A NEURO-COGNITIVE/DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH

Developed by Dr Steven Gutstein and Dr Rachelle Sheely, the RDI® program is based on over 20 years of research by experts on the typical development of the human brain and scientific studies on individuals with Autism.  It is aimed to help individuals on the Autism Spectrum and people with relational issues. Described as “the missing piece of the puzzle” in the treatment of Autism and other relational conditions, the specific focus of RDI® is to create a “Guided Participation” framework where the parents and main caregivers drive the program with the guidance of a Certified RDI® Program Consultant.  The RDI®  program teaches parents how to guide their child to seek out and succeed in truly reciprocal relationships, while addressing key core issues such as motivation, communication, self and emotional regulation, episodic memory, flexible thinking, self awareness, appraisal, executive functioning and creative problem solving.

Parent Centered

The RDI® program is based on the principle that the brain is an experience dependent organism and that it can be rewired to function in a normal capacity as a consequence of the experiences that we introduce it to. Parents are supported in their roles as guides to their child in a step by step and developmental manner and this is done with the parents as the primary guides to their child. They are taught how to rethink their daily lifestyles; change their communication style; and create daily scenarios for their child to experience safe and challenging opportunities to develop mental growth and make discoveries in the face of unique, novel and increasingly unpredictable settings and unexpected changes. The aim is to not turn parents into therapists but to guide them to develop new ways of interacting and communicating with their child to use daily routines in their day to day lifestyle to enhance growth in their child.

What you can do for your child now:

• Slow down; this would entail not overtalking to the child, or cuing the child to say things, making sure that the family is not rushing around in their day to day activities
• Change your communication style to 80% experience sharing (sharing your thoughts, ideas, perspectives and beliefs) from 20% manipulative speech (which is the asking of questions, prompting your child and getting him/her to say things)
• Use more non-verbal communication in your interaction with your child
• Introduce gradual changes in your environment to help your child become more flexible
• Stop, or reduce considerably, the use of electronic devices, television, etc.

Find out more about RDI®

• Visit the Connections Centre website at www.rdiconnect.com
• Read “My Baby Can Dance” book by Dr Steven Gutstein