According to attachment theory, the child forms a strong emotional bond with caregivers during childhood with lifelong consequences. Sensitive and emotionally available parenting helps the child to form a secure attachment style which fosters a child's socio-emotional development and well being. Visual Interaction Guidance is one way of increasing or promoting development of child's secure attachment and decrease insecure attachment.
There is good research evidence which shows that when mothers are taught to increase their sensitivity to an infant's needs and signals, this increases the development of the child's attachment security and that IVG is particularly effective in helping this process.
The method is based on a model developed in the Netherlands over the last 20 years. The concept is to use principles which promote successful interactions between mothers and infants in the earliest months as a framework for identifying positive moments in communicative exchanges. These moments are selected by focusing on the way in which children’s communicative initiatives are responded to by adults. These principles are fundamental to VIG and are known as the ‘principles for attuned interactions and guidance’.
The evidence–base for the effectiveness of VIG studies has been building up over the last 20 years through relatively small-scale studies in the UK and large –scale Randomised Controlled trials from the Netherlands.
A review of studies conducted by the Department for children, schools and families indicates that targeted early interventions that are aimed at increasing parental sensitivity and promoting attachment are effective in preventing emotional maltreatment.
VIG was one of two recommended programmes in the NSPCC’s evidence to England’s review of the delivery of early interventions .
How Psychology.im can help
If you want to improve your communication with your child, or if you want to strengthen the bond and attachment between you then VIG may be able to help.
Contact John Kermode for a discussion without obligation to help decide if it is the right thing for you, your child and your family.
As the opinion is independent you can be assured that the focus is upon your child’s best interests.