The RDI® Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Extraordinary Minds

Contrary to popular belief, RDI® is not a social skills program. It is a cognitive-developmental program that is based on the most recent research in both autism and typical child development. RDI® is designed to address the unique deficits present in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Individuals with ASD have deficits in the area of dynamic intelligence; using and reading non-verbal communication, sharing experiences, collaborating with others, problem solving and borrowing other's perspectives. RDI® is different from other therapies as it does not compensate for the deficits of ASD and work around them. RDI® seeks to remediate these deficits and offers individuals with ASD a better quality of life. RDI® has shown to be a successful intervention for all age ranges and across all severities of autism. The RDI® program for autism is an extended version of the Guided Participation Program in combination with the Dynamic Education Program. The neurological deficits present in children with autism are the most detrimental to the Guided Participation Relationship and individuals with autism universally lack dynamic intelligence. Restoration of the Guided Participation Relationship is critical prior to working on the child's dynamic intelligence. The parent child relationship is primary in teaching children how to communicate, regulate emotions and solve real world problems. Typically developing children develop these skills early in life in a very natural way from their parents. RDI® teaches parents how to slow down and revisit these missed milestones in dynamic intelligence through their reciprocal relationship with their child. The RDI® program is broken down to systematic, flexible and workable steps that are easy to follow and provide a flexibility that most other therapies cannot. An RDI® program is a unique approach to treating autism in that it treats not only the person with the disability but recognizes that the entire family is profoundly affected by the disorder. We will help you look at the needs of all of your family members and put into place a plan to normalize family life. An RDI® approach values the parent as the most important and influential person in your child's life. You will look at your family's schedule and prioritize the weekly activities that you and your child are engaged in. We will help you to understand that "more" is not always "more." We will identify, together opportunities for quality time to spend with your child with autism as well as your other children, yourself and your spouse, improving your entire family's quality of life. While we will design and assist you in implementing your family's individualized plan, RDI® is a parent based program so the majority of the work takes place between you and your child. This is because we believe all children, including children with ASD learn best from the most important person(s) in their life, their parents. You will become proficient at implementing RDI® throughout your day and it will become a lifestyle. There is not a specific amount of time you need to spend with your child "doing RDI®." Your child will begin to make gains in dynamic intelligence as you begin to change the way you communicate, alter the way you are interacting and incorporating your child into activities that are already taking place in your home. Introduction to RDI® Group Sessions Some parents are very interested in pursuing an RDI® Program but for various reasons, may not want or be able to make the long term commitment. The group sessions are designed to allow parents to "get their feet wet" at a discounted rate prior to signing up for a full program. The group will cover the first of the five parent stages, the education stage. Meetings occur once a week for six weeks and are for parents only. Although not required, it is very strongly recommended that both parents attend whenever applicable. Parents are grouped together based on their availablity and every attempt will be made to accomodate parents' schedules. Parents can expect to learn about the most recent research on autism, neurology and child development; how to improve interaction and communication with their children; how to stop overcompensating for their children and provide opportunities for cognitive growth; and how to begin pursuing a better quality of life for their entire family. Next: Individual Therapy		Dr. Gutstein's highly anticipated, RDI® Book is now available. Visit the following link to purchase or to view a sample chapter. THE RDI BOOK
		It is an unfortunate reality that most children with autism are provided with traditional approaches to treating autism that focus on static skills and behaviors. When behavioral approaches were developed, it was believed that the brain could not change; what you were born with is what you were to live with. Individuals with autism's brains naturally function in a static, discrete way where they prefer things to remian unchanging and predictible. We know now through advances in neurological research that the brain is an experience dependent organ. It changes based on the experiences it has. Traditional behavioral therapies do a wonderful job of teaching static skills. However these skills are most often compensating for a deficit and are very limited. Will teaching a social script prepare your child for when they don't get the answer they were taught to receive? Will providing a picture schedule teach your child how to be flexible and manage real world situations? Your child is capable of more. Why Social Skills are Not Enough Many people on the autism spectrum learn the social scripts, and can blend in. The problem is, these learned behaviors often have limited value in real world situations. The motivation behind the behaviors, the reasons why we work to maintain relationships, to really understand another's perspective is lacking. Why Language and IQ are Not Enough The largest study ever conducted of high functioning adults with Asperger's and Autism was in 2001. The hundreds of young adults followed all had high IQ's and good language skills. Fifty percent of these individuals went on to college. At the time of the study: 12% were employed 3% were living independently 65% reported little social contact outside their family 0% were married or involved in a romantic relationship (National Autistic Society of Great Britain, 2001. The NAS study is available at www.rdiconnect.com) This and other studies demonstrate that academic achievement and language proficiency are not predictors of a quality of life.