RDI® is a parent based process where parents are provided the tools to effectively guide the development of the Guided Relationship, Dynamic Intelligence and Motivation for their child

RDI® Empowers Families to act as participant guides, creating daily opportunities for the child to respond in more flexible and thoughtful ways to novel, challenging and increasingly unpredictable settings and problems. Both fathers and mothers are essential participants in the treatment process. Current estimates of father’s participation in RDI® are over 90%

RDI® is about changing neurology

RDI® is a way for people on the spectrum to become flexible thinkers and creative problem solvers, who enjoy the challenges of change and discovery and who desire to expand their world.

Preliminary research indicates that RDI® is a powerful, effective means for increasing children’s capacity and motivation for experience sharing, as well as their flexibility and adaptation.

RDI® prepares and guides parents to act as participant guides by restoring the critical early Guiding Relationship damaged by the autism spectrum disorder.

Parents acting as guides learn to create numerous daily opportunities for the child to respond in more flexible and thoughtful ways to novel. challenging and increasingly unpredictible settings and problems. Guides help the child capture, stockpile and construct critical personal knowledge memories that build memories of success in gradually more complex environments.

Parents engaged in RDI® overwhelmingly report significant improvement in their own Quality of Life as well as the lives of their non-affected children.

Getting Started with Relationship Development Intervention® RDI®

• Look at the information on this site -  Connect and Relate for Autism Inc, CaRfA. www.connectandrelateforautism.com.au
• Contact a Connect and Relate for Autism Inc – CARFA RDI® Consultant to gain more information or make a time to meet for an information session
• Look at the Testimonials and video from Parents who use the RDI® approach
• Look at the RDIConnect web page
• Order and Read "The RDI® Book" by Dr Steven Gutstein NEW 2009 - AVAILABLE - from this website NOW
  
• Talk to a family already doing RDI®
• Contact your Autism Advisor for information on your options and access to the Government's FaHCSIA “Helping Children with Autism” Early Intervention Services funding
• Make an appointment to start working with an RDI® Certified Consultant and progress into using the RDI® process to provide remediation for your family and child.

Frequently asked questions about RDI®

How do I start RDI®?

After selecting RDI® as your choice of programme for your child, there will be an initial information gathering and Baseline Assessment period necessary for your Consultant to best understand your family and child, and begin the journey with you.

With guidance from your Certified Consultant, parents initially work through the Family Consultation Programme where they learn to effectively guide their child’s learning. When this is established and the parents and child are ready to move on, they start the Dynamic Intelligence Programme, which is a structured curriculum to help the child develop their dynamic intelligence.

 As part of the Family Consultation Programme, parents undergo some initial education and training in the following areas:

• Parents become familiar with using the RDI Online System™ - the online Learning System, that connects them with their Consultant in order to coordinate their programme, captures all work done in their private “file” and connects parents with the wider RDI® community.
• Parents begin working on understanding how the Core Deficits of ASD have impacted their child’s development; they learn about how to create and develop the Guiding Relationship with their child; they learn how Dynamic Intelligence develops and allows the brain to make complex connections and develop flexibility.
• Parents begin to understand how the foundations of Dynamic Communication are made.
• Parents learn to understand (and distinguish from the myths), the real nature of the debilitating core deficits of ASD and the true impact for their child’s Quality of Life.
• Parents begin to understand how children are guided and learn how they become an apprentice in learning.

It is through this development of the Guiding Relationship that parents are able to assist their child develop their Dynamic abilities. This capacity for Dynamic Intelligence impacts directly on the development of the Quality of Life potential for their child.

Parents start incorporating changes into their daily life with their child and the family as a whole. 

Parents learn to understand (and distinguish from the myths), the real nature of the debilitating core deficits of ASD and the true impact for their child’s Quality of Life.

Parents are supported to understand and tackle issues that will assist in assessing their ‘fit’ for the process, identify their goals, prioritize and manage their resources and to identify and manage obstacles.

This is an invaluable foundation which helps facilitate for collaboration and progress in the Relationship Development Assessment® and for the ongoing Relationship Development Intervention® process.

