Why Mutual Face Watching Matters: Reinforcing regulation, wellbeing, communication and learning through video

Keena Cummins

ISBN13: 978-1-907826-42-9

Release Date: Autumn 2021

This book describes how children of all ages who present with learning and communication difficulties can be supported by focusing on mutual face watching (as distinct from eye-contact) through adult video self-reflection. It presents the theory of why mutual face watching is of primary significance in the development of children's patterns of behaviour, their social interactions, their ability to learn, their language, speech, fluency and communicative confidence. Simultaneously it explicitly sets out what we as adults can harness in our own communicative patterns in order to foster optimum development in each child.

Why Mutual Face Watching Matters shows the use of video in developing a full understanding (in therapist and parent) of each child's unique habits of interaction whilst explaining why working through video with key adults in the child's life as partner reflectors is likely to have the most impact on the child's developing skills, confidence and wellbeing. With contributions from therapists from a range of disciplines who describe what they have witnessed and learned from using this technique, this book provides a practical guide for parents, professionals and academics who are seeking and engaging in video therapy.