Graham Firth, one of the narrators, I did need to spend some time re-getting my ears around his northern accent. Similarly, just getting the quote above took me several minutes of re-listening to capture some of the phrases.

While the narrators discuss Intensive Interaction (Nind & Hewett http://www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk) as a framework underlying the communication approach with Suraj, it is not essential that you have background knowledge of the approach to follow the story. Following viewing the film, viewers may want to learn more about Intensive Interaction.

I recommend this DVD to anyone supporting people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, and particularly for those who may use self-injurious behaviours. I think this would be a great DVD for teams to watch and discuss. Some of the practices they see on the DVD may be the same as what they are already do, and some may be markedly different. It would be useful for teams to discuss whether they would consider using the methods with people they support, and unpack why they may or may not do things and the subsequent potential implications of these choices for them and the people they serve.

Speech pathologists and occupational therapists may also find Understanding Suraj an invaluable resource. It may challenge current practice or support ways of working. The DVD shows that dynamic interactions must be the centre communication supports (communication supports must go beyond personal communication dictionairies, chat books and object of reference).

I also think that this would be an excellent resource for staff at the NDIA – it gives such a rich picture of one individual, the experience of families and support workers, and the possibility of an improved life through working towards the best possible relationships between staff and the person they serve. These relationships need to be thought about, planned, informed and supported. Sometimes they occur naturally with amazing support workers. But too often, in line with Rebecca Leighton’s words (specialist speech and language therapist), the time is not given to unlock and spend the time to get to know the person in their full potential.

http://sheridanforster.com.au/2016/03/22/understanding-suraj-an-invaluable-resource-for-anyone-supporting-someone-with-profound-intellectual-and-multiple-disabilities-and-others/

Intensive interaction is an approach to teaching the pre-speech fundamentals of communication to children and adults who have severe learning difficulties and/or autism and who are still at an early stage of communication development.

06/01/2016

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08/09/2015

An ndependent review of "Understanding Suraj" from Jane Gillian, Leeds Beckett University:
“From a learning point of view it was fascinating to see intensive interaction used over a period of time and to be able to see Suraj's body language change; seemingly becoming more relaxed
towards the end of the film. I haven't come across any resources thus far which provide that longitudinal picture, so it's really valuable in that sense.
On an emotional level I felt that the film really captured and explained how Suraj may be feeling (the frustrations etc), which made it very compelling viewing. The contributors are obviously very knowledgeable but I think what they are saying has been edited really well to get the points across clearly and succinctly about why and how intensive interaction is being used.
I also liked that the film doesn't shy away from showing Suraj's very challenging behaviours. It felt important to be able to see just how distressed he could be at times. The fact that he is on screen
constantly made it quite an intense experience to watch (in a good way!)”.

08/09/2015

Alinur, La Presa, Baguio, Philippines

15/05/2015

14/05/2015

Thank you to all who came to the launch last night and for the fantastic enthusiastic response to the movie. It will be available on Amazon UK in the next few days.

05/05/2015

"Understanding Suraj" DVD cover - aiming for publication next week.

21/04/2015

03/02/2015

On the final edit of "Understanding Suraj", A 45-minute documentary about Suraj, an adult with Profound and Multiple Language Disabilities, who is reached through the use of rhythm within a programme of Intensive Interaction. Filmed over two years, the documentary aims to show the person behind severe disability, tracing Suraj’s childhood and his recent development through Intensive Interaction. Trailer on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inWvCsumQLk

This is a short trailer, re-edited from the one posted last year to include a little more visual material.. Suraj has Profound and Multiple Learning Difficul...

05/04/2013

A testimonial for NL Productions UK from The Communication Trust: “NL productions were incredibly timely and professional with their work and this was reflected in the quality of the finished product. We really appreciate that they went above and beyond to ensure that the DVD footage was of a high standard.”

05/04/2013

"Listen to Us" just published by The Communication Trust: http://tinyurl.com/d32rhk5 The DVD at the heart of the resource was collaboratively developed between the Trust and NL Productions UK. The project originated in the earlier web movie production "The Way We Talk" but makes more extensive use of the footage of the children's interviews and has comprehensive sub-titling. A very intricate project, and a great one to be involved with!

The Communication Trust home page