Doing the RDI® process, with your Certified Consultant to act as your RDI® guide, Parents will initially work through the Family Consultation Programme and when they and their child has the necessary readiness, they can move into the Dynamic Intelligence Programme

The RDA® [the Relationship Development Intervention Assessment] is done regularly at the commencement of your RDI® work with your Certified Consultant and then at the regular intervals as the work progresses. This provides the ongoing assessment of the foundations of the Guided Participation Relationship, provides a review of progress and a preview for planning of future goals and objectives.

What is the RDI Online System™ ?

After families become contracted with a qualified Certified Consultant or Consultant in Training they will be able to subscribe to the RDI Online System™ - the online learning system. Only qualified RDI® Certified Consultants (and Consultants in Training under supervision) will be using this state of the art, online Relationship Development Intervention ® Operating and Learning System RDI Online™ tool. This guarantees families are receiving the latest RDI® protocol and service.

Your account on the RDI Online System™ allows for

• online learning and discussion with the wider RDI® community
• 24hr, direct access to RDI® resources and materials
• the ability to capture the work you are doing with your child and monitor your own and your child’s progress
• direct access to interact online with your RDI®  Certified Consultant

Cost of this subscription is separate to the fees paid to your Consultant and a current subscription is required to participate in an RDI® Programme.

For families accessing FAHCSIA funding, subscriptions can be paid for using their funding.

How does RDI® work?

RDI® is re-engineering what happens in typical development. It is remediating the foundations that were missed in early development for the child or adult with ASD, regardless of their current age.

It is a cognitive, developmental program which targets the Information Processing deficits that are universal but by no means unique to persons on the Autism Spectrum.

RDI® is not a “quick fix” – it is giving people with ASD the opportunity to “re-do” typical development in a slower and more deliberate way, and is consequently approached from the perspective of a marathon and not a sprint.

Certified RDI™ consultants are trained to guide you to become the Guides for your child.  Their role is to teach parents, grandparents, teachers and other significant adults to re-construct the Guiding Relationship. They help break down learning to think and perceive a world full of change and complexity into small, simple components. They teach adults to slow down and amplify information feedback, so that both adults and children are more readily able to understand and adjust to one another.

Parents who participate in the RDI program are reporting dramatic changes:

• Children are significantly more motivated to accept guidance
• Children value time interacting with parents over other activities and objects.
• Children are more interested in how parents and other family members feel.
• Couples report a significant reduction in conflicts and stresses related to the child
• They feel more hopeful and less fearful about what the future holds
• They feel a decreased need to act as a buffer and advocate for the child
• They perceive their children as engaging more in planned, thoughtful action and see a significant increase in their ability to generate productive creative ideas and responses
• Their children show a strong desire to take greater responsibility in their daily lives

• 2 ½ years after starting RDI®, less than 15% of children were still in special education classes (compared to over 90% prior to RDI®).
• Parents reported an increase in age-appropriate flexibility and adaptation from 16% to over 70%.
• Over 90% of children were rated in the “autism” range by the ADOS prior to RDI®, after 2 ½ years fewer than 10% received the “autism” rating. 

Because of RDI®, thousands of parents and educators have now realized that we can give our children and ourselves a second chance.

We can provide our children with the opportunity to become dynamic thinkers and communicators. 

We can create pathways to success and a quality of life.

What do I need to do to be able to do RDI®?

To participate in the RDI® Programme you are required to work with an RDI® Certified Consultant or Consultant in Training.

You need to choose Remediation as the focus for your work with your child.
Preferably both parents or primary carers of your child need to be engaged in the programme. You need to be able to allocate time and resources to this.

You need to subscribe to the RDI Online System™ as well as provide fee for service payments to your Consultant.

You need a computer system that will provide preferably Broadband Internet access and sufficient processing memory to manage your online system and processing of video clips
You need a video camera set up to create video of your work for feedback and review.

© Gutstein, Sheely & Associates, P.C. d/b/a The Connections Center. All rights reserved. www.RDIconnect.com

Useful Resources to Download Raising the bar RDI® info PDF Light at the End of the Tunnel PDF Remediation RDI® PDF RDI INFO Messier Brochure PDF Research RDI® Sage Article PDF