iBASIS Training

Inklings is built from over a decade of research by an international team of health professionals and researchers invested in supporting babies who are developing differently. The original research was centred around two methodologies: iBASIS and VIPP.

The 10-session Inklings-iBASIS Programme uses short videos of a caregiver interacting with their baby to help them better understand the different ways that their baby communicates their thoughts, feelings and needs. With the guidance of a trained practitioner, caregivers learn strategies to build on their own strengths as responsive communication partners for their babies.

All sessions involve recording a short 5–6 minute video of a caregiver with their baby, and then reviewing the video together with the practitioner. Through pausing and discussing the video, sessions aim to develop a caregiver’s understanding of their baby’s behaviour and responses and learn how best to support their baby’s social communication development. Video feedback has been shown to be a powerful tool for supporting enhanced parent responsiveness to their baby.

Inklings is delivered as 1-hour sessions in fortnightly intervals by a range of health and early childhood professionals, including speech pathologists, psychologists, and child health nurses/visitors.

The Inklings-iBASIS Programme supports the interactions between parents/carers and neurodivergent infants by building back-and-forth communication closely attuned to the infant’s interests and communication style.  Inklings-iBASIS follows a neuro-affirming approach, adapting the communication environment to suit the infant.  The programme is individually tailored to each child, responding to the infant’s individual preferences and ‘where they are at’, enabling the infant to be seen and heard to become more confident in starting and maintaining communication exchanges.

IMPACT is currently only able to offer Inklings-iBASIS training to those residing and practising in the UK.

Interested applicants must meet all three essential criteria listed below to qualify for the training.

Essential

1. A relevant qualification in health, allied health or early childhood education.
2. Current registration with a professional body/organisation.
3. Experience delivering clinical programmes or services to caregivers/families.

Advantageous

1. As Inklings is a programme for families with babies 6-18 months of age, experience with babies is advantageous.

A recent study concluded that iBASIS is cost-saving over time from a societal perspective, as it supports the needs of neurodivergent infants early in their lives, works with them and their families, and helps them become more confident communicators, which continues over time.

The original research paper can be read here.

Professionals training in iBASIS will join our friendly, supportive iBASIS community committed to evidence-based practice and a developmental approach to supporting infants and their families. If you complete the registration form, we will get in touch with all the relevant information.

The training currently involves three online workshops. Please note that from March 2026, we are adapting our e-learning to include additional practice-based tasks. Therefore, from March 2026, the training will comprise two facilitator-led online workshops, alongside e-learning modules and post-course certification support.

The Inklings-iBASIS Practitioner Training comprises three parts. Eligible practitioners must progress through e-learning, facilitated workshops and a supervision process to obtain certification.

• E-learning is completed by practitioners at their own pace. The theory and methodology of Inklings-iBASIS are learned by progressing through a series of videos and interactive activities highlighting the programme's key delivery methods.
• The face-to-face or online workshops are run by trainers, facilitating discussions and role-play activities. This allows practitioners to integrate the theory learnt in e-learning into practice.
• Supervision commences after completion of the e-learning and facilitated workshops. Trainers support practitioners in a 1:1 mentoring learning style by providing constructive feedback to reach certification.
• Inklings-iBASIS Practitioner training has been delivered in countries all around the world. Certified practitioners in Australia are called Inklings practitioners, while UK practitioners are iBASIS practitioners, hence the name of the training, Inklings-iBASIS.

We ask that those who wish to train in Inklings-iBASIS identify two babies aged 6-18 months and families to work with before applying for the course.

The cost of the iBASIS training package (per participant) is:                                                                    £1,500

This includes:

• Access to the e-learning resources and modules (3 modules in total)
• Two online, group-facilitated sessions with the iBASIS trainer (dates as per below)
• Two focused supervisory sessions following training (to become a certified practitioner)

Note: If delegates require further supervision sessions, they can participate in up to 2 further sessions at an additional cost of £150 per session.

iBASIS practitioners need to submit videos of two sessions (Session 3 or 4; and Focussed session 7 or 8) to their IMPACT iBASIS supervisors as part of their post course supervision, in order to be signed off and become accredited practitioners.

There are 2 options to video share:-

Option 1:

Provisional iBASIS Practitioners (PIPS) would upload videos for supervision and certification onto a secure data system, called CANVAS, for supervision and certification, which the supervisor then reviews.  (CANVAS is the same system which delegates will have used for their previous E-learning training.)

Option 2:

Provisional iBASIS Practitioners save their videos only on their organisation’s recording device and share their iBASIS video during the live supervision session (either face-to-face or via video call), thus eliminating the need for video transfer. The external supervisor would not need to store the data elsewhere. The external supervisor would then submit the paperwork to the Australian Team, who would confirm the accreditation and send out the certification.